House of Representatives
16 February 1971

27th Parliament · 2nd Session

  1. House of Representatives
  2. 27th Parliament
  3. 1971

Mr SPEAKER (Hon. Sir William Aston) took the chair at 3 . p.m., and read prayers.

page 3

DEATH OF FIELD-MARSHAL VISCOUNT SLIM

Mr GORTON:
Prime Minister · HIGGINS, VICTORIA · LP; IND from May 1975

– Mr Speaker, I have to inform the House that a former Governor-General, FieldMarshal Viscount Slim. K.G.. G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., G.B.E., D.S.O., M.C., died in London on 14th December. 1970 after a long illness. I am sure I do not need to remind honourable members that Lord Slim was a highly respected and popular Governor-General and a courageous professional soldier who had risen through the ranks. He had a particularly warm place in the hearts of Australians.

Lord Slim was born on 6th August 1891 and spent most of his youth in Birmingham where he began his working life as a junior clerk. Then he became a gang foreman and after that an elementary school teacher. At the outbreak of the First World War he joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and, after a short spell in the ranks, was given a commission. By August 1915 he had seen action at Gallipoli, - where he was wounded, France and Mesopotamia, where he was wounded again, and had been awarded the Military Cross. Although he was then discharged as permanently unfit, he rejoined the Army within a year and saw action in France and in Baghdad. After the war he went to India and spent the next 20 years in the Indian Army.

When the Second World War broke out he was Brigade Commander of the 5th Indian Division in the Sudan. He also served in Eritrea, Iraq and Syria and. when Burma was falling, he was sent to command the 1st Burma Corps. He was given command of the famous Fourteenth Army which finally cleared the Japanese from the Indian frontier and eventually right out of - the sub-continent. He wrote two notable books about the war in Burma: ‘Defeat into Victory’ and ‘Courage’. In 1947 he left the Army to become a full-time member of the British Railways Executive.. In 1948 he was asked to return to the Army as Chief of the Imperial General Staff and was promoted to Field-Marshal. In 1952 he was appointed Governor-General of Australia in succession to Sir William McKell. He remained Governor-General until January I960, a term of office longer than any except that of Lord Gowrie. He travelled tirelessly to all parts of Australia, and both he and Lady

Slim, though she had a great deal of illness, devoted themselves to their tasks. On retiring from his post as Governor-General, Sir William Slim was created Viscount Slim. In 1963 he was appointed Deputy Constable and Lieutenant-Governor of Windsor Castle. He remained in that post until June last year.

Sir. on behalf of the Australian Government and people I extend our sympathy to his widow and family. A memorial service for the late Lord Slim will be held at St John’s Church, Reid, at noon tomorrow week, Wednesday, 24th February. I move:

Mr WHITLAM:
Leader of the Opposition · Werriwa

– On behalf of the Australian Labor Party I support the motion and associate the Party and its supporters with all the Prime Minister’s statements and sentiments on this occasion. It is probably not too much to say that of all the British-born Governors-General, Lord Slim was personally the most distinguished. It is probably true that he was the most popular. It is neither patronising nor provincial to say that he was at home here - that he fitted in extraordinarily well - because his qualities were very much those which Australians most admire. In his character, indeed his physique, he was every inch the Head of State. He was equal to every occasion and circumstance, as I early noted when he inaugurated the 3 war cemeteries in New Guinea. When he had to pick up and don bis field-marshal’s cap for the national anthem it was swarming with ants - mordant ones. Only those in the parliamentary entourage could see his predicament. He never” flinched. It may be that Lord Slim’s very success in his great position delayed the day when it became accepted as inappropriate to appoint any other than an Australian citizen to it, for one had to concede that, in accepting Australia’s highest honour, so great an Englishman honoured Australia herself.

Mr ANTHONY:
Minister for Trade and Industry · Richmond · CP

– I should like to associate the Australian Country Party with this condolence motion .and the remarks of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Field-Marshal Viscount Slim was one of the .great men of our time and, if I might personally say, I think he was the. .greatest nian with whom I have had .the pleasure of being associated. He was a self-made, man, a completely competent man, who reached the zenith of accomplishment in his profession. He was. a; /valiant soldier, a first-class author, an excellent orator and an outstanding leader. Australians were proud to have him as their Governor-General. I express appreciation of his dedicated service in that position. He was a man whose presence was always felt. He was a stately man who held himself erect with shoulders , back. His great chin expressed the determination that made him a famous man, I will always recall one occasion when he attended a parliamentary function. He was walking up the front steps of Parliament House and photographers were trying to get a photograph of him. One photographer said: Your Excellency, would you mind smiling?’ and he said: ‘What do. you think I am doing?’ On this official occasion we give a final salute to honour him and say: ‘Long live bis memory and his example’. To his widow and family I express the sympathy of my Country Party colleagues.

Question resolved in the. affirmative, honourable members standing, in their places.

page 4

DEATH OF SENATOR JAMES PATRICK ORMONDE

Mr GORTON:
Prime Minister · Higgins · LP

– Mr Speaker, I move::

That this House expresses its deep regret at the death on 30th November 1970 of James Patrick Ormonde, a senator for the State of New South Wales since 19SS, and places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service and tenders its profound sympathy to his widow and family in their bereavement..

Senator Ormonde was born in 1905 in Scotland. He came to Australia as a young boy. He was educated at the Marist Brothers College, West Maitland. He then worked on the northern coalfields before turning to journalism. By the 1940s, he had become prominent in the organisational side of the New . South Wales Labor movement. He, in 1958, was appointed to the Senate to fill a casual vacancy and was elected at the general elections held later that year. He was re-elected in 1964 and his term in the Senate was due to expire next June.

During my time as a senator, 1 came to know him well and personally as a dedicated Labor man and a man of integrity, high principles and, above all, great humanity. Senator Ormonde became a member of the Public Works Committee in 1962 and of the House and Printing Committees at later times. He contributed to the work of the Senate Select Committee on Air Pollution which presented its report to the last Parliament. He represented Australia as a delegate to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in London in 1966 and, during that year, was a member of the Executive Committee of the Australian group of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. He was a member of the delegation which visited New Zealand with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 1967.

Sir, on behalf of the Government I extend our sympathy to his widow and to his family in support of the motion that 1 have proposed in which this House expresses its regret at his passing.

Mr WHITLAM:
Leader of the Opposition · Werriwa

– Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Australian Labor Party, T support the motion which the Prime Minister has moved. We particularly appreciate the references he made to our late colleague whom he knew throughout his own period as a Minister in the Senate.

Senator Ormonde had especially strong links with the New South Wales coal community, which has sent a remarkable group of men to this Parliament, of whom two became leaders of the Australian Labor Party - Charlton and Evatt. His colleagues in the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party will miss, among his other qualities, his fund of good humour and his irrepressible wit with which he often modified those tensions which, once upon a time, arose at our meetings. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family who were so devoted to him and to whom he was so devoted.

His declining health decided him not to seek re-election last November. Though we knew the reasons for his decision, we were shocked that he did not live to complete his term as a colleague in our Party and in our Parliament.

Mr ANTHONY:
Minister for Trade and Industry · Richmond · CP

– Mr Speaker, I wish to associate my colleagues with the remarks of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in relation to James Patrick Ormonde, better known to all of us and to all his friends as Mim’. Jim Ormonde came into this Parliament at approximately the same time as J did. Right from the beginning, a close and friendly relationship existed between us. Jim was that sort of man. Whilst he was a dedicated Labor man and an excellent Parliamentarian, he also had the capacity of making great friends with people no matter what their political beliefs might be. Jim always had a friendly smile on his face. J had associations with him in my electorate. He used to refer to me as ‘Young Doug’ and to me he was ‘Jim’. But I do wish to say to his widow and to his family that we extend to them our heartfelt sympathy in their bereavement and wish them well in the future.

Mr JAMES:
Hunter

– I would like to associate myself with the remarks of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Australian Country Parly. I had known Jim Ormonde from when I was a small boy. The Prime Minister made reference to the fact that before Jim Ormonde became a journalist he spent his early life on the northern coalfields. How very true. Jim Ormonde was reared in the heart of the northern coalfields at Kurri Kurri where I was reared. It was there, I believe, that the true principles of the Australian Labor Party were infused into his bloodstream. He never diverted from them. It is true, as the Prime Minister has said, that Jim Ormonde was a man of great humanity, high principles and full of humanism.

He belonged to a tightly knit family in which unfortunately 3 brothers have passed away in the last 3 years. Their father. Jerry Ormonde, was an old coalminer. Both he and Senator Jim Ormonde worked in the Pelaw Main coal mine where my late father worked before entering this Parliament. Your late father, Mr Speaker, could have recalled those early days in Kurri Kurri. I guess that if he were still alive he would remember Jerry Ormonde and the late Senator Ormonde. Those in the community and in this Parliament who knew. Jim Ormonde will regret his passing.

He was a man who has been properly described as having the rich red human qualities. He is deserving of the tributes which have been paid to him by previous speakers. I join in extending sympathy to his wife and family.

Question resolved in the affirmative, honourable members standing in their places.

page 6

DEATH OF MRS DORIS AMELIA

page 6

BLACKBURN

Mr GORTON:
Prime Minister · Higgins · LP

– It is with regret that I have to inform the House of the death on 20th December 1970 of Mrs Doris Amelia Blackburn. Mrs Blackburn was the widow of Maurice Blackburn who held the seat of Bourke until 1943. After his death, Mrs Blackburn won the seat in 1946 as an independent Labor candidate. She thus became the second woman to sit in this House. Sir, Mrs Blackburn was one of the founders of the Aborigines Advancement League and of the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders and is well remembered for her work in this area. We extend our sympathy to her family.

Mr WHITLAM:
Leader of the Opposition · Werriwa

– On behalf of the Australian Labor Party I support the motion moved by the Prime Minister. The name Blackburn is imperishably linked in Australia with the cause of human rights and civil liberties and, in particular, opposition to conscription. Maurice Blackburn’s singlemindedness in these causes undoubtedly deprived him of the highest offices of political life. He and his wife enjoyed a unique partnership in Australian parliamentary and political life. Of the 3 women who have sat in this House, 2 were the widows of former members. It is a striking commentary on the singular difficulty facing women who seek a political career in our country in their own right.

Mr BRYANT:
Wills

- Mrs Blackburn was, I suppose, my most distinguished constituent. I knew her very well over the 15 or 16 years in which I became active in the areas in which she lived. She was one of those whom people such as myself were inclined to look upon as immortal. It was a shock to discover that a vigorous and vital person who only a few months before had been showing an active interest in all of the affairs in which she had been interested all of her life had suddenly passed on. It was difficult to believe that this was a woman of about 82 years. I wish to place on record my personal tribute, and 1 am sure the tribute of all of those who were associated with the things in which she played a very active and effective part over a very long lifetime.

Her name and that of her husband are, of course, a part of Australian Labor Party history. During the First World War and in the 1920s her husband established a good deal of the philosophy of the Party. Mrs Blackburn was a woman of great conscience and personal integrity. Under no circumstances would she surrender any of the principles in which she believed. In fact, in the 1930s she resigned from, the Australian Labor Party because she wished to continue work with one of the. international peace movements. During the time I knew her she retained her active and effective interest in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, the Women’s International. League for Peace and Freedom, the Save the. Children Fund and, as the Prime Minister mentioned, the Aborigines Advancement League and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginals and’ ‘Torres Strait Islanders, of which she was a founder. We are talking of a person who was the founder of what I think’ ; was a fairly important national organisation at a time when she was practically into her seventies.

In her local area, kindergartens and such instrumentalities found her interest effective. She was the originator of some of them even as recently as 2 or. 3 years ago. I believe she was a woman, who was able to mix very effectively in the rough and tumble of politics in the community ‘which I represent. When she won the seat in 1946, it was almost a revolution. She was one of the few independents to enter this- Parliament, and was a woman at that. Therefore,’ she carried with her a great capacity and integrity and was a representative of Australian womanhood. I have just glanced at Hansard to see some of the things that she: said in the last term she was here. During the Budget debate of 1949 T see that, amongst the things she had to talk about, she said:

A pensioner cannot live in. any. sort of decency today on £2 2s 6d a week.

She raised a question of the rights of the Aboriginal people. When we turn to the Hansard index we find that Mrs Blackburn is recorded there probably more often than a good number of other members of this Parliament. As a parliamentarian she was effective; as a leader of women’s rights and movements in Australia, she was more than effective. As one of those very distinguished people, Mrs Blackburn is a loss to the community. I express my deepest sympathy to her family and her distinguished scientist sons, and I hope that this House will at some future date foster the membership here of more representatives of her sex.

Mr ANTHONY:
Minister for Trade and Industry · Richmond · CP

– .1 would like to associate the Australian Country Party with the condolence remarks made about the late Mrs Blackburn. She was an unusual and rather remarkable woman. She followed her husband into this Parliament and was one of the few women to have graced this chamber. She made a very notable contribution especially to social welfare and to the advancement of Australian Aboriginals. I would like to tender the sympathy of my colleagues to her family.

Mr BEAZLEY:
Fremantle

– I would like to pay a brief tribute to the memory of Mrs Blackburn. She was a colleague of mine in this Parliament for 3 years. J think she was genuinely independent of all the political parties. If it be true that her philosophy was in general on the left, it would also be true that she was completely independent and pursued an attitude entirely of her own. She was a very gentle woman; she was very humane. In that Parliament of 1946 to 1949 she contributed a quite distinctive outlook and was a valuable member of the Parliament.

Mr SPEAKER:

-I inform honourable members that, on behalf of the House, 1 have forwarded a message of sympathy to the deceased lady’s relatives. As a mark of respect to the memory of Mrs Blackburn, I ask all honourable members to rise in their places.

RESIGNATION OF RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR JOHN McEWEN

Electoral Division of Murray

Mr SPEAKER:

– I have to inform the House that, during my absence from the

Commonwealth, His Excellency the Governor-General, on 1 st February, received from the Right Honourable Sir John McEwen a letter resigning his seat as member for the electoral division of Murray. His Excellency has forwarded the letter to me. On 15th February 1 issued a writ for the election of a member to serve for the electoral division of Murray, in the State of Victoria, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of the right honourable gentleman. The dates in connection with th; election were fixed as follows:

Date of nomination, Wednesday, 3rd

March 1971; dale of polling, Saturday. 20th March 1971; date of return of writ, on or before Friday, 1 6th April

page 7

MINISTERIAL ARRANGEMENTS

Mr GORTON:
Prime Minister · HIGGINS, VICTORIA · LP; IND from May 1975

– Mr Speaker, I desire to inform the House that, following the resignation of the Right Honourable Sir John McEwen, the Honourable J. D. Anthony has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry. The Honourable Ian Sinclair has been appointed Minister for Primary industry and the Honourable P. J. Nixon Minister for Shipping and Transport. The Honourable R. J. D. Hunt has been appointed Minister for the Interior. Senator Sir Kenneth Anderson will continue to represent the Minister for Trade and Industry in the Senate, Senator DrakeBrockman will continue to represent the Minister for Primary Industry and Senator Cotton will continue to represent the Minister for Shipping and Transport and the Minister for the Interior.

Since the House met last, the name of the Department of External Affairs has been changed to Department of Foreign Affairs and the Right Honourable William McMahon was sworn in as Minister for Foreign Affairs on 6th November 1970.

page 7

LEADERSHIP OF THE AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY PARTY

Mr ANTHONY:
Minister for Trade and Industry · Richmond · CP

– I desire to inform the House that the Parliamentary Party of the Australian Country Party has elected me as its Leader and has elected as Deputy Leader my colleague, Mr Sinclair.

page 8

PETITIONS

Kangaroos Mr FOX - 1 present the following petition:

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the residents of the Slate of New South Wales respectfully sheweth:

The Red Kangaroo and many other marsupials, through shooting for commercial purposes, have been reduced to a numerical level where their survival is in jeopardy.

None of the Australian Stales have sufficient wardens to delect and apprehend people breaking the laws in existence in each Slate, and in such a vast country only uniform laws and a complete cessation of commercialisation can ensure the survival of our National Emblem.

lt is an indisputable fact that no natural resource can withstand hunting on such a concentrated scale, unless some provision is made for its future.

We, your petitioners, therefore humbly pray that: The export of all Kangaroo products be banned immediately, and the Commonwealth Government make a serious appraisal of its responsibilities in the matter to ensure the survival of the Kangaroo.

And, your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Petition received and read.

Social Services

Mr WALLIS:
GREY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

– I present the following petition:

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of electors of Grey respectfully sheweth:

That due to the higher living cost, persons on Social Service Pensions are finding it extremely difficult to live in even the most frugal way.

We therefore call upon the Commonwealth Government to increase the base pension rate to 30 per cent of the Average Weekly Male Earnings for all Stales, as ascertained by the Commonwealth Statistician, plus supplementary assistance and allowances in accordance with ACTU policy and adopted as the policy of the Australian Commonwealth Pensioners’ Federation, and by doing so give a reasonably moderate pension.

Your petitioners most humbly pray that the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled will take immediate steps to bring about the wishes expressed in our Petition; so that our citizens receiving the Social Service Pension may live their lives in dignity.

And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Petition received and read.

Social Services

Dr J F Cairns:
LALOR, VICTORIA · ALP

– I present the following petition:

To the Honourable the Speaker, and members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the citizens of the Commonwealth, electors of Lalor, respectfully sheweth:

That they are gravely concerned over the plight of pensioners whose increased pension in the recent Budget has already been taken up by price increases. They respectfully request that your honourable House make legal provision for:

A pensioners’ ‘Little Budget’ to increase the pension rates by $1.50 instead of the 50c now provided:

A full scale public inquiry into all aspects of post-retirement and income provisions on the same lines as the recent Nimmo inquiry into Commonwealth health services; such inquiry to examine the present pension provisions, consider alternatives such as various forms of national superannuation, and report to the Government on its findings.

And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Petition received and read.

Pollution

Mr PEACOCK:
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister · KOOYONG, VICTORIA · LP

– 1 present the following petition:

To the Honourable the Speaker, and members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the undersigned citizens of Victoria respectfully sheweth:

That pollution is dangerous to public health and could be better controlled if bottles were made returnable so as to reduce ike titter problem caused by non-returnable bottles: if coloured tissue and toilet paper could be banned until they can be made to disintegrate; if fumes from aircraft could be reduced; and if city councils could collect and dispose of rubbish and dead leaves in pits

Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that the Government take steps to ensure that bottles are made non-returnable, fumes from aircraft are reduced, tissue and toilet paper is made to disintegrate and councils adequately collect and bury rubbish for the better protection of the environment.

And your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.

Petition received.

Social Services

Mr DOBIE:
COOK, NEW SOUTH WALES

– I present the following petition:

To the honourable the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The petition of the undersigned citizens of Australia respectfully sheweth:

That due to higher living costs, including increasing charges for health services, most aged persons living on fixed incomes are suffering acute distress.

That Australia is the only English-speaking country in the world to retain a means test for aged pensioners and that a number of European countries also have no means test.

