JOUWIALISTY Mr Hawke, would you prefer to go into the
election without Mtr Dowding an the Premier?
PK: I'd prefer to go into the election with the leader who
is the choice Of the Parliamentary Party in this State.
IVeG mad. it clear that I was asked a question about this
that Night be and obviously must be that I have
confidence in and give support to the leader of the Party in
each State. Now clearly at this time there are some
question about that leadership. so one suspends ones
Position in those circumstances. I understand the
Parliaety Party will be meeting on rnday, that Ur
Dowding will be calling a meeting. But it's not for me to
interVene in this matter. I haven't to this point AMd I
won't. ? 44s is a matter for determination by the Party.
When it MOMe its decision then I will give the Partys
decision my support.
JOUALST: I& Hawke how much do you know about Carmen
Lawrence and what's your assessment of her?
PK: Wll I had the opportunity of helping her in her
campaign oni a couple of occasions. F& ro what I know of
Carmen 10a very favourably impressed. she strikes me an
being a no-nonsense person, knows what she'. about, says
what she thinks and I have a very high opinion of her.
10O3LIST: Kr Hawke, would you agree that the present
position in Western, Australia is unhelpful to federal Labor?
PM: Well the most unhelpful position is that there is
uncertainty about the leadership and that's why I believe
that it* a good thing on the part of a party and in term
of Xr Dowding, his response. They sem to be at one ina
saying this matter should be resolved and resolved quickly.
Once it* s resolved that will be a plus for the Party
generally both State and federally.
j mouLBt: If there is a change of leadership Sir, would
that help the federal Labor Party Overcome the stigma Of NA
PK: Wll as I Just indicated it's not for me to intervene
in the decision making processes of the State Parliamentary
Party and-I-need to be careful-in that-anything I may is no
taken an an intervention. Theref ore I simply say carefully
that there is not doubt it's a matter of record that as far
am the West Australian scene is concerned, I think certainly
the State Party seema to be suffering to some extent from
the develownts in regard to Va Inac. Yours is a
hypothetical questioni if there were to be a chnein
leadership would that mean some change in percepti: o I
guess perhaps it would. I can't really develop that point
and I don't intend to because I adhere to my position that
this matter is a matter f or the State Pai1 iametary Party.
JOURNALIST: But there has been suggestions that federal
Vest Australian Labor politicians were involved in moves
against Xr Dowding.
P112 Well there may have been but I've been in politics that
long to know that long that I hear allegations about all
sorts of things on both sides of politics and an far as I
understand thin in an essentially internally generated State
matter. 7OUsnALIST: Ufr Hawke, from what you know has the fallout
from. W6nc. had anything to do with the latest
PH1: I would've thought that developments in regard to VA
I= c. have obviously had something to do with it. But I
haven't been involved and I don't intend to be involved in
thes internal processes. Now what things have moved and
what the has been in the minds of memers of the State
Parliamentary Party, I simply don't know and I don't intend
to intervene or attempt -to find out.
S JOUNAST: Prime Minister, what about what's in the minds
of the voters, how concerned are you about in term of
Thomastown that people can distinguish between State and
federal issues?..
111œ Yes I've got no doubt they will because any suggest ion
to the contrary really involves a very considerable insult
to the intelligence of the electorate here.* It means that
those who would argue that the West Australian electorate
would seek to punish, if you likel1 the State Governrment-by
an adverse vote against us, means that they would put at
risk thei' interests as an electorate in havin a decent
health scheme, for instance, a decent educationm eyet the
future of Australia and for each individual elector in
Western Australia, his or her future in terms of having a
3.