That today’s aged persons have paid at least 7£ per cent of their taxable incomes towards social services since the absorption of special social services taxation in income tax and continue to make such payments. (Seven and one-half per cent of all taxable incomes for 1966-67 amounted to $783,032,150 and this year will produce more than S800,000,000, more than sufficient to abolish the means test immediately.)

That the middle income group, the most heavilytaxed sector of the. community, subsidises the tax commitment of the upper income bracket through the amount of social services contributions collected by the government and not spent on the purposes for which they were imposed.

That the abolition of the means test will give a boost to the economy by -

additional tax revenue from pensions,

swelling of the work force, and

increased spending by pensioners.

That it is considered just and right to allow people who have been frugal, have lived their lives with dignity and have been anything but an encumbrance on the nation, to maintain that dignity to the end of their lives free from fear of penury.

Your petitioners most humbly pray that the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled will take immediate steps to abolish the means test for all people who have reached retiring age or who otherwise qualify for social service benefits or pensions.

And your petitioners as in duly bound will ever pray.

Petition received and read.

Kangaroos

Dr J F Cairns:
LALOR, VICTORIA · ALP

– I present the following petition:

To the honourable, the Speaker, and members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of residents of Victoria respectfully sheweth:

The red kangaroo, largest marsupial in the world, has, through shooting for commerce, become extinct or rare in many areas of Australia where it was once prolific.

All scientific evidence points to this decimation of numbers, which is clear evidence that State governments are unable to control commercial shooting within their boundaries.

We, the people of Australia, feel strong repugnance to the fact that industries should be allowed to operate, which in the past have decimated the koala to extinction over vast areas of this land, and which have now similarly exploited the kangaroo. We feel that the taxpayer should not have the heavy burden of having to pay for the control of an industry which benefits but a few people in this country, and that live kangaroos through their value as tourist attractions are economically far more profitable to our economy and to us aesthetically.

We your petitioners, therefore humbly pray that you will:

Immediately ban the export of products made from kangaroos.

Strongly insist that State governments prohibit the commercial shooting of kangaroos.

Enact legislation to give the Commonwealth Government control of all native wildlife throughout Australia.

And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Petition received and read.

Education

Dr KLUGMAN:
PROSPECT, NEW SOUTH WALES

– I present the following petition:

To the Honourable the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the undersigned citizens of Australia respectfully sheweth:

That the Australian Education Council’s report on the needs of State education services has established serious deficiencies in education.

That these can be summarised as lack of classroom accommodation, desperate teacher shortage, oversized classes and inadequate teaching aids.

That the additional sum of one thousand million dollars is required over the next 5 years by the States for these needs.

That without massive additional Federal finance the State school system will disintegrate.

That the provisions of the Handicapped Children’s Assistance Act 1970 should be amended to include all the country’s physically and mentally handicapped children.

Your petitioners most humbly pray that the Senate and the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled will take immediate steps to

Ensure that emergency finance from the Commonwealth will be given to the States for their public education services which provide schooling for 78 per cent of Australia’s children. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Petition received and read.

Education

Mr Les Johnson:
HUGHES, NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

– I present the following petition:

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives In Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the undersigned citizens of Australia respectfully sheweth: (a) That the Australian Education Council’s report on the needs of State education services has established serious deficiencies in education.

That these can be summarised as lack < classroom accommodation, desperate teacher shortage, oversized classes and inadequate teaching aids.

That the additional sum of one thousand million dollars is required over the next 5 years by the States for these needs.

That without massive additional Federal finance the State school system will disintegrate.

That the provisions of the Handicapped Children’s Assistance Act 1970 should be amended to include all the country’s physically and mentally handicapped children.

Your petitioners most humbly pray that the Senate and the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled will take immediate steps to

Ensure that emergency finance from the Commonwealth wilt be given to the States for their public education services which provide schooling for 78 per cent of Australia’s children. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray-

Petition received.

Censorship

Mr MacKELLAR:
WARRINGAH, NEW SOUTH WALES

– I present the following petition:

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the undersigned citizens of the division of Warringah respectfully sheweth:

That they ave not gravely concerned that moral standards in the Australian community may be changing, particularly in regard to the community’s willingness to treat adults within it as reasonable and responsible people who are capable of making up their own minds as to what may be perfectly acceptable or unacceptable material in books, magazines, plays, films and television and radio programmes, and particularly when this material depicts life in human society, including language habits and sex habits and gives warning of the dangers of the use of violence and narcotic drugs;

That they in fact welcome this change, having regard for the fac-l that it demonstrates an increasing tolerance of and respect for the. rights of individuals to think their own way through their own lives, free from information-withholding restrictions which people of one religion or one standard of morals may seek to impose on either the majority or minority who do not hold the same views;

That they question the simplistic view that nations ‘perish’ because of a so-called ‘internal moral decay’ unless such ‘decay’ is taken to include an increasing unwillingness to face the facts of life in open discussion and freedom of thought;

That they welcome the statement by the Honourable the Minister for Customs and Excise, Mr Chipp, that the concept of censorship is abhorrent lo all men and women who believe in the basic freedoms and that, as a philosophy, it is evil and ought to be condemned-

Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that honourable members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled will seek to ensure that Commonwealth legislation bearing on films literature and radio and television programmes is so framed and so administered as to give the maximum freedom to adults to choose what they will watch, read and listen to, even in the face of pressure from those who seek to impose their ideas and morals on others who do not share them.

And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Petition received.

Censorship

Dr KLUGMAN:

-I present the following petition:

To the Honourable the Speaker and members’ of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the undersigned citizens of New South Wales respectfully sheweth:

That they are not gravely concerned thatmoral standards in the Australian community may be changing, particularly in regard to the community’s willingness to treat adults within it as reasonable and responsible people who are capable of making up their own minds as to what may be perfectly acceptable or unacceptable material in books, magazines, plays, films and television and radio programmes, and particularly when this material depicts life in human society, including language habits and sex habits and gives warning of the dangers of the use of violence and narcotic drugs;

That they in fact welcome this change, having regard for the fact that it demonstrates an increasing tolerance of and respect for the rights of individuals to think their own way through their own lives, free from information-withholding restrictions which people of one religion or one standard of morals may seek to impose on either the majority or minority who do not hold the same views;

That they question the simplistic view that nations ‘perish’ because of a so-called ‘internal mora) decay’ unless such ‘decay’ is taken to include an increasing unwillingness id face the facts of life in open discussion and freedom of thought;

That they welcome the statement by the Honourable the Minister for Customs and Excise, Mr Chipp, that the concept of censorship is abhorrent to all men and women who believe in the basic freedoms and thai, as a philosophy, it is evil and ought to be condemned-

Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that honourable members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled will seek to ensure that Commonwealth legislation bearing on films, literature and radio and television programmes is so framed and so administered as to give the maximum freedom to adults to choose what they will watch, read and listen to, even in the face of pressure from those who seek to impose their ideas and morals on others who do not share them.

And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Petition received.

Law and Order

Mr KEOGH:
BOWMAN, QUEENSLAND

– I present the following petition:

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the undersigned citizens of Australia respectfully sheweth:

That they are gravely concerned at the apparent appalling increase in crime in Australia, particularly in densely populated areas;

That they fear the police forces of the various States and Territories are undermanned and underequipped to handle the increase in crime;

That their concern is aggravated by the apparent number of unsolved crimes particularly those involving violence to the individual including murder,

Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that the Honourable Members of the House of Representatives will seek to ensure that the Commonwealth Government will seek the co-operation of the States and supply extra finance to the States to enable;

proper town planning and development to halt the increase in densely populated areas which leads to increased crime,

the proper staffing and equipping of police forces to enable adequate crime prevention and detection measures to reduce the frightening increase of both solved and unsolved crime,

the proper detention of and rehabilitation of criminals, and

compensation to victims of crimes of violence, and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.

Petition received and read.

page 11

QUESTION

RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS

Mr WHITLAM:

– I ask the Treasurer a question without notice. The honourable gentleman will have noted that last weekend the Bureau of Agricultural Economics officially released the report which it prepared for the Minister for Primary Industry on the immediate and longer term needs for debt reconstruction and farm adjustment, with special reference to the sheep industry, and which had previously been made available to subscribers to a privately circulated newsletter on 18 January. In these circumstances I ask him whether the Treasury will now officially release the text of the report which it made to him on the economic consequences of the National Wage Case decision and which was similarly made available to subscribers to the same newsletter a week later on 25 January.

Mr BURY:
Treasurer · WENTWORTH, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

– There is no similarity at all between these two things. One was a report which has now been released and although at first it was given only a very restricted circulation, it was a complete document. The alleged Treasury document which did appear illicitly in the financial Press was in fact only an early working paper which was sent by comparatively junior officers to their counterparts in other departments for discussion and subsequent interchange of views. It has no status whatsoever. I certainly will not publish it.

page 11

QUESTION

ATOMIC ENERGY

Mr FAIRBAIRN:
FARRER, NEW SOUTH WALES

– I ask the Minister for National Development a question. The Minister will- recall that some time ago the Atomic Energy Commission called tenders for a nuclear power station at Jervis Bay. Have these tenders been assessed yet? If so, when will a contract be let? Can the Minister say whether ‘.the Commission favours a power station using natural or enriched uranium?

Mr SWARTZ:
Minister for National Development · DARLING DOWNS, QUEENSLAND · LP

– Last year I kept the House informed of the progress in the calling of tenders and I indicated that possibly consideration of. the., tenders would be concluded by the end of’ the last calendar year. However, due to the amount of work involved and some other matters that had arisen consequently, I advised the House before the end of last year that conclusion of the matter could not be anticipated until early this year. It has not yet been finalised but I would expect that by the end of this week I -would have the recommendation from the” Australian Atomic Energy Commission. I ask that I have a few weeks to study this recommendation after it comes to me. It will be a fairly complicated matter. Subsequent to that I will be making a submission to the Government. At this point of . time I cannot inform the House of the results of the tenders but when the information is available regarding the letting of the contract I will make a full statement to the House. That statement, of course, can be debated if required.

page 12

QUESTION

COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

Mr HUNT:
Minister for the Interior · GWYDIR, NEW SOUTH WALES · CP

– I ask the honourable member to put his question on notice and 1 will give a detailed answer to it at the earliest opportunity.

page 12

QUESTION

SOCIAL SERVICES

Mr JARMAN:
DEAKIN, VICTORIA

– I address my question to the Minister for Social Services. During recent months has he, as Minister for Social Services, received any direct representations from the Leader of the Opposition regarding the pension rate?

Mr WENTWORTH:
Minister for Social Services · MACKELLAR, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

– To the best of my recollection I have received no such direct representations. Indeed, this would not surprise me because it would appear that although the Leader of the Opposition makes many representations in public, for political purposes, in his own way of thinking his attitude to this question is somewhat different from the public presentation he would have’ us believe. I recall that the honourable member for Shortland told us of what happened in the Labor Caucus. Apparently the Leader of the Opposition spoke of feather bedding when it was suggested by the honourable member for Shortland - and I have no doubt he suggested it - that the pension rate should be raised. I for one do not regard this as feather bedding. 1 would hope that as soon as it is economically practicable the rate will be raised. But I draw the attention of the House to the very notable discrepancy between the published - the intended to be published - attitude of the Leader of the Opposition and the attitude which he reveals in the comparative privacy of his own Caucus. I have no doubt in my own mind that the honourable member for Shortland has given us a truthful version of what there occurred.

page 12

QUESTION

ARBITRATION

Mr Clyde Cameron:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

– My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Did he say that under the present arbitration system control of the inflationary threat is not now entirely in the hands of the Government? Does this situation represent any change in respect of the Government’s previous powers over economic questions? If so, in what way has the present arbitration system altered the Government’s powers? ls the Government considering any change to the present arbitration system or to its constitutional powers to deal with inflationary trends?

Mr GORTON:
LP

– I said something very similar to what the honourable member asked me if I said, and I can give him the printed words actually used. But it was along the lines that with wage awards in the arbitration court and in other areas, the control of the economy was not entirely now in the hands of governments - not just the Commonwealth Government, but governments generally. This is no real change in essence from what has occurred before, but it has become much more evident because the effects on the economy of such awards have been much heavier and have led to much greater cost increases. This is an area where no government can interfere at the moment in the present state of the law, and that being so, it must be conceded that it is an area where decisions can be made which have a very great impact on the economy but which cannot at present be affected by governmental action.

page 12

QUESTION

AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK CONFERENCE

Mr ENGLAND:
CALARE, NEW SOUTH WALES

– Can the Minister for Primary Industry inform the House of the outcome of the first National Agricultural Outlook Conference which was organised by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics of his Department and held at the Australian National University last week?

Mr SINCLAIR:
Minister for Primary Industry · NEW ENGLAND, NEW SOUTH WALES · CP

– The Agricultural Outlook Conference held last week was organised by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, under the aegis of my predecessor as Minister for Primary Industry, with the idea of disseminating among primary producers generally something of the background to market prospects for the many

Australian primary products which in latter years have fallen into unfortunate market difficulties overseas. About 300 individuals attended the Conference. Invitations were extended to producer organisations, State government bodies, scientific organisations including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and others with a particular interest in the field, largely on the basis of the organisations being asked to send specific representatives.

There was a considerable discussion of each one of the principal commodities. As a result of the Outlook Conference, it is hoped that fanners in the field as well as the 300 delegates will have a far better understanding of the general problems in marketing some of our agricultural products in the next few years. The whole objective of the Outlook Conference was to bring farmers in the field into a little closer contact with the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, the producer organisations and those who are specifically working towards putting the task of marketing on more of a scientific basis than it has been in the past. Generally, it will succeed only to the extent to which the products of the Conference are now disseminated among farmers in the field. 1 hope that all honourable members will ensure that as far as possible within their capacity farmers see and understand something of the products of the discussion because I am sure that that will be generally to the advantage of the rural community.

page 13

QUESTION

TRADE WITH UNITED KINGDOM

Mr GRASSBY:
RIVERINA, NEW SOUTH WALES

– I direct a question to the Minister for Trade and Industry. What action has been taken to renegotiate the Anglo-Australian trade preferences following the British Government’s action in imposing import levies on a range of Australian primary products? Will the Minister tell the House what steps, if any, have been taken to adjust the present pattern of Anglo-Australian trade, with the balance now running at about $350m a year against, us? If no action has been taken, will the Minister now act urgently to renegotiate our generous preferences in trade, shipping, banking and insurance in order to prevent disaster to Australian industries, people and towns if Britain enters the

European Common Market and further discriminates against our canned fruits, fresh and dried fruits and cereals.

Mr SPEAKER:

– Order! . The honourable member is giving a great deal of informal tion. He will ask his question or resume his seat.

Mr ANTHONY:
CP

– I’ anl ‘intrigued by the new interest of the honourable member for Riverina in trade affairs. It must be the result of his recent’ trip overseas. The United Kingdom-Australia Trade Agreement has been renewed on a 6-monthly basis each year since 1957. In the light of the circumstances that are arising, the whole situation will have to be reviewed. But for the moment the Agreement will continue to operate under the existing arrangements.

page 13

QUESTION

OIL PRICES

Mr WHITTORN:
BALACLAVA, VICTORIA

– I .direct a question to the Minister for National Development. Is it correct that world . prices of oil will increase considerably during 1971? How is Australia affected by the international agreements signed in Teheran recently? Will motor fuel prices -in Australia be increased as a result? In- terms of dollars, to what extent have Australia’s crude oil finds reduced the need to -import this commodity?

Mr SWARTZ:
LP

– As yet ‘we do not have full details of the results’ of the agreement which we understand ‘has been signed by the international oil companies and some of the oil producing and exporting countries, but we believe we will have full information concerning’ this agreement soon. Of course, some other negotiations have to be conducted with- other oil producing and exporting countries before the matter can be cleared finally-.’ However, in Australia at the moment we are producing approximately 50 per cent of our own requirements. Within the- next 2 years that figure will be raised to approximately 70 per cent of our fuel requirements with the exception of some heavy fractioned components of petroleum. The petroleum which we find, principally in the Bass Strait area, consists mainly of light fractions and we will still be dependent on importations for the heavier ends, such as fuel oil, diesel fuel and. .50. on. The effect of the proposed change in the agreement will not be known until we have the opportunity to study fully the agreement with existing countries and other countries that have to consider the matter in the near future. As I have said, our buffer is the fact that Australia is producing a substantial quantity of its own requirements and the agreement will affect us perhaps less than it will affect some other countries. As soon as we have full details of the price agreed by all countries concerned, and the impact that this will have, I will provide the information to the honourable member.

page 14

QUESTION

TARIFF BOARD

Dr J F Cairns:
LALOR, VICTORIA · ALP

– Has the Minister for Trade and Industry noted question No. 2132, which has been on the notice paper since 21 October last, concerning the staffing of the Tariff Board? If he has. can he say when an answer will be available? When does he expect the Tariff Board to have sufficient staff to complete the inquiries envisaged in its reports in 1967-68. 1968-69 and 1969-70 which are not yet completed or even begun?

Mr ANTHONY:
CP

– I am sorry that 1 cannot inform the honourable member when that question might be answered. All 1 can say if that the strength of the Tariff Board in respect of staffing arrangements and facilities has been increased progressively over the last two or three years. At the moment there is a request before the Government to strengthen further its . operations. As soon as I am in a position to ascertain this information I will see that the honourable member’s question is answered.

page 14

QUESTION

RURAL RECONSTRUCTION

Mr GILES:
ANGAS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

– I address, to the Minister for Primary Industry a question concerning the Rural Reconstruction Board. Firstly, can the Minister inform the Australian farming community how soon it may be able to expect assistance from the Rural Reconstruction Board? Secondly, has complete agreement been’ reached with the States as 10 the relationship between grants and loan funds to be used? Thirdly, if complementary legislation is necessary, when can the House expect such legislation to be placed before it?

Mr SINCLAIR:
CP

– My understanding is that most States still. have available certain funds which have been held in a trust capacity since the debt reconstruction schemes of the 1930s and those funds are available immediately for the application of debt reconstruction. As to the longer term proposals, the present position is that all States, except Victoria, have, in general, agreed with the proposition submitted by my predecessor and by the Treasurer to them, as a result of which, after legislation is passed by this House, funds should be made available partly for the purposes of reconstruction and partly for the purposes of farm rehabilitation, lt is my intention to accelerate as much as possible the submission of that legislation. In some States, however, I believe it will be dependent upon State legislation being passed. I can assure the honourable member that the Commonwealth Government recognises the need to deal with this legislation with considerable urgency as many farmers are in a serious financial position.

The whole purpose of the approach being made by the Commonwealth is to provide immediate help to farmers who are getting back on to their feet again. The reconstruction scheme is based on the general principles followed in the field of reconstruction by the New South Wales Rural Reconstruction Board. The aim of farm rehabilitation is to be pursued within the general ambit of the report of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics which was released by me only last week.

page 14

QUESTION

FINANCE

Mr CREAN:
MELBOURNE PORTS, VICTORIA

– I ask the Treasurer whether he intends to take any positive action to regulate the supply of credit, other than through banking facilities, following his discussions with representatives of the Australian Finance Conference. Has he given any attention to the field of intercompany lending which has contributed in no small measure to certain recent financial disasters? Are there any constitutional limits to regulating these fields of credit supply through the mechanisms of the Reserve Bank?

Mr BURY:
LP

– As the honourable member well knows, there are considerable constitutional limits upon the strictly regulatory powers of the Reserve Bank in the field to which he has referred. Nevertheless, this does not inhibit the Reserve Bank keeping in very close touch both with what is occurring on the inter-company market and with the activities of finance companies, particularly those which are members of the Australian Finance Conference. There is a regular pattern of exchanges between the Reserve Bank and the Australian Finance Conference, and this pattern will continue. Although there is considerable limitation on the strict legal power, there is an opportunity to exert influence by discussion and by exchange of views with both the Reserve Bank and the Government. Therefore these avenues will not be neglected but will be explored to the maximum possible extent.

page 15

QUESTION

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Mr CALDER:
NORTHERN TERRITORY

– I address my question to the Minister for the Interior. I remind him that last year the Government said that it was setting up a joint study group consisting of Commonwealth officials and elected members of the Legislative Council of the Northern Territory to examine in detail the possibility of increasing the Tole of elected members in the administration of State-like activities in the Northern Territory. Can the Minister tell the House why nothing further has been heard of this move towards giving people of the Northern Territory a greater say in their own affairs?

Mr HUNT:
CP

– I am well aware of the interest of the honourable member in the Northern Territory Legislative Council and its functions. I remind him that after talks between the former Minister for the Interior and representatives of the Legislative Council in Canberra during June 1970 the Government agreed to set up a committee to investigate the possible further involvement of the Legislative Council in the State-like activities in the Northern Territory. The Legislative Council requested further talks with my predecessor and the Government replied that a study was necessary before further talks should take place at ministerial level.

I am sure that the honourable member for the Northern Territory will be pleased to know that I have been advised today by the Administrator of the Northern Territory that the elected members of the Legislative Council have nominated 5 representatives to meet Commonwealth officers to begin discussions. The Government is awaiting the results of a serious study of the possibility of further involvement of the Legislative Council, within the limitations of the financial position of the Northern Territory and its administrative resources, and in the light of the Commonwealth’s special concern for the Northern Territory and its people. I am sure that the elected members of the Northern Territory Legislative Council and the Commonwealth Government will do everything possible to have a comprehensive study made of the problem.

page 15

QUESTION

BLACKMARRET SALES OF AUSTRALIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT

Mr BARNARD:
BASS, TASMANIA

– Did the Minister for Defence say in answer to a question from Senator Keeffe on 21st October last year that he was not aware .of a problem involving sales of Australian military equipment on the blackmarket in South Vietnam? Is it true, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Commission on 19th January of this year, that a number of Australian soldiers serving in Vietnam were charged and punished for black market offences in Saigon? If so, is the Minister now able to inform the House of the extent of blackmarketing of Australian goods and military equipment in South Vietnam?

Mr Malcolm Fraser:
WANNON, VICTORIA · LP

– I think the question that Senator Keeffe asked was a very broad one and would, have involved an enormous amount of detailed information that would not normally be available and that, I think, probably could not be expected to be available normally. I am drawing on my memory as the question was asked some time ago. The honourable member has asked about. . quite specific charges that were laid, against a number of Australians. This is a matter that was dealt with by the Australian Army. I will see what greater detailed information I can give to the Deputy Leader, of the Opposition.

page 15

QUESTION

LAOS

Mr Donald Cameron:
GRIFFITH, QUEENSLAND · LP

– I ask the

Minister for Foreign Affairs: In view of the reported increased activity by the North Vietnamese in an area of Laos, has the Government given any consideration to undertaking any tangible contribution, “whether in the form of equipment or otherwise, to the Government of Laos and to the armies of South Vietnam to help them in their efforts in this area?

Mr McMAHON:
Minister for Foreign Affairs · LOWE, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

– I have had a number of reports of increased South Vietnamese operations - and very successful operations - in the area of Tchepone in southern Laos. We have not had detailed reports of mobilisation of North Vietnamese battalions or regimental groups in order to counter the operations of the South Vietnamese. From ail that I can gather, the operations of the South Vietnamese, assisted in the north of South Vietnam by the Americans, are going along amazingly successfully, lt is too early to judge but I hope that this continues and that the operations finish up a total success for South Vietnam. As yet, we have not been asked for any assistance by the South Vietnamese. We were not in fact consulted about the operations by the South Vietnamese or the United States forces in northern South Vietnam. No Australian troops are involved and I doubt whether we will be required or asked to give any assistance.

page 16

QUESTION

INCOMES OF DOCTORS

Mr WHITLAM:

– I ask the Minister for Health a question. Is it a fact that surveys by his Department have shown that the incomes of doctors have risen by more than 20 per cent since the commencement of the new medical benefits plan last year? What do the surveys show to be the average income of doctors now and the percentage of their income which is derived from Commonwealth and medical fund benefits?

Dr FORBES:
Minister for Health · BARKER, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · LP

– In answer to the first part of the honourable gentleman’s question, it is true that the information obtained from the medical benefit funds revealed that the total payments through the funds to doctors in private practice in Australia by insured patients increased in the December quarter of 1970 by more than 20 per cent compared with the figure for the December quarter of 1969. As to the other parts of the honourable member’s question, I will see whether I can obtain the information sought.

page 16

QUESTION

RURAL LOAN INSURANCE

Mr ROBINSON:
COWPER, NEW SOUTH WALES

– I address a question to the Prime Minister. I refer to the proposal outlined by him in his policy speech at the time of the recent Senate election for the provision of long term loans for primary producers who are in difficulties but whose cases are. not appropriate for recourse to rural reconstruction schemes operated through State government agencies. Has any progress been made towards the implementation of the proposed scheme of rural loan insurance to assist hard pressed primary producers who cannot obtain long term bank accommodation?

Mr ANTHONY:
CP

– In, my previous office as Minister for Primary Industry I had started negotiations between the Department of .Primary Industry and the Department of the Treasury on formulating a scheme for the operation of a farm loan insurance corporation. The idea of this scheme is similar to that of the scheme which is operated by the Housing Loan Insurance Corporation, whereby the lenders of money are guaranteed against default of payment. It is well recognised that one of the most urgent and critical needs of primary industry today is to obtain money on longer terms. If money is borrowed on short terms it is impossible for primary producers to repay the loan at the required rate. We will be pushing ahead as quickly as possible to try to formulate an appropriate scheme. However, many institutions and creditors will need’ to be covered by it. Whilst the banks, which’ are the traditional source of credit for rural industries, supply a substantial amount of money, the survey of indebtedness carried out by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics shows that a very high proportion of money has come from insurance institutions and from solicitors’ private trust funds. All these various forms of credit will have to be taken into consideration if farmers are to get the benefit of the proposed scheme.

page 16

QUESTION

DOCTORS’ FEES

Mr BERINSON:
PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

– 1 ask the Prime Minister a question related to his 9th February statement on doctors’ fees in which he indicated that the Government regarded me proposed increases as unreasonable and that, failing agreement or arbitration between the Government and the Australian Medical Association, the Government would ‘take all measures open to it to combat the proposed rise’. I ask, firstly: What percentage increase would the Government have regarded as reasonable? Secondly, when threatening to take all measures open to it, what measures does the Government believe to be available, other than the possibility of instituting a participating doctors scheme.

Mr GORTON:
LP

– 1 think it is not for me to say what would be or would not be a reasonable increase in this field; this is something which, in the event of a disagreement such as has occurred, could perhaps better be looked at by some independent authority. In reply to the second part of the question. I believe that there are a number of courses which are open, at any rate, to governments. For example, it is within the competence of State governments, should they wish to do so, to bring in the equivalent of price fixing on these services. This is not the proper and best way of dealing with this matter, as any doctor here would agree, because it would mean that no doctor, no matter if he were more skilful than another and if patients were prepared to pay him above the common fee out of their own pocket, would be enabled to charge any more than the level set down. This would not be in the interests of the doctors or, 1 think, of the patients. But that is a course which one State, I gather, has already indicated that it might embark upon. The participating doctors scheme is obviously another course which is open i:i this field in order to see that neither the patient nor the taxpayer is mulcted too heavily by people choosing their own fee levels.

page 17

QUESTION

TORINOY’S COMPLAINT

Dr KLUGMAN:

-I ask the Minister for Customs and Excise a question. In view of the fact that the novel ‘Portnoy’s Complaint’ by Phillip Roth is now legally sold in South Australia and Western Australia, as it is in most countries; that a New South Wales jury yesterday refused to declare it obscene; and in view of the fact that there has been no obvious increase in rape cases either amongst the thousands who have read the Australian edition or the Minister, his staff and parliamentarians who have read imported copies, will he remove this book from the list of prohibited imports?

Mr CHIPP:
Minister for Customs and Excise · HOTHAM, VICTORIA · LP

– As the honourable member ought to know, I am bound by an Act and regulations of this Parliament in the administration of the censorship provisions of this country. Regulation 4A of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations specifically states that- the Minister for Customs and Excise is bound to prohibit as an import that which is obscene, that which is indecent, and so on. I have said before, and frankly admitted, that I find it extremely difficult and undesirable for a Minister to impact his subjective standards on 12 million people. Therefore we consider a community standards test as well as an obscenity test when looking at a particular item. I come back to what the regulation provides. We now have one court in the nation - in Victoria - which has pronounced unequivocally this novel to be obscene. We have another court in Western Australia which also has pronounced unequivocally this publication to be obscene. However, because of the peculiarities, if I can use that term, of the Indecent Publications Act of Western Australia which precludes the application of that legislation against works of literary merit, the court was bound to dismiss the prosecution. I put it as simply as that. I cannot see at this time how a Minister for Customs and Excise can allow a prohibited import into a country in which 2 courts have already declared the proposed import to be obscene.

page 17

QUESTION

FARM RECONSTRUCTION

Mr ROBINSON:

– I refer the Minister for Primary Industry to the proposed Commonwealth dairy reconstruction scheme and ask: What progress has been made towards the finalisation , of arrangements between the Commonwealth and the New South Wales Government concerning this important project? When is it expected that New South Wales farmers will be able to participate in the scheme?

Mr SINCLAIR:
CP

– My understanding is that all States, except Victo’ria, have agreed to the introduction of this scheme. Consequently, the New South Wales Government should be able to get it under way fairly soon. It is regrettable that this legislation, which was introduced by my predecessor so long ago, has taken so long to be implemented, particularly in an industry which for such a lengthy period has been subject to overseas market fluctuations and also to fluctuations in the return to producers. This is an industry which depends substantially upon government assistance, particularly from the Commonwealth Government. For these reasons I hope that it will be possible for the one government now outstanding to join in the scheme and for the scheme to be implemented as quickly as is possible.

I know that the honourable member for Cowper has a particular interest in this problem because of his association with a dairying area of New South Wales and I can assure him of my personal sympathy towards the problems that the dairy farmers in his area face.

page 18

QUESTION

HIRE PURCHASE

Mr HAYDEN:
OXLEY, QUEENSLAND

– [ ask the Treasurer a question which is supplementary to that asked of him by the honourable member for Melbourne Ports. In view of the large amounts of financial movements being transacted outside of the official money institutions and the weaknesses this imposes on monetary policy I ask, firstly, whether he would consider encouraging hire purchase organisations to register voluntarily under banking legislation through the inducement of tax concessions. Secondly, would he consider appropriate selective fiscal measures to regulate the vast movements of cash between companies from sources such as undistributed profits and loans? I draw his attention to newspaper reports regarding Minsec for a current illustration, on a restricted basis in some respects, of what I mean. Thirdly I ask him whether, if he proposes none of these - or anything else, to be consistent, I suppose - is it his intention to continue-

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! The honourable member will ask his question without comment.

Mr HAYDEN:

– Is it his intention to continue to allow the brunt of the monetary austerity measures to be borne largely by small scale enterprises?

Mr BURY:
LP

– Firstly I should point out that the current credit policy is not affecting only small people; it is right across the board. In fact it is tied up with limiting the total money supply and this affects large concerns as well as small concerns. The obvious reason for doing this is to keep inflationary forces in check. The honourable member asked me whether I would consider some special inducement for hire purchase companies . to register and to come under some kind of voluntary control. I have not considered this form of inducement but I certainly will take note of what the honourable member suggested. I certainly do not propose to endeavour to set up controls which would vet every transaction on the inter-company market or on markets generally because this in fact would slow up the whole business world. The result would be that the entire community would suffer. This is not to say that I would not consider like controls of a strategic nature. If the honourable member has any sensible ones to suggest I would be glad if he would convey them to me

page 18

QUESTION

ATOMIC REACTOR

Mr STEWART:
LANG, NEW SOUTH WALES

– My question is directed to the Minister for National Development. In view of the announced intention of the Prime Minister to curtail expenditure in the public sector of the economy, does the Government intend at this stage to continue with the construction of the costly and economically doubtful nuclear reactor at Jervis Bay?

Mr SWARTZ:
LP

– I am glad the honourable member raised this matter because it is quite important. I am sure he raised it in a constructive way. The position is that after the announcement had been made about Government policy relating to this station some time ago. arrangements were made to commence the site preparation and service work. As the honourable member will know, there was an allocation in the Budget for this year for certain expenditure for services and for site preparation. That work is under way at the moment. In accordance with the previous intention of the Government, tenders were called for the construction of a nuclear power station at Jervis Bay. A team of consultants is assisting the Austraiian Atomic Energy Commission to examine those tenders.

When that examination is completed a recommendation is to be made to me as to the type of station to be considered by the Government 1 indicated today that I expect to receive the recommendation from the Commission about the end of this week. I indicated also that it will take me some weeks before I can complete my studies of the matter Then it is a matter of Government policy as to when or how the work on the station is to commence, ft will be some weeks before the matter can go forward to the Government for consideration. The Prime Minister has announced the Government’s policy in relation to this financial year. This matter would be included in considerations for the next financial year and it will have to vie with other matters submitted at that time, lt will then be considered in the light of Government policy.

page 19

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

Mr WHITLAM:
Leader of the Opposition · Werriwa

– 1 have been misrepresented by the Minister for Social Services.

Mr SPEAKER:

– Order! Does the Leader of the Opposition claim to have been misrepresented?

Mr WHITLAM:

– Yes. 1 have never used the words that the Minister for Social Services attributed to me or any words like them. I have never used such words or any like them at any meeting of my Party, as all its members will confirm, and I have never used them anywhere else, as many thousands of pensioners whom I have represented and served as a member of this House would also confirm, and they resent and refute this allegation.

Mr Wentworth:

– I must of course accept the words of the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! What does the Minister want to do?

Mr Wentworth:

– 1 would like to accept the words of the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! The Minister has been here long enough to know the procedures of the House. Either he asks leave to make a statement or he makes a claim that he has been misrepresented.

Mr Wentworth:

– May I make a short statement?

Mr SPEAKER:

– ls leave granted?

Mr Whitlam:

– No.

Mr SPEAKER:

– Leave is not granted.

page 19

QUESTION

FARM RECONSTRUCTION

Mr SINCLAIR:
Minister for Primary industry · New England · CP

– When I was answering a question from the honourable member for Cowper 1 may have given the impression that New South Wales has accepted the dairy farm reconstruction scheme. I hasten to correct that impression. It is hoped that this will be the subject of one of the first decisions of the incoming Liberal-Country Party Government. I am told that there have been very useful discussions, and I hope that they will continue in the right direction.

page 19

FISHING INDUSTRY ACT

Mr SINCLAIR:
CP

– Pursuant to Section 8 of the Fishing Industry Act 1956, I present the fourteenth annual report on the operation of the Act during the year ended 30lh June 1970.

page 19

FISHING INDUSTRY RESEARCH ACT

Mr SINCLAIR:
CP

– Pursuant to Section 19 of the Fishing Industry Research Act 1969, 1 present the first annual report on the operation of the Act during the year ended 30th June 1970.

page 19

MARGINAL DAIRY FARMS AGREEMENTS ACT

Mr SINCLAIR:
CP

– Pursuant to Section 12 of the Marginal Dairy Farms Agreements Act 1970, I present a copy of an agreement made between the Commonwealth and the Stale of Tasmania in relation to the marginal dairy farms reconstruction scheme.

page 19

JOINT COAL BOARD

Mr SWARTZ:
LP

– Pursuant to the provisions of the Coal Industry Act 1946-1966, 1 present the twenty-third annual report of the Joint Coal Board for the year ended 30th June 1970 together with the AuditorGeneral’s report on the accounts of the Board.

page 20

STATES GRANTS (TEACHERS COLLEGES) ACT

Mr N H Bowen:
PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

– Pursuant to Sections 5 and 9 of the States Grants (Teachers Colleges) Act 1967, I present a statement setting out the payments that have been authorised by the Minister for Education and Science under this Act during the financial year 1969-70 and specifying the projects in relation to which the payments have been so authorised.

page 20

COMMONWEALTH RAILWAYS

Mr NIXON:
Minister for Shipping and Transport · GIPPSLAND, VICTORIA · CP

– Pursuant to Section 41. of the Commonwealth Railways Act 1917- 1968, I present the annual report on the operations of the Commonwealth Railways for the year ended 30th June 1970. The financial statements of Commonwealth Railways operations for the year ended 30th June 1970 were tabled on 22nd September 1970.

page 20

BILLS RETURNED FROM THE SENATE

The following Bills were returned from the Senate:

Without amendment -

Australian Wool Commission Bill 1970. Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 1970-71. States Grants (Aboriginal Advancement) Bill 1970.

Education Research Bill 1970. Canberra College of Advanced Education Bill 1970.

Commonwealth Places (Application of Laws) Bill J 970.

Loan (Defence) Bill (No. 2) 1970.

Navigation Bill (No. 2) 1970.

Asian Development Bank (Special Funds Contributions) Bill 1970.

Phosphate Fertilisers Bounty Bill 1970.

Slates Grants (Water Resources Measurement) Bill 1970.

Australian Film Development Corporation Bill (No. 2) 1970. Export Payments Insurance Corporation Bill (No. 2) 1970. Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Bill (No. 2) 1970. Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions)

Bill (No. 2) 1970.

Stares Grants Bill 1970.

States Grants (Debt Charges Assistance) Bill 1970.

Slates Grants (Capital Assistance) Bill 1970. Slates Grants (Special Assistance) Bill 1970. Stales Grants (Advanced Education) Bill 1970. States Grants (Universities.) Bill (No. 2) 1970. Papua and New Guinea Loan (International

Bank) Bill 1970. Bankruptcy Bill 1970.

Without requests -

Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 1970-71.

page 20

ASSENT TQ BILLS

Assent to the following Bills reported:

Seat of Government (Administration) Bill 1970. Gold-Mining Industry Assistance Bill 1970. Processed Milk Products; Bounty Bill (No. 2)

Fisheries Bill 1970. Air Navigation (Charges) .Bill’ 1970. Lighthouses Bill 1970. . 1 . . , Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 1970-71. Appropriation Bill (No. 2) J 970-71. Loan (Housing) Bill 1970.-‘ ‘ ‘ “ States Receipts Duties (‘Administration) Bill

  1. …..