decent health schem depends upon whether they vote for the
Hawke Governen or for this tattered Opposition which
cannot produce a health policy. A voe, in the federal
election determines whether we're going to have a
continuation of the massive social engineering that's taken
plwAe wnder my Goenet in the area of education. JUSt
z emeber the facts there that our opponents who awe deep in
rhetoric about concern for families, but horribly short on
action had 7 years before we came to office to do something
about education for the kids of Australian-families. And in
the 7 year. before we cam to office they lifted the
retention rate by 2 miserable points trom 340 to 36t.* So
that in Australia you had a pattern imposed upon this
country in educational terms that if your kids cam from the
privileged suburbs,. the wealthy suburbs, if you came from
Dalkeith your kids vent on into education. If you cam from
oae of the poorer suburbs, it's a good-chance of not. Only
one in three vent on. Now they lifted it by We have
massively changed one of the most important pieces of social
engineering in this country's history, it's nov 62% of kids
S staying on in the education system. It you want to look at
the question of what' 4s important for families, in the end
there's nothing moe important than ensuring that kids
indepnde! ty of their income level of their pants,, are
gjoing to have a chance of staying on in school. Now we've
lifted it an I say frou 36 to 62 and our policies will
continue that. Their's won't. That's education. In
health, we came to office 2 million uncoverzed by insurance
medical health insurn. Nov we have in this country a
system of Mdicare which in characterised by two features u
it is universal and it is fair. Now these people had 7
Years in Opposition and on the eve of the election they
stand up and confess we have not got a health policy. So
0hese are the issues. You see this is essential to yoaw
question. It's these issues which are going to determine
the welfare of Western Australian voters and their kids and
I think it' an ' Insult to the intelligence of West
Auastralian electors to say that-bacause-they may -be
disappointed with some aspects of the West Australian State
Labor ovement they are cping to deliberately prejudice
themselves and their kids in terms of education, health,
wages policy, the economy, by voting for Peacock and his
crow as a Protest against Western Australia That's an
Insult to their intelligence. I don't believe it will
happen. JOLUNALST: Ur Hawke, if re-elected will you serve a full
UWEm? PM: Ye. I've made that clear and despite -let me be
quite clear about this the gratuitous and incorrect
observation of senator Button, I wi1l serve a full term.
JOUNAIST: tso there'I. no secret agenda
PK: There is not, as I said. It was a gratuitous and
erroneous observation by senator Button.
JOUUMAIST: Have you told him that?
P31: I have observations to his in the quietness Of the
Cabinet room yesterday.
JOURNALXST: Mr Hawke, what are your feelings for the
entrepreneurs of Australia, particularly in Western
Australia who appear to be collapsing left, right and
centr?
13: Well now let's get it into perspective. I mean
got in this country record profits and record investment.
Investment in this country in absolute term and as a
proportion of gross domestic product is higher than it,'
every been.* That is not an accident. * it is the outcome of
the deliberate policies of economic maaeet of my
Government.-what we have done and this goes to the core
Of the issues of the West Australian electorate as well an
the whole Australian electorate ve'll1 have to face -what ve
have done is this, let me quickly encapsulate it because it
goes again to the heart of your question, when we came to
office, simple fact, we inherited the worst recession in
years, that was after 7 years of conservative Government.
They have achieved what had never been achieved before in
the history of this country, simultaneous double digit
unemployment and double digit inflation and the central
factor in that historic achievement by the conservatives of
the worst recession in 50 years, the central feature in that
was their inability to control wages. They had no wages
Policy, We had a wages explosion and everything f lowed from
that. The economy collapsed, businesses collapsed left,
right and Centre into the position of the worst recession in
Years. Now we came to office and we said we are going to
chagethat and what vs have done is. by having the accord
and a deliberate wages policy which Mas recognised this
simple fact, that the income of workers is not solely
derived from wages.* We said there are other ways of
managing the remuneration and the income of families in this
country than simply trying to do it by exces. sive money wage
increases. So look at the I just give you the last two
Year and the prospect for this year which goes to this
point. It is the came that earnings have increased at a'
slightly lesser rate than the CPX. So if you look at it in
terms of real wages there-' s been a slight decline in 1987/ 88
-Cl! 1 up by 7.3 and earnings up by 6.6 and for the last
financial Year 1988/ 89 the CPI 7.4 and earnings by 7.0. But
at the same time real household disposable income in each of