States Receipts Duty Bill (No. 1) 1970.

Stales Receipts Duty Bil! No. 2) 1970.

States Receipts Duty Bill (No. 3) 1970.

States Receipts Duties (Exemption) Bill 1970.

States Grants (Receipts Duty) Bill 1970.

Australian Wool Commission Bill 1970.

Customs Tariff Validation Bill 1970.

Papua and New Guinea ‘ Loan (International

Bank) Bill 1970. , . States Grants (Water Resources Measurement)

Bill 1970. States Grants Bill 1970. ‘

Slates Grants (Debt Charges Assistance) Bill 1970.

States Grants (Capital Assistance) Bill 1970.

Education Research Bill 1970.

Asian Development Bank’ (Special Funds Contributions) Bill 1970.

Canberra College of .Advanced Education Bill 1970.

Phosphate Fertilisers Bounty Bill 1970. Stales Grants (Aboriginal ‘ Advancement) Bill 1970.

Navigation Bill (No. 2) 1970.- States Grants (Advanced Education) Bill 1970. States Grants (Special Assistance) Bill 1970. States Grants (Universities) ‘Ml (No. 2) 1970. Commonwealth Places (Application of Laws)

Bill 1970. Bankruptcy Bill 1970.

Australian Film Development Corporation Bill (No. 2) 1970. Export Payments Insurance Corporation Bill (No. 2) 1970. Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Bill (No. 2) 1970. “ Stevedoring Industry ‘ (Temporary Provisions)

Bill (No. 2) 1970. Loan (Defence) Bill (No. 2) .1970.

page 20

INCOME TAX ASSESSMENT BILL 1971,

Bill presented by Mr Bury, and read a first lime. . .

Second Reading

Mr BURY:
Treasurer · WentWo’rth · LP

– I move:

This Bill proposes an amendment of the income tax law to give effect to the Government’s decision to suspend the taxation investment allowance on manufacturing plant and equipment. This decision was announced by the Prime Minister (Mr Gorton) on 3rd February 1971. The investment allowance provides a special income tax deduction of 20 per cent of capital expenditure on new plant and equipment used in manufacturing. It is supplementary to the normal deductions allowable for depreciation and thus results in total deductions for income tax purposes of 120 per cent of the installed cost of eligible plant and equipment over its scheduled life. The investment allowance was introduced in 1962 at a time of declining employment, slow economic activity and uncertainty as to the outlook for the balance of payments. It was one of a series of measures designed to stimulate demand and restore confidence in the future growth of the economy and was particularly directed to encouraging expenditures on equipment and re-equipment of manufac.turing industries which were then at a low ebb. “

The economic conditions which led to the introduction of the investment allowance do not exist today and the Government has considered whether, in the current economic climate, this special incentive for investment in manufacturing plant and equipment should continue to be available. We have reached the conclusion that the allowance should be suspended. Private investment in non-farm plant and equipment is rising at an annual rate in excess of 20 per cent and, at a time like this when one of our pressing economic needs is the restraint of inflation, the Government does not feel justified in continuing the investment allowance on manufacturing plant and equipment. The suspension of this concession is one of the measures we are proposing to deal with the current situation. I emphasise, however, that the suspension does not affect the investment allowance for plant and equipment used in primary production which is allowable under separate provisions of the income tax law that were enacted in 1963.

The suspension of the manufacturing allowance, as proposed by the Bill, will mean that the special deduction will cease to apply in respect of expenditure incurred after 3rd February 1971 unless it is made under a contract entered into before that date with the supplier of goods or services. Accordingly the suspension will not affect entitlements to deductions for any eligible expenditure that was incurred on or before 3rd February 1971 nor will it apply to disallow deductions for expenditure that is incurred after that date in acquiring or installing plant if the expenditure is made under a contract entered into before that date with the supplier or installer of the plant or equipment. That is the effect of the Bill, but the Government is now receiving submissions from industry that the transitional provisions to continue the allowance for plant acquisitions straddling the suspension date should apply in a wider range of situations than those in which contracts have actually been entered into by 3rd February 1971. These submissions, which naturally cover a complex field, will be carefully considered and to, the extent that the Government wishes to adopt any of them, it will ask the Parliament to implement its decisions by further amending legislation. I have arranged for a memorandum explaining technical aspects of the Bill to be circulated to honourable members. I commend the Bill to the House.

Debate (on motion by Mr Crean) adjourned.

page 21

BROADCASTING AND TELEVISION BILL 1970

Second Reading

Debate resumed from 25 August 1970 (vide page 463), on motion by Ssr Alan Hulme:

That the Bill be now read a second time.

Mr STEWART:
Lang

– The Bill which the House is now debating has been on the notice paper for some months. Its purpose is to make certain amendments to the Broadcasting and Television Act in relation to the finances of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board and the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the delegation of authority by the Commission, the increasing of financial and time limits placed on the Commission in property transactions and the repeal of a limitation on the payment of compensation. It also seeks to make certain amendments to the Broadcasting and Television Act which will curtail the tendencies of some of our mass media owners to extend their monopolistic tentacles even further into the ownership of broadcasting and television stations.

The Opposition does not object to the new financial and banking provisions of the Bill, the repeal of the section limiting compensation payments or to the raising of the limits imposed on the tight of the Commission to purchase, dispose of and lease property, but it feels that the amendment which seeks to widen the powers of delegation of the Commission is open to criticism. At present the Commission can delegate to a Commissioner or to the General Manager all or any of its powers except the power of delegation. As the Postmaster-General (Sir Alan Hulme) said in his second reading speech, this restriction of the delegation of power has led to administrative difficulties in that only the Commission or the General Manager may, for example, incur expenditure or issue contracts. The new proposal should allow for greater efficiency and more expeditious decisions, but I cannot understand why the restriction on the delegation of power to appoint officers of the Commission has been retained. Proposed section 40(1.) of the Act reads:

The Commission may, by instrument in writing under ils common seal, delegate to a Commissioner or to an officer of, or other person employed by, the Commission, either generally or otherwise as provided by the instrument of delegation, all or any of the powers of the Commission under this Act except -

the power to appoint officers of the Commission; and

this power of delegation.

I cannot imagine a more unwieldy and inefficient procedure than this imposition on the General Manager of the task of having to approve of the employment of every permanent officer of the Commission. The General Manager has to approve of the employment of the lowest paid junior which is a time consuming and annoying procedure to say the least.” Surely the General Manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission can be trusted to delegate authority for the appointment of all but senior officers to one of his present senior officers in each of the States. A good administrative officer is riot likely to delegate too much authority to one of his subordinates and he is certainly not likely to allow the appointment of senior officers to be exercised by other than himself. The Opposition suggests that the PostmasterGeneral should have another look at this matter and introduce the appropriate amendment during the Committee stage of the Bill. The Opposition will be anxious to hear the Government’s reasons for the non-acceptance of this suggestion if it is reluctant to act.

I turn now to some of the operations of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in the radio and television field. In this regard I wish to pay a compliment to the management and staff of the Commission. Since its inception the ABC has done a magnificent job in presenting first class radio and television programmes. It has been shouldered with the responsibility under the Act of providing adequate and comprehensive programmes and is required to take, in the interests of the community, all such measures as, in the opinion of the Commission, are conducive to the full development of suitable broadcasting and television programmes. As. one who is more inclined to patronise the ABC’s radio and television programmes than the programmes of commercial stations - I must admit that with the increasing interest that is being taken in pop music by my teenage children I do not get my own way as readily as previously - I have generally found them to be of. a high level. The Commission at least tries to present programmes which appeal to minority groups and certainly makes some attempt to encourage Australian actors, writers and artists.

The public affairs programmes that the Commission presents are . generally of a high standard and dp make an effort to give coverage of controversial topics of public interest and importance. The Australian Broadcasting Commission is the only television authority with regular current affairs programmes and this is a situation which is to be deplaned. The commercial stations have a duly to present regular current affairs programmes as does the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The Commission’s activities iri ‘ music, concerts, drama, features, education, -Papua and New Guinea and over Radio Australia cater for both majority and minority audiences. In its 37th annual report,., for 1968-69 the Commission states:

The Commission invites attention to the ABC’s continuing concern with the :efficient operation of ils services as they now stand at home and abroad; to the additional financial burden which must be associated with further extensions of services to less populous areas of Australia; -to the future cost of the introduction of colour television and the general costs of maintaining its diverse services.

In its annual report for 1969-70 the Commission is shown as having a total expenditure of $53,008,659. Included in this expenditure are such charges as approximately $4m paid to the PostmasterGeneral’s Department for tine charges. This is approximately 8 per cent of the total budget of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The Commission is compelled to pay this amount to the Postmaster-General’s Department for the use of its interstate and intrastate lines. It is a charge imposed by the Postmaster-General’s Department and the Commission has no right to negotiate a price on a contract basis. It is a case of: Pay up or the lines are not available’. As a business undertaking the . PostmasterGeneral’s Department should be prepared to enter into a contract for the supply of lines, when required, by the national radio and television radio stations. The .complaint of high charges for relaying programmes is also made by the Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations in its annual report for 1969. On page 25 the report states:

The increased use of satellite reception of television programmes has, however, thrown into sharp focus the extremely high cost of relaying programmes through the internal relay systems furnished by the Australian Post Office … its rates for microwave relays do mitigate against their greater use by the industry, and particularly by stations outside me mainland capital cities.

A comparison of rates charged by the Australian Post Office and rates charged in the United States of America for a 1-hour telecast at full time rates over a similar mileage is as follows: which was recently opened between Melbourne and Perth costs approximately $8,600 for 1 hour of transmission. The charges for a cable distance of approximately 2,000 miles from Sydney to Perth are about Si 0,300. A relay over 2,451 miles in the United States would cost $1,202. So there is a difference of 800 per cent or 900 per cent in charges between Australia and the United States. The Australian Broadcasting Commission is supposed to be efficient but if these charges are so high it is no wonder that the Commission is spending something like 8 per cent of its total outlay for the year on cable charges. It will be seen from the figures that I have quoted that Western Australian, Tasmanian and country stations and people are disadvantaged by the high cost of Post Office relays. People in the distant States and people in the country are entitled to view major Australian or international events at the same time as those in the capital cities on the eastern seaboard and it is about time that the Post Office reviewed its charges for the use of relay facilities by national and commercial television stations.

Some further charges that are imposed on the Commission without any concession being granted to the Commission for the community service aspect of its activity are in the fields of programmes on radio and television for schools, the operation of Radio Australia and operations in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. In none of these activities is the Commission given any subsidy by the Government to cover some of the cost, yet no-one can deny that the work performed in all of these areas is of paramount importance to Australia. The Commission should not be expected to bear the whole of the financial burden for these or other community services. The Departments of Foreign Affairs, External Territories and Education and Science should be compelled to contribute towards the cost of these service programmes.

Another expense of considerable volume which is borne by the Commission is the rent paid for leased premises throughout the Commonwealth. This amounts to approximately Si. 25m per annum. In its report on the Australian Broadcasting Commission the Joint Committee of Public Accounts published on page 83 a table - I see the Chairman of . the Committee, the honourable member for Cook (Mr Dobie) in the House at the moment - which shows that the Commission owns office and studio space in capital cities amounting to 577,911 sq ft and leases for the same purpose premises providing 376,390 sq ft. The amount of space leased in country areas is not shown. The Commission had drawn attention to this state of affairs in its 35th annual report of 1966-67. It stated:

The Commission again draws attention of Parliament to some of the difficulties under which its organisation works. The role of the ABC in mass communication is important in our developing community. Its annual expenditure is large and Parliament has the right to expect efficiency and economy on the one hand and responsibility on the other. lt stated further:

However in spite of some improvement, the ABC Still operates in Sydney from 17 separate and largely unsuitable buildings and in Melbourne from 10 buildings. In other cities, the situation is similar. Effective supervision and control is not easy because of this division of personnel between widely separated locations - a situation which inhibits the necessary consultation between officers and the effective co-ordination of our varied activities. The Commission has an urgent need for new buildings in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne and it is hoped that in spite of other claims, Parliament will find it possible to approve the capital costs involved.

I recall that during the past few months there have been a couple of announcements made of plans for the provision of new buildings for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. But not only the amount of space that is leased by the Commission but also the diverse types of widely separated locations must have an influence on efficiency by their effect on supervision, travelling time, staff rostering and communications, as was pointed out in the Commission’s 37th annual report. As far as I can ascertain, the position in relation to accommodation for the Australian Broadcasting Commission has deteriorated rather than improved since 1967. Again I say that a couple of announcements have been made about improvements in this position. The present position in capital cities appears to be that in Sydney 20 buildings are leased, in Melbourne S, in Brisbane 4, in Adelaide 3 and in Hobart 2. In country areas in New South Wales 7 buildings are leased, in Victoria 3, in Queensland 4, in Western Australia 6 and in South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory 1 each.

The 110th Report of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts, dealing with the Australian Broadcasting Commission, drew attention to the deplorable accommodation available in various States to the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The report used that very word ‘deplorable’ in describing conditions in Adelaide. The report went on to say that the fire protection and construction of the Hindmarsh Square building were totally sub-standard. The report stated that the accommodation in Melbourne was inadequate. It stressed the need to consolidate the operations in Sydney and to improve dilapidated studios. The accommodation in Brisbane was described as over-crowded and inadequate. The Committee concluded its report on the buildings used by the Commission by stating:

On the basis of the evidence and the inspections that it made your Committee believes that the capital city accommodation available to the Commission, particularly for radio and administration purposes, is inadequate and in many cases is seriously sub-standard. Your Committee further believes that, in the interests of efficiency, sustained and urgent efforts should be made to provide the buildings required by the Commission.

With this the Opposition agrees. We ask the Government to take immediate action to provide accommodation which will allow the ABC to perform its statutory functions and to provide adequate and comprehensive programmes as efficiently and as economically as possible. Part of the Bill allows for a change in accounting procedures for the Board and for the Commission. It is in relation to that part of the Bill that I have spoken today. If the Government expects the Commission to operate efficiently and economically, the Government has a duty to assist the Commission by providing some of the facilities that it requires, particularly in relation to buildings. I return to Hie point about dele-, gatton of authority. I ask the PostmasterGeneral (Sir Alan Hulme) to consider giving power of delegation of authority to the General Manager in relation to appointing staff.

The Bill also provides for the curtailment of certain investments of superannuation funds in television station shares. This is not the first time that wa have discussed the curtailment of the ever-spreading control and ownership of television stations. Since the introduction of television in Australia in 1956 this type of amendment has become commonplace. The companies which have been granted television and radio licences have tried every means at their disposal to circumvent the provision of Divisions 2 and 3 of Part 4 of the Act on ownership and control, and they are still trying. Legislation was introduced in 1960, 1965 and 1969 in an attempt to curtail the activities of those people who already controlled major newspapers, radio stations and television stations in Australia. Less than 1 2 . months after the 1969 amendments had been moved, this Bill was brought into the House. The Opposition has repeatedly warned of the dangers of having an almost monopolistic control of our mass media. lt is interesting to look at the ownership and control of our broadcasting and television stations. A perusal of pages 144-49 of the 22nd Annual Report of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board shows that in relation to capital city newspapers the Adelaide Newspaper Ltd, that is the Advertiser’ in Adelaide, has substantial or multiple interests in 4 radio stations and 1 television station; the Australian Consolidated Press group, that is the ‘Daily Telegraph’ in Sydney, has substantial control of 11 radio stations and 10 television stations; Davies Brothers, that is the ‘Mercury’ in Hobart, has substantial control of 2 radio stations and I television station; John Fairfax Limited, that is the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’, 10 radio stations and 10 television stations; the Herald and Weekly Times, that is the Melbourne ‘Herald’, 17 radio stations and 5 television stations; News Limited, that is the ‘News’ in Adelaide, 5 radio stations and 1 1 television stations; Queensland Press Limited, that is the Courier Mail’ and the ‘Telegraph’ in Brisbane, 3 radio stations and I television station; West Australian Newspapers, that is the ‘West Australian’ in Perth, 5 radio stations and 1 television station. The same thing apples with regard to provincial newspapers - newspapers controlling 2 radio stations and 3 television stations. These things, must be stopped. I am pleased that the Minister is making a further attempt to do so in this Bill.

Mr Donald Cameron:
GRIFFITH, QUEENSLAND · LP

– When the honourable member for Lang (Mr Stewart) commenced his speech he said that this Bill has been on the notice paper for a long time. I suppose that the yellow colour of the paper that he used for his notes indicates how long ago his speech was written. He made reference to the undesirability of monopolies controlling the news media. As a member of the Australian Labor Party, he is quite aware of the manner in which his Party uses its radio stations for pushing political propaganda. If any member of a party was aware of the danger of the news media being in the hands of a biassed party, surely a member of the ALP would be.

My purpose in speaking is to raise a matter which is not under direct discussion at the moment but which I have been drawing to the attention of the PostmasterGeneral (Sir Alan Hulme) for some months now. Most honourable members depend very much upon their constituents to bring to their attention facts and features of various Acts of Parliament which, at times, are not exactly fair, lt was in this manner that in mid 1969 I had drawn to my attention the provision in the Broadcasting and Television Act which makes the person who is watching a programme on an unlicensed television receiver the person who is liable to prosecution. At that time 1 wrote to the Postmaster-General. He undertook to have the matter investigated and he did so. In due course he advised me that his department, in collaboration with the Attorney-General’s Department, would examine the matter with a view to devising a legally acceptable arrangement whereby a person other than the one detected may accept responsibility and thus be successfully prosecuted. In most cases the person caught using an unlicensed television receiver would not worry greatly about who was to be prosecuted. But there are unusual instances. For example, a husband may not own the television set; it may belong to his wife. The inspector calls and the husband is watching the set, and automatically the summons is taken out against the viewer. In certain instances this can mitigate against the person caught. A successful prosecution may affect his employment. The wife, in the instance to which T am referring, may be more than willing to accept responsibility. The present Act does not permit this.

Recently T wrote again to the PostmasterGeneral drawing attention to his letter of 15th October 1969. He told me that the matter was still being considered, in collaboration with the Attorney-General’s Department. My argument is not with the Postmaster-General because the matter is purely a legal one. A legal matter has to be considered very carefully by the AttorneyGeneral’s Department before it can give the best advice possible. But this is the question I ask: How long are we expected te sit by and watch Acts of Parliament, needing minor amendment, continue in their present state while innocent people are wrongly convicted? Mr Bryant - It is a waste of effort.

Mr Donald Cameron:
GRIFFITH, QUEENSLAND · LP

– The question is: For how long must we wait? J think it is completely unreasonable for officers of the Attorney-General’s Department to take so long to come up with an answer to this question. All honourable members are aware that on occasions years can pass before an Act of Parliament is reviewed. Today, the first day of the autumn session of 1971, we have before the House the Broadcasting and Television Bill. There will be a number of honourable members, particularly on the other side of this House, who will never have an opportunity to voice any view on this legislation because it may be years before it again comes before this House.