these two years vent up, the first year by 3.* 60 and the
second year by Now what that represented was the
dynamics of economic policy and wages policy. in other
wOrder by having wage restraint through a wages system,, a
accrcoewpteids ebdy wWaogrekse rsS ybsteecmau, sea twhaegye greost trinacinreta swehsi chin van
ttaihonmr do Phuraogevvcheao lromednta htsseisn. ri vv ineeim s ttepmhxroeepvniaretn. ms dieoinnsTtp, sh . o ahsitn aig lis ht, hIgenr rcoesawsomt" ctrh ia, at ihln rao wuwaaggawhege , e tsa, tw oxe h wopigefrh orf eesf ri ttassb, le
profits, record investment. Nov that's the overall pattern
of sccrmiC management and achievement under this Government
and the contrast with our opponents. Now in those
circtm-tancs of growth theeav been smom collapses, no
oqfu eisntci-oAnm aobptoeuntt tdheacits.-io nB-muta kthinogs e bcy otlhlaopsese. si nvhaovlve edb. e en Bbuetc athuese
total aggregate pattern is of, as I say,, record growth and
investment because of the centrality of the wage! policy and
Yet in those circumstances there is little surprise that you
hcaavm, ingto doauyt , anfdo r kninosctkainngc e, t heA uOsptproasliitai.' osn * b-iggIte sits covmerpya nyre, le3vPan, t
to look at that because in a sense BEP encapsulatesI if you
like, all that I've been talking about. Naen we came to
0 oolfpfeircaet iBoEnsP iwnas thcoisn s cidoeurnitnrgy . cloAsfitnegr d7o wyne airtss ofs toceoln smeravkaintgive
mitsiaknwgem'lln c loAseu sdterwasl. i a's Aluasrtgreaslita cowmasp angyo inmge atso abyeii iqw iwtheollu t wae
steel industry. We said no, ve're not going to allow that
to happen. And right today you-Ire getting the whole thing
revisited because what mwP seem in the Opposition'sa proposal
is the possibility of the re-emergence of that precise
situation of the beginning of the 80a which brought about
the collapse of the Australian economy in general and the
particular consideration by DMP as to whether they'd close
down the steel industry. Is it little wonder that SMsays
to the coalition, well it may be that you can't learn from
Your mistakes and want to re-visit on Australia the disaster
of your previous term in office, but we, BHP, understand and
we don' t want a bar of it -nor shoul1d fthe.
JOMUINLST: Mr Hawke, in the past you been regarded as
an admirer of Brian Burke would you support him rett~ ning
to politics sometime in the future?
FE: That's an entirely hypothetical question. I'm not
going to Intervene into that. He is Going an excellent job
now as Ambassador for Australia in Ireland and to the
Vatican and that's where he is.
JOUIIAIS: ZDo you agree with John Dawkins and Peter Walsh
vho'lve gone on the record saying that his style of politics
is no longer needed in the ALF?
pU: Iove got no coinnt to mke about Brian Durke's style
of politics. I simply say that he is doing an excellent Job
for Australia as Ambassador to Ireland and the Vatican.
J0MUALIS!: Mr Hawke the last Morgan Gallup Poll has
support for Labor in Western Australia as down to 321.
PK: Well, that was not today'. poll but that was a long
time beck. I Smen I would think if you're talking about
polls there are a couple of polls around today that are more
curraent. I think that when people come to cast their vote,
this goes back I don't want to regurgitate the answer I
gave before but I have faith in the intelligOONc of the
people of Western Australia. After all, Ifs one of then.
So I'm not going to knock West Australians, I an West
Australian and I think we're intelligent people. And whly
would West Australians, just ask a simple question -why
would West Australians vote against theseves to reimpme a
wages policy which gave you the worst recession in 50 years,
which is what the Liberals and the country Party want to
revisit on this country. WMy would West Autalians wnt to
visit upon themselves the disastrous 7 years of Conservatism
that preceded us in regard to health policy, where Nedibenk
was abolished and you had 5 successive changes in Nedibank
and its detuto. Why would West Australians want nov to
say we'd give government to Xr Peacock and Nr Shack who
can t produce a health policy, who produce nothing now but
the promise of additional expenditure of something up to
$ 2.6 billion, with a $ 6 billion gap in their economic
credibility. Their Economic Action Plan absolutely
destroed. Why would they want in terms of education to go
back to people who are promising the same in education.
Under the conservatives how many additional places did they
create, as well as just going from 341 to 36% in retention
rates and what we've done there, but look at the tertiary
area -in 7 years how many additional places did they
create? 27,000, 27000 additional places. At the end of
this triennium we're now, there will be between a
140,000 and a 150,000 additional places under myGoenet
So in the vbole area of education, health, budget Policy,
why do you believe your fellow west Australians are going to
say Its going to be so silly but because Vsm a little bit
disappointed with some aspects of the West Australian State
Government I'm going to inflict misery upo= myself and my
children to somehow or another express disapproval of what
night happen in the state. I simply don't believe that the
West Australian electorate would be that silly.