The Postmaster-General has acknowledged in letters that some change is desirable. I suggest that when items such as this are referred to it the Attorney-General’s Department has more than an obligation to attend to them promptly. I am disgusted to read in today’s newspapers stories of tape recorded conversations being used in a court case in Victoria. One wonders about the responsibilities of the AttorneyGeneral’s Department when Acts of Parliament are so blatantly flouted from time to time. Nobody seems to care. I might say that 1 am one who does care. I. understand that the Postmaster-General has to wait on advice from the Attorney-General’s Department in these matters. But for Heaven’s sake let us have a change because in the meantime a lot of innocent people are suffering as a result of what might best be described as inadequate legislation.

Sir ALAN HULME:
PostmasterGeneral · Petrie · LP

– in reply - On 25th August last year the honourable member for Blaxland (Mr Keating) led for the. Australian Labor Party on this Bill and my comments will relate only to the remarks which he made at that time. Normally one would nol waste time on the extraordinary issue of inaccuracies which the honourable member put together but he saw fit to use these totally inaccurate facts - he called them facts - to attack me and the Broadcasting Control Board.

Mr Bryant:

– You cannot even use English accurately.

Sir ALAN HULME:

– I am not sure that I would regard the honourable member as an authority under these circumstances. The honourable member for Blaxland said:

The Bill is designed to cover up some of the mistakes made in the past by the PostmasterGeneral (Mr Hulme) and his adviser, the Broadcasting Control Board and to justify their actions in the future.

The honourable member also accused me of deliberately breaking the law and he said: . . the Postmaster-General has broken both the spirit and the letter of the Act . . . Lel me say at once that if I or the Broadcasting Control Board have failed to administer the Broadcasting and Television Act strictly in accordance wilh its provisions we are not fit to hold our positions. If the honourable member can find any evidence that we have failed in this way I ask him. to produce it. If he cannot - I know he cannot - I hope he will have the decency to withdraw any suggestion of improper practices by me or members of the Board.

The Government’s policy with respect to the control of broadcasting and television stations has been clearly stated on many occasions. Broadly, the policy is that no person or company should be in a position to control more than 8 broadcasting licences or more than 2 television licences. The . Broadcasting and Television Act was framed with the intention of giving effect to this policy. Notwithstanding the comprehensive provisions of the Act some companies have over the years found ways of circumventing these requirements. In every case when these tactics have been used I have moved to amend the Act, just as I am doing with the present Bill. If the honourable member for Blaxland had any true understanding of this matter he would have known that in 1965 when I introduced some most far reaching amendments to the Act to overcome some of the means of avoidance that had been discovered his own leader, then the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, said: lt is admirable that the Postmaster-General has at last been stirred to take fresh steps to control the monopolisation in ownership and programming of Australian commercial television stations.

The legislation to which the now Leader of the Opposition (Mr Whitlam) referred on that occasion was, like the present legislation, introduced to prevent circumvention of the Government’s intentions. Apparently this is yet another matter upon which the Leader of the Opposition and some members of his Party do not find themselves able to agree. The honourable member for Blaxland bolstered his extraordinary allegations with a collection of what he described as facts which he claimed to have gleaned from the 21st annual report of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board. He said he found them only after very close scrutiny. I can only add that it is a pity he did not scrutinise the very clear and exact information contained in Appendix I of that report a little more closely because if he had he might then have managed to get more of his so-called facts correct.

I do not wish to take up the time of the House with a long recital but I shall content myself with a few examples of the honourable member’s total failure to comprehend the truth. For example, he stated that John Fairfax Ltd owns ali the shares in 2GB Sydney and 2WL Wollongong, all the ordinary shares in 2CA Canberra and a majority of the shares in 3AW Melbourne, 5DN Adelaide and 2LF Young. In fact John Fairfax Ltd does not own one share in any of those companies. It does hold a 26 per cent interest in Macquarie Broadcasting Holdings Ltd, which in turn has a prescribed interest - that is to say, more than a 5 per cent shareholding - in the stations I mentioned. The honourable member said, that John Fairfax Ltd had a controlling interest in 4BH Brisbane. It does not. Indeed, Macquarie Broadcasting Holdings, which does own shares in that station, does not even have an interest amounting to a prescribed interest. Worse still the honourable member went on to say:

Chandlers (Australia) Ltd of Brisbane transferred its shares in 4BH to John Fairfax and Sons Ltd although the company must have fully realised that in doing so it was consenting to a violation of the strict terms of the Act. Although he was not the responsible Minister at the lime the Postmaster-General should have personal knowledge of this transaction.

I was in fact the responsible Minister at the time. The shares were not transferred as the honourable member suggested but were transferred in parcels of less than 15 per cent to a number of groups which did not include Fairfax. I believe it is true that Chandlers had considered transferring the shares in 4BH to one purchaser but this transaction was specifically prevented by the amendments to the Broadcasting and Television Act which I had introduced, and to which this House had assented, in 1969.

For the rest of the honourable member’s misstatements - I do not propose .to list all of them - let me say that he is apparently unable to distinguish between a controlling interest and a prescribed interest as defined in the Act and that he is further unable to distinguish between those 2 interests and a minor shareholding interest. I believe I should put right the Hansard record in relation to the statements -made by the honourable member for Blaxland who led on behalf of the Opposition in the debate on this Bill.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill read a second time.

In Committee

Clauses 1 to 13 - by leave - taken together, and agreed to.

Clause 14.

After section 90a of the Principal Act the following section is inserted: :90aa.- (J.) For the purposes of this Division, a company shall be deemed (but not to the exclusion of any other person) to be beneficially entitled to, or to an interest in. shares in another company where the shares are, or the interest is, owned by the trustees of, or otherwise held directly or indirectly for the benefit of, tj fund maintained wholly or partly for the purpose of providing pensions, retiring allowances pr other personal benefits to or in respect of all or any employees or directors of the first-mentioned company. (2.) The last preceding sub-section does not apply in relation to shares, or” air interest in shares, thai became owned or held as referred to in that sub-section before the twelfth day of December, One thousand nine hundred and sixtynine. so as to deem a company to have a shareholding interest in a company holding a licence, being an interest which the first-mentioned company would have been deemed to have had immediately before that date if that sub-section had been in force immediately .before that date.’

Mr KEATING:
Blaxland

– On behalf of the Australian Labor,: Party I move:

In proposed section 90aa (2.)< omit twelfth day of December’, insert ‘twenty-second day of October’. 1 have noted the remarks of the PostmasterGeneral (Sir Alan Hulme). I have also noted that he did not answer the arguments 1 put concerning the control exercised by the Melbourne ‘Herald’ over 4 television stations instead of a maximum of 2 provided for in the Act. It is all very well to confront me with what he calls facts at the moment. I would like to see the second reading stage continued so that I may have the opportunity to answer a few of his allegations in detail. I move now to the amendment. On 12th December 1969 the Postmaster-General issued a Press release stating that he would introduce legislation to apply restrictions on the number of television stations that could be controlled by one interest. Obviously there have been improper uses of employees’ pension funds by the interests who had caused such funds to be set up. He said that the Government believed it was undesirable that there should be any appearance of pension funds being used to add to such interests.

At some stage during 1969 it was realised that 2 funds associated with John Fairfax and Sons Ltd had bought a 10 per cent interest in Canberra Television Ltd, the licensee of Channel 7, Canberra’s only commercial television station. The legislation introduced by the Postmaster-General intends to overcome this type of occurrence. I shall read from an article in the Journalist’, the publication of the Australian Journalists Association. It states:

Mr Hulme said that the back dating of the amendment to 22nd October had been decided on to prevent 2 instances of what the amendment would prevent in the future.

That is, the using of pension funds to acquire control in other television and radio stations. The article continues:

He would not say what the instances were and said that any further comment would not be made until legislation was introduced in Parliament.

In his second reading speech the PostmasterGeneral said:

Honourable members will note that the new provisions will apply as from 12th December 1969. which was the date on which I announced the Government’s intention to bring down this legislation.

The Australian Labor Party would like to know why the effective date was changed from 22nd October to 12th December. We consider that some organisation must be able to escape the net if the legislation operates from 12th December and not 22nd October as first intended. If. the Postmaster-General cares to say why the legislation will now operate from 12th December 1969 and not 22nd October 1969 we will be pleased to hear his explanation. I cannot understand why the date of the release of the Press statement has anything to do with choosing 12th December. The Postmaster-General said in the Press release that the legislation would be effective from 22nd October. He is reported as saying that the reason why this legislation is to be implemented is to overcome the occurrences in the future which were mentioned in relation to John Fairfax & Sons Ltd and its interest in Canberra Television Ltd. I intend to leave the matter here and commend the amendment to the House.

Sir ALAN HULME:
PostmasterGeneral · Petrie · LP

– What was done in this matter had nothing whatever to do with any interest of John Fairfax and Sons Ltd in Canberra Television Ltd. It related to a situation which developed in Western Australia. I shall deal with it broadly. The situation arose with the transfer of substantial television interests to a pension fund. It was discovered that 2 out of the 3 trustees of the fund were directors of the television company. It was believed that if 2 trustees out of the 3 were directors of the company as well as trustees of the pension fund in fact the fund is virtually still under the control of the company. On 22nd October it came to my notice that this was the situation. I made the statement as at 12th December. Normally when a statement is made and something is intended to apply out of that statement it applies as from the time the statement is made. It was intended to apply as at 22nd October because at that moment 1 did not know whether anything had happened. Subsequently it was found that there had been no change and no advantage had been taken of the Broadcasting and Television Act as it stood between 22nd October and up to 12th December. It therefore seemed appropriate that we should change the date of operation to the date of the announcement, 12th December, there being in the Government’s view no disadvantage from the point of view of control. Under these circumstances the Government rejects the amendment.

Amendment negatived.

Clause agreed to.

Clauses 15 and 16 - by leave - taken together, and agreed to.

Proposed new clause 17.

Sir ALAN HULME:
PostmasterGeneral · Petrie · LP

– I move:

That the following new clause be inserted in the Bill: “17. After section 132 of die Principal Act the following section is inserted: - 132a. - (1.) A summons for the appearance before a court of summary jurisdiction of a defendant charged with having committed a prescribed offence may be served upon the defendant by posting a copy of the summons as a registered letter addressed to the defendant at the address shown in the summons, or in any information, complaint or similar document relating to the summons, as his address. (2.) An Affidavit by a person stating that -

he is an officer of the Postmaster-General’s Department;

he posted, or caused to be posted, a copy of a summons referred to in the affidavit (being a summons that, under the last preceding sub-section, may be served in accordance with, that sub-section) as a registered letter addressed to the defendant at the address shown in the summons, or in any information, complaint or similar document relating to the summons, as ‘.he address of the defendant;

to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, the copy of the summons so posted would, in the ordinary course of post, have been delivered before a date specified in the affidavit; and

he has no reason to believe that the copy of the summons so posted was not delivered before that date, is evidence that the summons was served on the defendant in accordance wilh sub-section (1.) of this section before that date. (3.) Where-

a summons has been issued for the appearance before a court of summary jurisdiction of a defendant charged with having committed a prescribed offence;

the defendant does not appear before the court as required by the summons:

the evidence before the court of the service on the defendant of the summons is an affidavit that, under the last preceding subsection, is evidence that the summons was served on the defendant in accordance with sub-section (1.) of this section; and

the court has reason to believe thai the defendant did not receive, or may not have received, a copy of the summons, or did not receive, or may not have received, a copy of the summons by such a date as would have given to him a reasonable time to comply with the summons, the court may, before proceeding to hear and determine the charge, require such, things to be done, as, in the opinion of the court, are necessary to ensure that the person has” been informed of the charge and of the time when and the place where the charge will be heard. (4.) Where-

a person has been charged with, and convicted by a court of summary- jurisdiction of, a prescribed offence;

the person did not appear before the court on the hearing of the charge;

the evidence before the court of the service on the person of the summons requiring him to appear before the court in relation to the charge was an affidavit that, under sub-section (2.) of this section, was evidence that the summons was served on the person in accordance with sob-section (I.) of this section;

application is made to the court, within two years after the date of the’ conviction, by the person, or by an officer of the PostmasterGeneral’s Department, .for the conviction to be set aside on the. ground that the person did not receive a ‘copy of the summons, or did not receive a dopy of the summons by such a date as would have given to him a reasonable time to comply wilh the summons; and

the ground on which the application is made is established to the satisfaction of the court, the court may set aside the conviction. . . (5.) Where the court sets aside the conviction, it may, unless it considers that it would be unjust so to do, hear and determine the charge as if the person had nol been convicted of the offence, but, before proceeding to hear the charge, the court shall require such things to be done ,as. in the opinion of the court, are necessary to ensure that the person has been informed of the charge and of the time when and the place where the charge will be heard. .i (6.) A court may, on the hearing of an application referred to in sub-section (4.1 of this section, make such order as to costs as it thinks proper. (7.) the provisions of this section have effect in addition to, and not in derogation of. any other law, whether a law of the Commonwealth or of a State or Territory of the Commonwealth, that makes provision for or in relation to the service of summonses. (8.) In this section, “prescribed offence” means -

an offence against this Act by reason of a contravention of sub-section (6.) of section one hundred and twenty-five, or of subsection (6.) of section one hundred and twenty-six, of this Act; or

an offence referred to in sub-section (8.) of section one hundred and twenty-five, or in sub-section (8.) of section one hundred and twenty-six, of this Act.’.”.

This amendment adds clause 17. to the Bill. I shall make a few comments although I believe a statement was circulated to honourable members at an earlier- point of time. It was circulated because it had been intended that this clause would be incorporated in another Bill. Since other aspects of broadcasting and television which were being looked at could not be brought in at that time it was decided that the clause should be made part of this Bill. So that there would be an explanation before we came to the debate on the Bill and. a consideration of the amendment the statement was circulated. I shall read it so that people might understand what is intended and so that it will be included in Hansard. The purpose of the clause is to permit the service; by means of the registered post, of summonses for offences in relation to unlicensed broadcast and television receivers. This will provide an additional means for the service of these summonses in most of the States, lt will not do away wilh the availability of personal service in appropriate cases. In the past, it has been the practice to have summonses for offences relating to unlicensed broadcastand television receivers served on defendants by members of the State police forces, but for some time there have been indications that, in some States at least, there was dissatisfaction with this arrangement. Some State Ministers in charge of police have taken the view that the service of summonses is not a proper police function and that it diverts trained men from more responsible activities. Acting on that view they have directed that police are not to be used for the service of certain summonses for offences under- their own Slate laws. More recently, with increasing demands on the police, it has been made clear to the Commonwealth that some of the States are no longer prepared to see members of the police used to serve summons for the more common Commonwealth statutory offences. The Chief Secretary for Victoria has already informed the Commonwealth that the Victoria Police will no longer undertake the service of summonses issued under the Broadcasting and Television Act. lt has, therefore, become necessary to arrange immediately for some other means of effecting service of summonses in respect of the common minor offences under the Broadcasting and Television Act in relation to unlicensed broadcast and television receivers. In considering means of effecting service of these summonses, consideration has been given to amend ments made to the law of most of the States during recent years with the object of relieving the police of the need to serve all summonses. Until fairly recently, the laws in force in all States and Territories required that there should be personal service of all summonses for offences. Personal service generally involved delivering a copy of a summons to the defendant himself or leaving a copy in the last known or usual place of abode or business of the defendant with some other person who was apparently an inmate of, or employed at, that place and apparently over the age of 16 years. Between 1962 and 1967 the laws in force in most of the States were amended to enable summonses for relatively minor offences to be served by post. The new procedures seem to have worked satisfactorily in the States and it is desirable that a similar procedure be authorised by Commonwealth law for service of summonses for offences in relation to unlicensed broadcast and television receivers. The new clause has been drawn so as to ensure, first, that there will be a high degree of probability that the defendant will in fact receive a summons that is posted to him and, secondly, that if a defendant does nol receive a summons posted to him there will be a simple procedure by which he or the prosecutor may proceed lo have set aside any conviction that was recorded in circumstances where the defendant was not in fact served wilh a summons or was not served soon enough to give him a reasonable opportunity to answer the charge. In providing for service by registered post, a more secure means of delivery than is required by corresponding laws of the States will be provided. Moreover, the provisions of the clause enabling convictions to be set aside are more favourable to defendants than the provisions in corresponding State legislation.

  1. arn satisfied thai the registered post will provide a satisfactory vehicle for the service of summonses under the Broadcasting and Television Act. I am also of the opinion that there will be adequate safeguards to ensure that no person will .be unjustly treated.
Mr STEWART:
Lang

– I move:

The Postmaster-General (Sir Alan Hulme), in the speech which he has just delivered, said that there was a simple procedure which could be followed whereby someone who had allegedly been served a summons by post, who had been convicted and who could then show that he had not received the summons at all or in time to allow him to do something, could apply to the court within 2 years after the date of the conviction, or an officer Of the PostmasterGeneral’s Department could apply to the court within 2 years after the date of the conviction, for the conviction to be set aside. The Opposition moves the deletion of the words ‘within 2 years’ and the insertion of the words ‘at any time’ because a person who was summonsed for an infringement of the Act could have left for overseas just prior to the issue of the summons and might not return to Australia for three or four years. He might be a member of the Foreign Affairs Department who was posted away and who did nothing about it or perhaps knew that the summons was there and let it go. If he came back after 2 years he might then find that in his absence, as he had not appeared at court, he had been convicted of an infringement of the Act. He has no right under this clause of applying to the court to have the conviction set aside.

The Opposition cannot see that there is any good reason or that there are sufficient reasons for making the limitation of 2 years. Most of these applications would be made within a short period of the conviction having been recorded, so the Opposition cannot see that there is any difficulty in removing the words ‘within 2 years’ and inserting the words ‘at any time’. I commend the amendment to the Minister.

Sir ALAN HULME:
PostmasterGeneral · Petrie · LP

– The Government is not prepared to accept the amendment which the honourable member for Lang (Mr Stewart) has moved. I understand that under the State Acts where service of summons by post is approved the time specified for an appeal against conviction is about 3 months. The honourable member raised a point which related particularly to a person going overseas. Very few people who go overseas do not sign a power of attorney appointing people who would have full responsibility for their affairs and who in the normal course would receive all their correspondence and therefore have a substantial chance of knowing what had taken place in relation to such a matter as this. Another important factor is that the Opposition says: ‘Let us not have a limit of 2 years. Let us have no limit at all.’

If a person of 20 years of age were prosecuted he could have the right to appeal until he was 70 or until he died. Where would the court records be? Where would the departmental records be? There would be a hopeless situation if the amendment moved by the honourable member for Lang were accepted. Compared with State legislation on a similar matter 1 feel that the Government is being generous in allowing a 2-year period. For that reason I indicate that we will not accept the. amendment.

Mr CHARLES JONES:
Newcastle

– Whilst I support the amendment that has been moved by the honourable member for Lang (Mr Stewart) I would put one suggestion to the Postmaster-General (Sir Alan Hulme). The Bil! deals with the prosecution of persons who “fail either to take out or to renew ‘a television viewer’s licence. I think it is a fact that at least 50 per cent of those cases which are dealt with in the courts apply to people who have overlooked the need to take out a licence. I have had quite a few people come to see me at different times when the inspector has been around and their names have been taken because they have failed to take out a licence. I have not found anyone yet amongst those who have been prosecuted or who have come to see me who has refused to take out a licence. In most cases they had been mixed up in their dates or the husband “had’ left it to the wife to pay it and the wife- hart left it to the husband to pay it. The result was that no-one paid it. In the main these have been the reasons for the convictions.

Information that has come to me indicates that in 1968-69 there were 20.959 prosecutions throughout Australia. No doubt this has involved the. Minister’s Department in quite a deal , of legal work in preparing the summonses. . Previously they had to be served, but now there is a new procedure. The matter” then comes before the court. All of this takes’ time. Very few people are prepared “to defend the case. I have watched the” reports of proceedings of these cases in the local newspaper. Invariably they are not defended. But still, it takes up the time of the court and it takes up the time of the Department in preparing the summons. Someone has to be present at the court on the day that the summons is dealt with. I would suggest ‘ to the Minister that the Department should give some thought to on-the-spot fines in these cases where the inspector finds that someone has not got a licence. The inspector could give him a ticket, as is done for speeding or certain other breaches of the traffic laws. In such cases a man receives an on-the-spot fine. He can pay it if he wants to. Certain amounts are prescribed to be paid for committing the breaches. If a man knows that he is guilty of having exceeded the speed limit or having done something that the traffic laws say he should not do then within a certain time - I think it is 28 days - he pays the fine and that is the finish of it. He does not have to’ appear before the court. The Police Department does not then have to go through the process one has to go through here, of drawing up a summons, serving it and having the court hear it. If a person says: ‘I did not exceed the speed limit and I am going to take on the police’, he has the right to do so. The case is then dealt with in court and the person can exercise his civil rights in the court to challenge the evidence given by the police.

This same idea has been extended a bit further in New South Wales now with onthespot fines for people who throw litter on the streets, in parks and in other places. The process is simple. A person is fined $5 for a certain offence. If he wants to pay it he pays it within 28 days. If he does not want to pay it he can go to court and fight the council or whoever served the summons. I cannot see anything wrong with a similar procedure being adopted in relation to television licences. I do not think any of us would suggest for 1 second that a person who does not have a television viewers’ licence has committed some serious crime that requires him to be brought to court to be dealt with, lt is a clear cut case. It is a simple breach of the law.

Another aspect to be taken into account is that a lot of people who are quite law abiding citizens overlook the need to renew their licence. They are then dragged into court. I know a lot of people who are worried not by the fine but by the though! that they have had to be dealt with by the court. I think my suggestion is a way in which the Minister could easily get around this problem. He could forget about the procedures of drawing up and serving summonses and rights of appeal and all the rest of it. It is an opportunity to get with the times. I say that to the Minister advisedly: In this field 1 think it is an excellent opportunity to eliminate all the unnecessary court procedure and substitute for it a simple process. If a person gets a ticket and he knows he is guilty he can pay the fine and that is the finish of it.

We know that in the main very few of these people are fined in excess of about $20. The only people who deliberately refrained from taking out licences were some of the radio and television personalities. I remember one person in particular whom I will not name because he is no longer with us. I think it was part of his act to get fined periodically. This was before we had television in Australia. He periodically got fined for not having a radio listeners licence. As I said, I think all the show that he used to put on at that time was part of his act. I think he deliberately failed to renew his licence so that he could get the publicity. It all worked into his programme. That is just my impression of what he did, because he was fined too often to forget his renew his licence. But I am talking rather about the average citizen who forgets to renew it.

Not very long ago I made representations to the M. iii ster on behalf of a constituent and a friend who assured me that he had genuinely omitted to renew his licence. But this fellow still had to go through the court. Against my advice he took a day off work to appear in court. With a system of on the spot fines he could have settled the matter immediately. He probably would have been fined $10 for his first offence and $20 for his second. The Minister could decide the amount of the fines. It is only a very minor offence. I am simply putting the suggestion forward in good faith in the hope that the Minister will give it serious consideration. I do not necessarily wish to move an amendment to this effect at this stage but the next time this particular portion of the Act is being considered I hope that the Government will do something about the position by way of an amendment.

Sir ALAN HULME:
PostmasterGeneral and Vice-President of the Executive Council · Petrie · LP

– I appreciate the comments made by the honourable member for Newcastle (Mr Charles Jones). I would be the last person to wipe a proposal for which I believe consideration is justified. I am pleased that the honourable member did not move an off the cuff amendment because it may have been very difficult to accede to it. But I assure him that I will look at the proposal and consult my legal advisers about it. At some future time 1 may be able to indicate to him quite clearly whether we are able to carry out his suggestion or whether the Government feels there are reasons why it should reject it. lt should be appreciated that we in the Department believe we do the maximum possible so that people can avoid prosecution. We send a notice of renewal before the inspectors go into an area. We undertake publicity through newspapers and by radio. I think this gives fair notice to people that they,, should check whether their licence is due for renewal. But this is not what the honourable member was referring to.

The honourable member was speaking about those people who accept that it is overdue and that it has to be paid. One would have to consider the fine to be imposed because in some cases the licence has not been paid for 3 or 4 years. Of course, this represents a substantial amount of money to many people in the community. If they had to meet the cost of a licence from the time of the expiry dale they would have to pay $20 a year for 3 or 4 years plus a fine. This would be fairly costly. We would have to look at the question of allowing time in which to pay. But I will have a look at the proposal which has been made and, if possible, incorporate it in a future amendment to this Act.

Amendment to proposed new clause negatived.

Proposed new clause agreed to.

Title agreed to.

The CHAIRMAN:

– Before reporting this Bill I should like to draw the attention of the Committee to the fact that this Bill and a number of others not yet passed were presented in and bear a citation of 1970. As the passing of this Bill did not occur in 1970 it will be necessary for the short title and relevant cross references to other Acts to be amended because of this. I regard these amendments to be of a formal nature and, under standing order 241, authorise them to be made by the Clerk. Similar amendments may also be necessary in other 1970 Bills when passed by the House.

Bill reported with an amendment; report - by leave - adopted.

Third Reading

Bill (on motion by Sir Alan Hulme) - by leave - read a third time.

page 33

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY BILL 1970

Second Reading

Debate resumed from 28 October 1970 (vide page 2870), on motion by Mr N. H. Bowen:

That the Bill be now read a second time.

Mr BEAZLEY:
Fremantle

– The Opposition regrets that the Minister for Education and Science (Mr N. H. Bowen) has not seen fit to accept the recommendation of the Council of the Australian National University that student representation on the Council be increased. The Minister’s reply to the recommendation is somewhat light. He said:

The University Council also recommended a further undergraduate representative, but the Government believes that having regard to the nature and composition of the Council and its methods of operation, the measures it proposes will provide adequate representation for undergraduate students.

I do not know what that means really. The Council itself said there should be more undergraduate students on the Council. The Government takes the view that the operations of the Australian National University Council being what they are, whatever that means, there are enough undergraduate representatives now. I draw the Minister’s attention to the fact that the University of Western Australia has 3 undergraduate members on its Council and that the request of the Australian National University for extra undergraduate representation was because of the conviction of the Council and the administrative staff of the University that this was necessary.

The Minister must realise that communication between a governing body of a university and its undergraduate body is today a very important feature in university discipline and it is very important that the decisions of the Council of the Australian National University, for instance, be fully understood by the student body. For this reason it is a very good thing that at the meetings of the student body there should be a number of student representatives who are able to explain the decisions of the Council and also to participate in those decisions.

It is an advantage in the University of Western Australia that this now takes place. My son was the president of the undergraduates of the University of Western Australia - President of the Guild Council - last year. I know from comments of the Vice-Chancellor how important the university regards its channel of communication with the student body. For the year my son was the only representative on the Senate of the University of Western Australia but the number being enlarged to 3 has improved the situation. I think it is simply a matter of communications. One student member can be singled out as, shall we say, being rather square or conservative or he may not be able to explain the decision of the Council effectively. If there are a number of student representatives it tends to prevent a breakdown of communication between the governing body of the university and the student body. The relationship between the Council and the student body of the Australian National University has been excellent. In the main the whole disciplinary structure at the Australian National University has been very good, as I am sure it has been in the University of Western Australia. Seeing that the Council itself felt that extra undergraduate representation was necessary I can only regret that the Government has rejected the proposal. However, it has made certain changes to the structure of the Council in that the undergraduate representative no longer has to be a graduate of the university. That is good. What is more, the research students’ representative does not have to be a graduate of 2 years standing and the age of the student representative on the Council has been reduced to make it realistic that he should be an undergraduate.

I think it would be a very good thing if the Council of the Australian National University had a representative of external students on it. External students at the Australian National University are a very important group. They are mostly Commonwealth civil servants who are studying for a degree and are very highly motivated towards their studies. It is an interesting feature of universities that external students within the faculties where one can be an external student include some of the very best students. However, because of their struggles to get a university education their results, which in certain cases can be amongst the very best in the university, generally are not up to the average. But some of these students are quite strongly motivated. They tend to be the shadowy figures of the university flitting in and out and yet they are students with special needs. It would be very good for those students to be represented on the Council of the Australian National University. I realise the Council itself did not ask for this and consequently I press it with some diffidence as a personal point of view. I can only say that while in the main I congratulate the Minister on the changes he has made I regret he has not seen lit to accede to the requests of the Council which are based on its experience as a governing body.

Debate (on motion by Mr Mackellar) adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 5.46 to 8 p.m.

page 34

ECONOMY: REDUCTIONS IN COMMONWEALTH EXPENDITURES

Ministerial Statement

Mr GORTON:
Prime Minister · Higgins · LP

– by leave - Mr Speaker, I recently spoke to the nation on the state of the economy and on the likely inflationary effects of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission’s award of a 6 per cent increase in wages and salaries. I said then that in order to decide what action should be taken now, Cabinet had sought to discover the areas in which demand seemed to be growing most strongly. One of those areas is the public sector - spending by governments - and we believe one of the first lines of attack on rising costs and prices should be to restrict what is being spent in that area.

When our Budget was introduced last August it was estimated that total ‘Commonwealth’ expenditure would be $7,883m. 1 should say here, I think, that although called Commonwealth expenditure, this amount included $2.708m for reimbursement grants and other payments to the States. Indeed, such payments made up more than one-third of the Commonwealth Budget. The total increase was 11.2 per cent more than the year before. But since that Budget was formulated the Government has been faced with significant additional expenditure. The national wage case decision and other wage determinations are estimated to add directly, in the rest of this financial year, $88m to the Commonwealth’s own wage and salary bill in 1970-71. In addition, those wage determinations, because they have led to an increase in average wages greater than was expected, will require the Commonwealth to pay an additional $20m to the States under the formula between the Commonwealth and the States. In addition, we will need to pay some S58m to the States in this financial year to recompense them for the loss of the receipts duty tax on which they had budgeted. Mainly as a result of these two outlays, payments to the States are now expected to exceed the Budget estimates by some $83m. and emergency payments associated with recent floods will doubtless increase the outlays required.

Other additional demands on our resources since the Budget was brought down include the provision of $12m as a capital advance to the Australian Wool Commission, and we believe some $6m will be required this financial year for rural debt reconstruction and farm adjustment. We must also expect increases in costs of the material used by the Government. So all in all, it is estimated by the Treasury that the net increase in expenditure since the Budget was prepared would amount to approximately S242m, if departments were provided with the sums they have asked for. This is the background against which we have decided that we should make reductions in what would otherwise have been spent.

Having made a complete and detailed survey of Commonwealth expenditures, we propose to reduce the amounts which departments have sought by some $75m in the remaining months of this financial year.

These reductions are made across the whole range of Commonwealth departments, but they do not involve any reductions in our payments to the States. Our object has been to effect reductions in the Commonwealth expenditures for Commonwealth purposes. We have not sought to achieve this at the expense of the States. A dissection of the reduction of §75m as between the main categories of Commonwealth expenditure is provided in a table which, with the concurrence of honourable members, I incorporate in Hansard.

Further details of the various reductions will be provided as necessary by individual Ministers. These reductions are spread right across the board, but it will be observed that the areas where the more substantial savings have been made are defence, capital works and capital advances, and departmental running expenses. We were particularly anxious to effect economies in administrative expenditures, including the overtime and salary expenditures of Commonwealth departments. At the same time we have endeavoured to avoid reducing expenditures on essential development activities. In more general terms we have sought to reduce the contribution of Commonwealth expenditures to total demand and to curb the Commonwealth’s demands n the labour market.

Thus the reductions in departmental expenditures will involve restraint on Public Service employment. The Public Service Board reported to me that a routine statistical projection made prior to my instructions indicated an increase in 1970-71, in full-time employment under the Public Service Act, of 4.6 per cent on the numbers employed as at 30th June 1970. In 1969-70 the comparable increase was 4.8 per cent, whilst the increase in total civilian and defence forces employment in the community was 4 per cent. The Board advised me that my instructions for restraint on establishment increases could benefit the health and soundness of administration in the Commonwealth Service, and it suggested that a limitation should be placed on the increase in Service employment.

The Public Service Board has now reported to me that in its discussions with departments, it has stressed the Government’s policy of restraint but has not endeavoured to impose arbitrary cuts in employment in particular directions. The Board’s recommendation, which has been accepted, was that departmental increases in employment, which will be kept to the minimum, should not exceed at 30th June 1971 an overall increase in the Service of 3.4 per cent as compared with numbers employed under the Public Service Act on 30th June 1970. This is a reduction of about 25 per cent on the projected increase in employment disclosed in the Board’s earlier survey; or put another way, the Board’s original projection was that the Service would grow by 10,534 in 1970-71. This growth has been cut by 2,735. _

The Commonwealth has, I believe, moved quickly and firmly in the area available to it. It is necessary to do so. For as we see it, the best interests of the community require that inflation shall be overcome, and one of the first steps to this end must be action to restrain our own expenditures. I present the following paper:

Reductions in Commonwealth Government Expenditure - Ministerial Statement, 16 February 1971.

Motion (by Mr Chipp) proposed:

That the House take note of the paper.

Debate (on motion by Mr Whitlam) adjourned.

page 36

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY BILL 1970

Second Reading

Debate resumed (vide page 34).

Mr MacKELLAR:
Warringah

– As the honourable member for . Fremantle (Mr Beazley) has said, the Bill before the House deals with several changes to be made in amending the Australian National University Act. I want to speak on only one aspect of the proposed amendments, namely, that amendment dealing with the proposal to increase the size of the Council of the University from 38 to 41 members.

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! There is far too much conversation in the chamber.

Mr MacKELLAR:

– Honourable members will know that the proposal before the House seeks to add to the Council the President of the Australian National University Students Association as an ex officio member and also to increase the representation of the non-professorial academic staff of the Institute of Advanced Studies and of the School of General Studies from one member each to two members each.

Mr SPEAKER:

– Order! I reluctantly must interrupt the honourable member in his speech. I have suggested that honourable members come to order. If; in spite of my 3 warnings, they do not. take cognisance of my calls, I will have to deal with the members concerned.

Mr MacKELLAR:

– Under the proposal the Council of the University will consist of 12 members appointed by the GovernorGeneral, 7 ex officio members, 6 members elected by heads of schools and professors, 4 members elected by Parliament, 4 members elected by non-professorial academic staff, 4 members elected by convocation, 2 co-opted members from outside the University, one member elected by research students who, of course, are graduates, and one member elected by undergraduates. I have some sympathy with the remarks of the honourable member for Fremantle concerning student representation because, as a member of the Council, I was privy to discussion within the Council which unanimously recommended to- the Government that, amongst other things, the Council be increased by further undergraduate representatives.

The recommendation was based on several criteria. Firstly, the Council had been most impressed over the years with the excellent contributions made to Council discussion by the student representatives. These single representatives have had an increasingly difficult task to perform. In addition to their responsibilities as students they have had the task of representing ali student bodies on the Council. They have been unremitting in their efforts to acquaint themselves with student views and their efforts to fulfil this obligation, plus their other responsibilities, have, in some cases, precluded the opportunity they have had of taking as active a part in Council activities and committees as would be desirable. Undoubtedly their participation, where possible, has been helpful. I point out that since the student representative has been on the Council student numbers have more than trebled, with a similar proliferation of the clubs, societies and sporting bodies which he alone represents.

In view of the increasing burden being placed on the student representative and because the Students Association felt it should have a voice, some years ago the Council invited the President of the Students Association to attend Council meetings and to speak if necessary. He, of course, has had no voting rights. The amendment before the House formalises this arrangement and gives the President of the Students Association voting rights, lt does this by making him an ex officio member of the Council. The President of the Students Association has many other responsibilities within the University and I believe he may find great difficulty, because of this, in taking part fully in Council activities. There is no doubt in my mind that the student body should have a properly informed voice which has the opportunity to participate fully in Council functions and, while so doing, adequately represent a wide range of student views.

It may be thought that it is a large Council and that it would be unwise to make it too much larger, lt may be felt also that the Council should be a balanced one without undue numbers being achieved by any one section within or outside the University. 1 would agree with both these sentiments but, in looking at the composition of the Council, the one section heavily outnumbering the other sections is that represented by the Governor-General’s appointees. Certainly an additional student representative would not alter unduly the balance nor would it lead to a student takeover. If one were concerned about the size of the Council I doubt whether it would be logical to look to the student representation as one in which cuts should be made, lt may be thought that matters concerning students do not come before the Council frequently and that they are dealt with at a lower level. This certainly is not the case. The Council of the University has an important and real role in hearing and understanding the student point of view and considering the student position, lt should be remembered also that in many cases the Council of the University is seen by the students of the University as a somewhat mystical body which docs not understand the problems of the undergraduate body and, more importantly, does not want to understand them. Through student representation on the Council this can be seen not to be the case. Tn fact, quite frequently Council changes its view in the light of representations properly made and properly argued by student representatives.

I believe the two-way flow of communication between the governing body of the University and those being governed to be of tremendous importance. To my mind, the role of the student representatives in presenting Council decisions to the student community is just as important as their role as representatives on the Council. Only good can come from such participation and responsibility. To deny adequate participation is merely to increase the chances of unfortunate mistakes and actions occurring, brought about by lack of information, contact and communication. The Council of the Australian National University is a responsible body with practical and constant experience in the task of administering a great universit It was unanimous in its recommendations to the Government. These recommendations were designed to further develop and enhance a history of achievement in sound university government and practical, workable council-student relationships.