IWO LLIST well you've got 9 seats here, how many do you
expctto hold on to?
PN: Wall I expect to hold then all. Now let Us may On
this, I'm not being cocky or complacent about this election.
it is the case things seem to be running well for us now and
I's pleased about that. But I don't take these things for
granted and I certainly don'It take Western Australia for
granted. I have the responsbility together with mY
colleagues to explain thee things that I ' a explaining to
7.
you there today and 1011 do that, 1' ll be hame and V11l
ae back and lot me just say this I's fascinated to see
Andrew Peacock in the Press today saying that I'm frightened
to face up to the Press. He's talkng about contrived
debate, that I ' s frightened to face upto the press.* I
onsistently have conferences like this. I do it today and
when I come back to Western Austral ia agjain and when I come
back again I'll be doing th~ at. 10amuaXdngmyself available
to you, you can throw any questions you vant to at ne about
my economic policy, wages policy, international policy,. 18m.
here to be questioned by you and through you to people of
MWtern Australia. Anything that you vent to ask me anbout
our policies, I'm here. I ask you to if you just talk
to yawr colleagues over there about the availability of Mr
Peacock to answer questions about wages policy, health
policy. = AT-ST: Xr Hawke, do you seriously expect to hold all 9
seats in VA. Is that just optimism?
PK: Obviously we've got a difficulty in regard to one
S because of the redistribution, that's Allen Blanchard's seat
of Moore. The redistribution certainly vales that
difficultg I acknowledge that. There's a difficulty the" e
not because of inadequacy o In Xr Blmnchard's part, he's been
an excellent representative for the constituency. But since
the last election there has been a redistribution and it
makes that seat difficult. So I put that I'd love to
hold Moore and will be trying hard to do it. But that one
will be difficult. But apart from that I expect that we
will hold the rest. But I repeat and I want the people of
Western Australian to understand I ' m not saying that in a
cocky or c lacent way.* I realise that there have been
som concerns over here.* We'l11 address thea.
JOMULUS?: inaudible I
P3: Wll-I don't regard it as a happy hunting ground. I
feel at hams in western Australia, it is and Ii ' ve always
regarded is as you know, I regard it as my ham State., I
feel at home when I come back here. Mow it is a bit more of
a challenge this time. That's well and good and I'll be
here to face the challenge.
jimngLisTs can we expect to see a bit more of you through
this election campaign?
P3' 10' ll get over as often as I can. I amen there is a lot
of Australia that I've got to go to but I'll be here as
often as I can.
JOUnsaLISTi Nrl Hawks, what's your impression of the job
dONe by Peter Dowding?
4 PM: Look, if there were not a question on now about the
leadership, that may be a fair question, that ay be a fair
question. But it's quite unfair for me to be intruding into
that issue and the question of leadership, you know I've
said that before, it's not for se and I think you would
understand it's not proper for ae to cae over here and
intrude at a timae when the State Parliamentary Labor Party
is to make a decision about the leadership. It's not proper
for as to They've got to make their own mind up about
that. JOURNALST: Prize inister, have you this week discussed
the leadership with Brian Burke?
PM: Have I discussed it with Burke? I wouldn't think it
was proper for ae to say what discussions I've had with
anyone. I can say this with absolute accuracy, that I have
played no pert, I have played no part directly or indirectly
n the event.
JUOUMLIST: Rave you spoken to Mr Burke in the last week?
PM: Well I'm not going to talk about what people have
spoken to me because as I say that directly I believe
that whether Z have converuations or not with anyone within
my Party is a matter for me. I've always taken that view
and I don't intend to change it.
JOMMUNLIST: Kr Peacock said yesterday that WNA Inc. has
blown up in your face.
PM: Well of course as is true of just about everything that
Mr Peacock says, that is wrong. WA Inc. has nothing to do
with me or the federal Goverrment. I can understand Kr
Peacock in his desperation at the present tie making these
wild accusations. I guess we'll get plenty of then.
ends