Like the honourable member for Fremantle, I am disappointed that the Government has decided at this stage not to fully endorse the Council’s recommendations with respect to student representation. I am glad that the Government has gone part of the way by including the

President of the Students Association as a full member of the Council. It should be remembered that the person holding the position of President of the Students Association is, in fact, elected to that position, so in one sense the elected student representative membership has been increased to two. However, in view of what I have already said, I feel that the President of the Students Association may be hard put to fully discharge all his responsibilities and that a less than desirable student representation and involvement in Council activities may result. As a member of the Council I will have a first hand opportunity to assess the effect of the proposed alterations. Should my fears prove soundly based I hope I will have the aid of the Minister for Education and Science (Mr Bowen) in my efforts to have further amendments ratified.

Mr BRYANT:
Wills

– I gather that the honourable member for Warringah (Mr MacKellar) is displeased with the approach of the Minister for Education and Science (Mr Bowen) to this matter and, if that is the case, I support him. As far as one can judge, this approach to student representation on the Council of the Australian National University is just another piece of legislative humbug. It seems to me that this is a simple and straightforward matter where the most logical response would be to advance student representation. However, with what should be the least expensive piece of policy to implement the Government still fumbles the ball. The issue, it seems to me, is: What is a university? What is it about? What are the criteria upon which it functions? A university is a partnership between the community and the student body which also is an important part of the community.

At present in Australia about 1 per cent of the population are students of Australian universities. An increasing percentage of students are able to take their full place in politics in this country. I think that the son of the honourable member for Fremantle (Mr Beazley) is a senior officer of the Australian Labor Party in Western Australia. Many students stand for Parliament. Many of them are active members of political institutions yet, in respect of the simple issue of their having some effective say and representation on the bodies which control their own future, they are not to be trusted with more than one representative in 30 or 40. I believe it is nonsense that at this stage in a country such as Australia, in a community which in the past has always established fairly advanced attitudes on what representation means - votes for women and so on - we are being more conservative than most other countries. Here we are proposing a continuing hierarchical structure.

The honourable member for Warringah spoke about the governing and the governed. I do not think that is what a university is about. Admittedly there are highly specialised people who are supposed to train people in various ways in the technical faculties - tradesmen in medicine, dentistry, architecture and so on - but in the real fields of education, in the humanities, a different kind of thinking altogether must be produced. Therefore the. professorial body - the teaching body- is a specialised kind. Probably in this area of education, as much as any other - perhaps more than in some others - the student body is a very important part of society. It has been trained to take a more important and effective role in the community than most others. But we have no trust in it whatsoever.

We are to carry out a revolution in the Australian National University. On a body of some 40 or 41 we are now to have a couple of students representing the student body. I do not know what the Minister fears. Is he afraid that these 2 or 3 students will overrun the whole system? Is he afraid that they will take over? Of course, this is nonsense. I believe it is time that we did something such as has been done overseas. Take what has been done in Britain as an example. In that country a select committee made up of a standing convocation of people concerned, with education has been set up to examine the way in which students must be fitted more effectively into university bodies. The legislation now before us is a pretty fair demonstration of the continuing conservatism of Australian education and particularly of the way it is administered from this place. Of course, nothing demonstrates the conservative nature of Australian education and university management better than a glance at the representation of students on the governing bodies of Australian universities. According to last year’s report of the Vice-Chancellor’s Committee, Adelaide University, as becomes that stronghold of establishmentism and conservatism, does not have student representation. The Australian National University will have 2 student members out of a total membership of 41. The Flinders University will have 1 representative - a big advance. James Cook University in Queensland will have 2 students who will be admitted as observers. We would not want the danger of letting these students have a vote. It is heartening to see that La Trobe University and Melbourne University - the stronghold of freedom, progress and the militant approach to these things - have 4 student members. Monash University has only a couple. Other universities such as New England, New South Wales and so on have single representatives. In fact, as I think my colleage from the other side pointed out, representation of this sort is bare))’ representation at all. Even the most skilled of us here, even the most hardened sufferers under majority domination, find it difficult to have an effective say when there is only one of you and 40 against you.

I think we ought to put ourselves in the place of the student. No matter how much the student is vigorous and dynamic in his student body, when he turns up in the council of the university he is amongst people many for whom he has a great deal of respect for their intellectual capacity and many of whom be may regard as unduly conservative. However, he is bound to have some sort of respect for them. How can such a student get the views of bis student body across? We are speaking of student bodies of Australia representing 100,000 students. In Australia we have about IS or 20 student representatives on the governing bodies. It is worth while putting on record what the students of the Australian National University had to say in talking about what the council itself had said. I would not regard the council as being the most revolutionary, militant and progressive body in Australia either. The students said:

But the rebuff is seen within the University as even more important than the mere rejection of further student representation, though the seriousness of this is great enough. The whole so-called autonomy’ of the University is held up to ridicule by this decision.

They went on to say:

A decision such as this is not likely to convince students that their demands are being sufficiently heeded. Indeed it adds to the feeling that the Government is willing to go out of its way to slap students in the face, and the University is not strong enough to give more than token resistance.

I would like the Minister to explain exactly upon what criteria he is operating when he says: ‘J know better than the council of the university’. Of course, a number of members of the council are representatives of the Ministry - they are appointed by the Ministry. What are the great intellectual attainments, achievements and capacities of the Minister who says: ‘I know better than all of this council’. I do not have the names of the members of the council with me now. While the Minister has established his reputation in some fields 1 doubt whether even he would claim that he has this final touch over all of the assembled body of which 2 members of this House are members. It will he worth while the Minister explaining why he or perhaps his advisers in the Department of Education and Science - I am not too sure whether he is the creature of his advisers or whether they are the implementers of his policy - have followed this course. However, someone along the line has said, and the Minister is prepared to implement it, that what the council of the university has said cannot be adopted.

  1. said earlier that Australia has been more conservative in this aspect than have representative bodies overseas. The House of Commons Select Committee on Education and Science examined this question and came down heavily in favour of increased student representation. That Committee said that student representation must be accepted. The Committee said:

Our institutions of higher education must recognize that changed circumstances brought about by their own expansion, changes in society itself and the need to question long-standing assumptions, should compel a ready and sympathetic response to proposals for reappraisal and reform.

Later it stated: lt also supports student representation on academic government bodies, as opposed to consultation, offers warnings about student unrest over examinations and a looming crisis over residential accommodation.

It would appear to me that in this issue alone, with all of the evidence of unrest throughout universities of the world, and from which unfortunately Australian universities have not been free, we are ignoring the opportunity to bring the student body into the area where, through consultations, they can be made to feel part of the apparatus - part of the machinery.

In America, of course, the situation is the same. A report which appeared in the Washington Bulletin’ stated:

University governance systems should be reformed to increase participation of students and faculty in the formulation of university policies that affect them. But universities cannot be run on a one man, one vote basis without participation of all members on all issues.

I would think that many senior secondary schools would have more student participation in the management of the day-to-day running of the institution through perfect systems and the like - this has been the case over the last 3 or 4 years and particularly during the last 2 - than is the case in universities. We are talking of people who are of a mature age; people who can be asked to accept all kinds of responsibilities in the community. Yet we think it would be dangerous to have 3 or 4 such people on a council of 40. I do not believe that the Minister feels this way at all. I would be very interested to get into the back of his mind or the minds of his advisers to see whether they think this is good enough. i believe that the under-graduate student body of the Australian National University now numbers between 3,000 or 4,000. In fact, a couple of representatives of the nature proposed in the legislation is almost non-existent representation. I would again make a plea, as has my friend the honourable member for Fremantle (Mr Beazley), that part time and external students ought to have some say in the system. A university is terribly important to the people who go through it. A remarkable and alarming number drop out for all sorts of reasons. They do not see the point of it. Therefore, participation in a representative capacity is more than just where it fits into the academic scheme. We have relations between the student body and the general management. Of course, management is supposed to use the term ‘the government and the governed’. One has to accept the fact that there are some people who will have to run such an institution. It is said that this institution does not belong to the students because the community itself subsidises the university system very heavily. Therefore the system of the relationship between the students, the staff and the whole body of the university has to be developed. Representation is a very important feature of our life. It is the way in which we manage most affairs. Participation is another important feature. It is unfortunate that the House has not had a greater opportunity to look at this in depth. With the increasing role of universities in Australian life and with the increasing number of students and the disappointment of people who cannot get into universities this may well be another field in which the House could do something such as was done by the House of Commons when it set up a select committee to examine this matter.

I am critical of the Minister in this regard. 1 believe he is being unduly conservative. In fact, he has turned back to feudal times. He is being quite feudal about this. Even 300, 400 or 500 years ago universities were a little more democratically controlled although discipline then was perhaps a little more rigorous when one did break the rules. I believe that we must find some way in which more people can be brought into this. There has to be a great deal more thinking. Perhaps the precedent established by the House of Commons might be well worthy of consideration. A lot of people have had a lot to do with universities in one way or another either as students or as people who pay for students or people who have been members of the council. Some members of this House have been on university staffs. I am sure that they could bring some expertise to bear from which even the Minister, steeped as he is in the exaltation of his own position, might gain something.

Dr SOLOMON:
Denison

- Mr Speaker, two of the three speakers who preceded me in this debate are members of the Council of the University under discussion and therefore, I think, might be considered to have a fairly special interest in this subject and perhaps even to be listened to with more intent than the honourable member for Wills (Mr Bryant) or myself. Nevertheless, I wish to take leave to join issue with them and with the honourable member for Wills on some of what they had to say.

We are discussing the question of raising the Council membership of the Australian National University from 38 members to 41 members. Might I say at this stage that I think that we have before us questions of principle and of practice.

The question of principle on which 1 would join some slight issue, I think, with the Minister for Education and Science (Mr N. H. Bowen), as have the honourable members who have spoken before me, is that of declining to accept the proper judgment of the now Council of the University. I think that if that judgment can be accepted at any stage, it should be so. 1 think that, in general, it is unfortunate if we need to exercise our will in an opposite direction. At the same time, this Parliament is substantially, if not entirely, responsible ultimately for the structure of this university, unlike the others in the country, and I think that it must remain to the Government to exercise its judgment on matters of this kind.

If we are talking about something which is a specifically academic issue, I would find it abhorrent - I notice with some slight pleasure that the Minister has agreed with me - and I would say that it was quite unethical and a transgression of the rights of the University if we were to join issue on a specifically academic matter. But this, surely, is not so. It is a matter of structure of the administration of the University.

Having made that point which I believe to be one of principle in the broad, I would like to talk about the practice. I believe that a number of red herrings have been drawn across the trail or, if not red herrings, in fact some misconstructions have been presented notably by my friend, the honourable member for Wills, but also constructions with which I do not agree have been put forward by the honourable member for Fremantle (Mr Beazley) and, perhaps to a lesser extent, by my colleague from Warringah (Mr MacKellar). They spoke - one or all of them - as if the addition of one or two more students - in fact, it is one student who is being knocked back, as it were - to the Council would change the situation entirely. They spoke as if this would change the situation from one where it is suggested that the student body is being rebuffed and not trusted to one in which the student body is seen to be trusted intimately and in which no problem remains. I do not see it that way.

I think that what we need to look at is this: A body of 38 is to be extended to 41 which, in my view, already becomes well nigh unmanageable in terms of efficient committee organisation. The question is: Who should be added? I would like to put this into context. I think that, if we are talking about the people who importantly should be added to this body, the people to whom I would look first are the subprofessorial representatives. I, at one stage of my young existence, had the benefit of the experience of being on a university council as such a person - a subprofessorial representatives - for 2 years. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind - whether or not I had been in that position - that the more important addition to this Council are the 2 extra sub-professorial members.

Now, it may be regarded by the honourable member for Wills and some other people as a somewhat conservative and even archaic notion - no, I do the honourable member for Wills wrong; he said something to this effect - to believe that a university is in fact a community of scholars. Some people do not believe this any more. But, if it is, a university is a community of people of all ranks and grades who have proved their scholastic worth, more or less, and who join at certain times with the administrative echelons to run an academic institution.

By definition, the people who are there to learn scholarship are not already scholars. They may be coming along very well in the making. Therefore, we must look at the reasons for student membership of the Council. The reasons are good reasons but, basically, they are reasons, as I see the situation, which involve a 2-way play of information. They enable the student body to put its views and its slant upon any decision which is being made by the governing body, that is, the Council. They enable that Council officially, formally and with due writing to transmit through the student body representative or representatives the reasons for certain decisions being taken and so on.

There has not been any suggestion either in this legislation or by the people who so far have spoken to the Bill that any attempt should be made to have the student body in such a situation that its representatives were remotely in a position to out-vote for example the professorial nominated members, the GovernorGeneral’s nominees, the Convocation’s nominees and so on. So, it is a question of representation for the transmission of information and attitudes as well as, if honourable members like, judgments; but it is not a question of out-voting. The acceptance of an extra undergraduate representative in no way would have made any difference to that situation.

Tn fact, it could be said that the views of the students would be represented adequately by, let us say, the president of their representative council or whatever it is called. It therefore seems to me that much the more important additions really in terms of practical academics is the adding of sub-professorial representatives.

Still, it is true - and I agree with the honourable member for Wills on this point - that we in Australia are conservative in this matter. As far as I know - I may be a little bit out and I may even have the names wrong - the most progressive, if honourable members like, the most enlightened and the most permissive liberal representation of any governing body that I can recall is at the University of Sussex in which the University’s statutes say something to the effect that not more than one-third of the council of the university or its equivalent shall be of professors. In other words, the non-professorial or subprofessorial staff has a major say in the governing of that quite new institution.

We are a far cry from that position. But I would argue, without I hope being dubbed the greatest conservative of all time, that on a body of this size the acceptance of a total of 3 student representatives^ - one a graduate student in effect, one the president of the governing body of students and one another student - is not a bad representation to enable the situation which I have outlined as 1 see it to exist. This is a situation in which the transmission of attitudes and information is possible and even is formalised.

There is - and people have tended to overlook this fact - on that governing body a sector whereby the Convocation can have 4 representatives out of the total of 38 which is to be increased by this legislation to 41. We are in the process of passing a Bill to provide that these people shall not need to have 3 years standing. They can be - I know that it is unlikely, but they can be - graduates of immediate succession. In other words, it would be possible, however unlikely, that the Convocation could put forward 4 immediate graduates onto the governing body of the University. So, it is very hard to see how one can properly argue that the views of undergraduate students, of research students and of newly graduated people will be overlooked.

A great deal of this, as of any system, depends on the worth of the operators. What I am really talking about is the structure. If the operators have it in mind not to listen to properly put views, decently reasoned arguments and so on, no system will make the position better. But it seems to me that, given the goodwill of the operators - and that is almost to be expected in a situation such as this - this structure is not one which is inimical to the rights of the undergraduates.

One could dilate and broaden this argument very greatly indeed, lt has been implied, 1 think by some of the previous speakers, that this raises the whole question of youth and student representation in particular. Of course, this is a major issue of debate in the world as of the last 2 or 3 years, lt is not true to say however that the structure which is here being revised or modified shows a lack of trust in students, shows a disinclination to listen to their views or anything of that kind. In fact, the contrary is true. But I would maintain the conservative view that essentially the same outlook applies to people in training as that which applies to those at much lower levels of education - about which we could argue at some length - involving essentially the comprehensive and even sub-comprehensive views of education and the suggestion that people who know not very much may. by sitting around in circles of their own number, pool their joint ignorance and thereby learn a great deal. Having not so terribly long since been an undergraduate in two or three universities, although the time moves on, I submit that basically students are at a university to learn and to offer what views they develop from that learning as they go along. There is no case to answer about having any very substantial student representation, although it would have been a nice sop or, even better than that, perhaps a nice acquiescence if in fact the Government or the Minister had not seen fit to drop one undergraduate representative from the Council.

I do not want to raise the whole issue of student power and student representation in institutions such as universities at large. I think 1 have indicated briefly the relative conservatism of my view. I believe that basically it is not doing students a great favour to take ever increasing numbers of their body on to the ultimate governing body of an institution such as a university for the purpose of making them feel they have power. Unless they have a potential majority of votes, they do not have power; they have only the appearance of power. In fact they have representation. That is what they should have; that is what they do have. That is what they can best use, and I believe that for the time being representation on the Council of students, as distinct from the sub-professorial staff, to whom I have referred earlier and whom I regard as being on such a body as this by right, can properly be regarded as a matter of grace and not necessarily as a right, because the students are there to learn at least because they know somewhat less than the people who are there to teach them, although you, Mr Speaker, and others might disagree with that viewpoint.

Dr CASS:
Maribyrnong

– I am a bit on the side of most of the speakers tonight but I disagree with the honourable member for Denison (Dr Solomon). I am rather surprised at his reaction to the advice given by the Council of the Australian National University. I take it that the Council is hardly a revolutionary body. 1 should guess that most of the nominees would be well and truly acceptable to the establishment in all respects. I cannot understand the terrible fear which gripped the heart of the honourable member for Denison when he saw the recommendation from the Council that 2 more students should be added to the Council.

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! The honourable member for Wills, who is interjecting from the back of the chamber, is out of the House. He is out of order in interjecting and still more out of order in doing so while he is not sitting in his seat.

Dr CASS:

– I wonder whether the honourable member for Denison had in his mind some picture that with one more student representative on the Council the numbers would be completely the way of the students. Of course that is not the position, and I do not think he would really think that. I do not understand why he chose to ignore the advice of the body that is basically responsible for running the University. I know that the honourable member for Denison has said that it is our responsibility to determine the administration of the Australian National University. I will grant that. But since most of us are not experts in this field, I should have thought that we would have been prepared to take the advice of the group of people we have determined should be running the institution. I do not agree with the honourable member for Denison that students are at universities just to shut up and learn and to have facts and figures shoved into their heads. They are there to question, to argue and to disagree. They are there to think about not just the narrow confines of the subject they are there to study in order to get a degree; they are there to think about all that involves the living of a university.

I think that perhaps the increasing student unrest throughout the world is a sign that students are becoming more responsible regarding this aspect of university life. It has very little to do with the actual attainment of a degree. Unfortunately, that is all we ever hear about most of the time. I think that it would add to the confidence of the student body and would increase the students’ sense of belonging to and participating in the university if they had more say in the running of the university. I agree that the university staff also should have more say, which was essentially the point made by the honourable member for Denison. If we feel that the number of representatives on the Council is becoming too large - I will grant that 41 people is a lot for rational discussion - perhaps we can afford to cut off some of the fuddy-duddies on the Council. I refer to some of the people who have been there for many years or the more senior members of the Council. Often they are businessmen or even heads of departments who have grown old and rusty in their outlook on this responsibility. I think that more than ever universities need to be alive to the problems facing this community and they need to have a more resilient approach. They have to be prepared to take new departures, and this is not a facility that older people have. So for these reasons I join with the other honourable members who deplore the fact that the Government has chosen not to take the advice of the University Council and has in essence put only one more student on the Council. I admit that this is not such a revolutionary thing anyway, but that is all the more reason why the gesture of accepting the recommendation of the Council would have been so valuable.

Mr N H Bowen:
Minister for Education and Science · PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

– in reply - I would like first to express my appreciation of the reasoned and constructive speeches which honourable members have made during this debate on the amendment to the Act governing the Australian National University. But underlying the remarks of a number of honourable members was the implicit thought that there was something inherently wrong in the Government, which has the responsibility for running the Australian National University, rejecting the recommendation of the Council of the University as to its own membership. I reject that implied suggestion by honourable members. I do not think that on a question of the structure of the Council the Government automatically is bound by the Council’s recommendation as to its structure.

Mr Bryant:

– We did not say that.

Mr N H Bowen:
PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

– But that was implied. On the other hand, 1 want to make it quite clear that at all times the Government would treat with the greatest of respect any recommendation that came from the Council of the University. But to suggest that the Government, having the responsibility, could not review or reject a recommendation would be wrong. As the honourable member for Denison (Dr Solomon) pointed out, it is not a matter affecting the administration of the University or its academic position. It is the structure of the University for which we are responsible.

The honourable member for Fremantle (Mr Beazley) referred to the University of Western Australia, of which he had some special knowledge. It was the only one to which he referred, and he pointed out that it had 3 student representatives on its council. Lest it be thought that this is a common pattern in Australia, I think that to put the matter in its perspective 1 should state to the House just what the current position is in the universities of Australia. The number of student representatives ranges from 1 to 3.

Mr Bryant:

– That is what we said.

Mr N H Bowen:
PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

– Three is the maximum. Some of the larger universities including the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales and the University of Queensland, have only 1 student representative. A number of the smaller ones also have only 1 representative. These would include the Macquarie University, the University of New England, the University of Newcastle, the University of Wollongong, the University of Adelaide, Flinders University and the University of Tasmania. Those universities have I student representative.

Mr SPEAKER:

– Order! 1 would suggest to the honourable member for Wills, who is interjecting, that he restrain himself. He has interrupted the Minister on 3 occasions since the Minister began to speak. I had to warn him previously about interjecting. In fairness to the House, to the Minister and to honourable members interested in the debate, the honourable member for Wills should restrain himself, and I suggest that he does so.

Mr N H Bowen:
PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

– lt is true that there are 2 universities which have 2 student representatives on their governing bodies. These are Monash University and the James Cook University. There are 3 which have 3 student representatives. These are the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University and the University of Western Australia. I think that one honourable member suggested that La Trobe University had 4 undergraduate representatives. It has 3 undergraduate representatives plus 1 graduate representative. As we are not including the graduate representative in our discussion of the Australian National University the comparison is 3 as against 2. This is the picture in Australia and I think that this amendment to the Act in fact very greatly liberalises the position in the Australian National University, not only in increasing the number of student representatives from 1 to 2 but also in reducing the age from 21 years to 18 years, in providing that graduates do not have to be of 2. years standing but may be elected immediately on graduation and so on.

Broadly speaking I think that honourable members who have spoken would be in favour of the advances in this Bill but would consider that in this one respect they do not go far enough. 1 would like to make some comment on this question of student representation. The Government considers that what it has approved in liberalising the student and graduate representation on the Council will in fact give appropriate representation to the various interests. The present size of the Council is, as honourable members know, 41 - a very large and unwieldy body for discussion - and the Government considers this is large enough. It is a number which should only be increased for very strong reasons. In the Government’s view in a, council as large as this one the strength of the representation of the students will depend not upon the number - because 3 would not have a much greater proportion of 42 votes than would 2 of 41 - but on the quality of the representatives. Anyone who has been on one of these bodies knows that it is really the quality of the representation rather than the numbers which counts for strength of representation in the councils of such a body.

I think therefore that the Government’s view, reflected in this Bill, is a proper and responsible approach to the constitution of the Council at this time. Nevertheless, I have listened with care to what has been put. I did, when announcing the Government’s decision, say that we would keep the position under review and consider the performance of these students on the Council and if I came to the conclusion at a later point of time that the number should be increased, then I would not hesitate to review the matter. In maintaining it under consideration I will certainly have in mind what honourable members have said during the course of the debate this evening. I suggest, however, that we should not hold up what are very beneficial advances embodied in this Bill.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill read a second time.

Third Reading

Leave granted for third reading to be moved forthwith.

Bill (on motion by Mr N. H. Bowen) read a third time.

page 45

BILLS OF EXCHANGE BILL 1970

Second Reading

Debate resumed from 19 May 1970 (vide page 2364), on motion by Mr Hughes:

That the Bill be now read a second time.

Mr CONNOR:
Cunningham

– The Opposition does not oppose this Bill but offers criticism of the paucity of its provisions, the delay in its introduction and the failure of the Government adequately to conceive of. the modern trends in the world of banking. In terms of mechanics this Bill merely repeals section 88 of the Bills of Exchange Act and substitutes in its place proposed sections 88b to 88e inclusive. It is true that finance is government and, of course, this Government typically justifies the old saying of ‘a mountain in labour which has brought forth the proverbial mouse’. The Government’s thinking is outmoded. It is living in an economic and intellectual backwater. Quite a number of years ago the Manning Committee brought down a very substantial report. It adequately and conscientiously covered the whole field of cheques and bills of exchange. It went so far as to draft a new Cheques Act which it suggested might be considered by the Government. Of course the Government with its usual Fabian concepts and modes of behaviour has failed to do anything about it. For what the Bill is worth it merely deals with some of the mechanics of handling cheques payable to order.

Mr Garland:

– Very substantial ones.

Mr CONNOR:

– Very substantial, of course, in terms of the mechanics of banking and the number of tellers to be employed. There will conceivably be a quite substantial saving to the trading banks. We do not disapprove of this but we offer very strong criticism of the absence of legislation relating to the crossing of cheques and also the absence of a new Cheques Bill. As a matter of fact, as the Attorney-General (Mr Hughes) mentioned, the general law relating to Bills of Exchange originated way back in the year 1882 because our Bills of Exchange Act as it now stands is based substantially upon that measure. On the mechanics of the handling of cheques payable to order I repeat the comment made by the AttorneyGeneral that of some 800 million cheques issued annually in Australia about a quarter were order cheques and at least three-quarters of all cheques that were drawn were deposited to the credit of the payee.

The most that this Bill does is to say that if a cheque payable to order is paid into the account of the payee there is no obligation on the teller to examine the endorsement on the back of the cheque or even to check if there is an endorsement. In the case of a cheque presented over the counter for payment where it is payable to order there is still an obligation on the banker. In respect of a collecting banker there is, of course, an obligation to check an endorsement but again there is an exemption offered to the paying banker, and we do not disapprove of that. But we do say that the Government is about 20 years behind the times in its whole approach to banking. A cheque is, of course, a bill of exchange drawn on a banker and bills of exchange have a very long history. There is perhaps a very rudimentary form of a bill market in Australia and it is time that the Government considered stimulating a true bill market, because if one takes the example of the English financial system the rate of discount for bills of exchange is the main economic regulator of the British economy. It could well be done in this country. A bill of exchange is a very potent and valuable weapon and a very good means for a government actually to control the credit on issue in a country.

In more general terms this Government has completely failed since the early 1950s to prevent the gradual filching of the control of the credit system of the country that is taking place by the hire purchase system and by the fringe banking system - the grey banking system as it is called - and more recently it has completely failed to control the advent of merchant banks from overseas. Wherever there is a honey pot one will find the flies gathering. I do not disapprove of the Government’s policy of restricting the number of banking charters. We quite agree with that. One of the main characteristics of banking in the last 20 years has been the gradual diminution of the number of trading banks and so far as I am concerned - and I speak for the Opposition - they are reputable, well administered, sound and conscientious organisations. But if one examines the total advances of the hire purchase system today one will find that they almost equal those of the banking system.

That is due to the decision of the Government in the early 1950s to curtail the extent to which trading banks could discount the promissory notes and hire purchase agreements offered as security by various finance companies. When they were told there was a limit to the credit available to them they decided to thumb their noses at the Government and to go on to the open market and borrow directly from the public. That decision resulted in the distorted interest rates which prevail in this country today. This situation is nothing short of a major scandal.

I particularly want to draw the attention of the Government to a decision of the High Court of Australia given 57 years ago. I refer to a case in the High Court between the Commissioners of the State Savings Bank of Victoria and Permewan, Wright and Co. Ltd in which it was held: . . that the essential characteristics of banking were the collection of money by receiving deposits on loan, repayable when and as agreed upon, and the utilisation of the money so collected by lending it again in such sums as were required. A majority held further that it was not necessary, in order to bring a banker within the Bills of Exchange Act that he should as part of his business collect cheques for, or pay the cheques of, his customers.

In other words, that definition exactly fits the functions of the average hire purchase company in Australia today. Those companies are not dealing merely with hire purchase. They are usurping the functions of banking. Every form of credit must be brought under the control of the Banking Act and under the control of the national government. The power is there. Let the Government use it if it will because the activities of these organisations today are responsible for the record rate of interest being paid on long term loans that are being raised by this Government. The only way to curb this is to place these institutions under control.

Perhaps one of the least satisfactory aspects of the banking system today is the participation by the major trading banks in subsidiary hire purchase companies. There is an old motto that if you cannot beat them, join them. Under the circumstances I suppose that there is some justification for this participation by the trading banks but the sooner we place the control of all credit back in the banking system the better for all concerned. I do not suggest that these fringe banking organisations should be given full banking charters but I do say that they ought to be brought in under a secondary charter and placed in a subordinate capacity. Equally today we find merchant banks coming in-

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! I think the honourable member is getting a little wide of the Bills of Exchange Bill 1970. While the honourable member was speaking I found it very difficult to see the relevance of what he was saying about banking and fringe banking when the main purpose of this Bill is to do away with the necessity for endorsement on order cheques and bank drafts.

Mr CONNOR:

– By definition a cheque is a bill of exchange drawn on a banker.

Mr SPEAKER:

-I agree with that but this does not agree with the definition of policy.

Mr CONNOR:

– I accept your ruling, Mr Speaker, and I pass on to another point. In terms of banking techniques we are faced with a new age - the electronic age. The Government has yet to come to grips with all the implications proposed in electronic banking which will involve simultaneous transmission of transactions from a retail store to the bank where there will be an immediate cancellation on the account. It will also involve magnetic credit cards. The Government has not considered the implications of this new age. In addition the Government has failed to consider the activities of the trans-national companies which are the major corporations intruding in Australia today and which are completely bypassing the provisions of the Bills of Exchange Act. The technique used by these corporations is a simple one. When a major overseas banking company cannot get its charter in Australia it either forms a subsidiary or forms a suitable link with a known and reputable local company. It then proceeds to do everything in the way of banking with the exception of issuing cheques and dealing with bills of exchange. I do not propose to take up the time of the House any further. I commend my remarks to the serious consideration of the Government.

Mr GARLAND:
Curtin

– The honourable member for Cunningham (Mr Connor) expounded to the House, with some personal variations his favourite area of orthodox Socialist theories which we have heard on a number of occasions. The honourable member suggested that Australia ought to try to set up a bills of exchange market comparable with that in London to control the credit issues of this country. He displayed little understanding of the conduct of monetary procedures in the London market, of the huge resources there which have been built up by vast dealings, being as it is at the crossroads of international trade in Europe, and having a very long and traditional evolution; a system that has operated for over 1,000 years in an area which is the hub and base of the sterling bloc. The honourable member’s comments are just glib commentary on the monetary and fiscal control in Australia. Surely he is aware of the difficulty of obtaining in Canberra, even if it were the desire of the Government, necessary constitutional powers which would never be given by the people of Australia. This has been demonstrated time and time again. Even if it were to happen, honourable members on this side of the House know that it would stackle development finance in this country, and lock out and drive away prospects. It is a proposal for part of the dead hand of Socialism.

The main purpose of this Bill is to deal with part of an estimated 800 million cheques used in Australia per annum. It is estimated that 200 million of those cheques are order cheques and 2 million are dishonoured annually because of lack of endorsement or irregular endorsement. It is further estimated that 1,500,000 are cheques which are endorsed cheques deposited to the credit of the payee. This Bill provides that endorsement of those cheques need not in the future be made. Reference has been made to the report of the committee appointed by the Government to review the Bills of Exchange Act. The report dated 1st May 1964 at page 17, in relation to the subject of this Bill states:

  1. There is no doubt that a great deal of un productive work is involved for the recipients of cheques and for banks as a result of the need for indorsemen of cheques without very much, if any, useful purpose being served.

That report also states: the Committee is of the opinion that an amendment to the Act reducing the need for indorsements would affect a worthwhile saving of time, effort and cost.

For those reasons I support with enthusiasm the provisions of this Bill and I am sorry that it was not introduced earlier. There is a rather striking quotation in that report at page 5 which repeats some of the provisions of an English report on the subject and 1 think this graphically displays the position. The quotation is a passage from a letter which was sent in by a witness. lt reads:

As Secretary of this Company, I spend 15 to 30 minutes daily endorsing cheques. This irksome duty was formerly done by the Managing Director who delegated it to an ordinary Director who in turn delegated it to me. I often delegate it to my assistant and I am contemplating delegating it to the office boy which proves the unimportance of this work.

As has been pointed out by the honourable member for Cunningham and by the Attorney-General (Mr Hughes), a great deal of time is spent within banks in returning cheques which are either not endorsed or are insufficiently or inaccurately endorsed. 1 believe that it should be an interest of this Parliament to consider in the provisions of Bills the achievement of simplicity and standardisation. In this context and in the context of this Bill it is not too much to say that this country needs now, and will need increasingly in the future, to find ways and means to cut unnecessary accounting and book-keeping procedures where there is an unjustifiable cost - or where the cost is greater than the benefit - because that is a charge on the Australian economy and we ought to seek ways in the public and the private sectors of minimising such costs. 1 have had some number of years’ experience as a practising chartered accountant and I believe that there is too much detailed book-keeping in this country, some of it required by the provisions of Acts of Parliament, much, of it traditional. Too many people are engaged in tertiary employment. We should seek ways and means of providing simplified procedures - encouraging a reduction - which we should seek progressively. That is a wide subject on which 1 will, develop on a more appropriate occasion. I believe it is a matter of some regret that the Manning Committee’s proposed Cheques Act has not yet been enacted. The report was dated 1st May 1964. It was tabled in this House on 12th October 1965. This first step which we have before us tonight takes place in 1971. The Cheques Act with the other provisions are still awaited.

The draft Bill which is the main appendix to the Manning Committee’s report contains many recommendations. I cannot make specific reference to all of them but I would like to refer to paragraph 72 which refers to the crossing of cheques and states:

The making of cheques payable to ‘order’ when crossed with the words ‘ ‘account payee only’ seems to the Committee to constitute an ambiguous and contradictory instruction to both the collecting and the paying bank, in that, on the one hand, banks are told that the cheque is to be lodged only to the credit of the payee’s account and, on the other hand, that the cheque may be paid to the order of the payee, that is, to another person.

Many large companies operating in this country issue cheques in exactly that way: The report contains many recommendations apart from those which are the subject of this Bill. Entirely different subjects are covered in paragraphs 44, 60, 67, 87, 89-9.1, 164-5, 170, 193, 194-5, 201-2, 203-4, 229 and 231. One may well ask what is the reason for the delay. I can find only one reference to it. In the main it is in answer to a question which I asked over a year ago. I was advised that there was a number of developments in banking techniques, in particular dealing with advancement in the use of computers. But that has been going on for many years and it will continue to go on for many years. I do not know where the delay exists, whether it is in the consultation with the trading banks or whether it is within the departments concerned.

I do not criticise the present Minister. Indeed, I expressly exclude him from these remarks and compliment him on introducing this measure which rightly makes the major reform and a significant saving in time wasting procedures in commercial activity. 1 urge the Attorney-General to press forward, in the haste called for after a delay of 6 or 7 years’ consideration, with the early introduction of an Australian Cheques Act which can, of course, be amended from time to time to take account of changing banking techniques which develop.

Mr HUGHES:
AttorneyGeneral · Berowra · LP

– in reply - I shall reply very briefly to the contributions that have been made by the honourable members who have spoken in this debate. I accept the plea of urgency that has been made by the honourable member for Cunningham (Mr Connor) and by my colleague on this side of the House, the honourable member for Curtin (Mr Garland). There is no opposition to the terms of the Bill. The complaint that is made is that the Government has not pressed ahead fast enough with a comprehensive Cheques Bill in terms of the recommendations of the Manning Committees report. This is an enormously complicated subject. Throughout 1970, and indeed up to the present time since 1 made my second reading speech on 19th May last year, substantive discussions have been taking place between officers of my Department and representatives of the banks concerning the contents of a comprehensive Cheques Bill. I can understand that there is some impatience at what would appear at first sight to be an inordinate delay in this field. When the facts are examined fully it will be seen that the delay is by no means unforgivable and is by no means as inordinate as it is made to appear.

At the present time we are witnessing almost kaleidoscopic developments in the fields of automation and electronic data processing, lt is with the developments of this kind, fast as they have been occurring, that the discussions between officers of my Department and the banks have been concerned. The position has now been reached where I would anticipate, according to the information given to me, that instructions on most of the matters that have been discussed through 1970 between the representatives of the banks and officers of my Department can be given to the Parlia mentary Counsel for the drafting of the desired legislation. The legislation is desired as much by me as by the honourable members who have spoken in this debate. The whole problem is by no means as simple as it might be thought at first sight to be. I can assure the honourable members who have made valuable contributions to this debate that I will continue to keep the matter under my close attention with a view to getting legislation of the kind we all want to see into the House as soon as possible. I hope that the honourable member for Cunningham will not think me guilty of any discourtesy if I do not follow him by answering some of the broader matters that he sought to raise, because during his speech I rather took the hint from you, Mr Speaker, that if 1 were to do so my contribution would not be altogether welcome to you. That is all I want to say in answer to what has been put.

Question resolved in the affirmative. Bill read a second time.

Third reading

Leave granted for third reading to be moved forthwith.

Bill (on motion by Mr Hughes) read a third time.

page 49

IMMIGRATION (EDUCATION) BILL 1970

Second Reading

Debate resumed from 19 May 1970 (vide page 2361), on motion by Mr Snedden:

That the Bill be now read a second time.

Mr DALY:
Grayndler

– I move the following amendment:

That all words after ‘That’ be omitted with a view lo inserting the following words in place thereof: whilst not refusing to give the Bill a second reading this House condemns the Government for the delay in providing a comprehensive programme of migration education, adequate finance facilities and capital equipment, including buildings.

The provisions of this legislation were outlined fully in a preliminary statement by the Minister for Immigration (Mr Lynch) to the House on 23rd April 1970 and have been further detailed in his second reading speech. In these circumstances, it is hardly necessary for me to reiterate them in detail. Broadly speaking, however, they provide for an expansion of the migrant education programme for adults and children before and after arrival in Australia, in co-operation with the State education authorities. The Commonwealth is to provide the cost of teachers, certain capital equipment, text books, supervisory assistance, and allowances for migrants studying certain courses, and will give incentives to industry to assist in the educational programme.

The Opposition is not opposed to the general principles of the scheme as we are well aware of the fact that the basis of successful integration or assimilation is communication. Without a knowledge of the language migrants are not only at a distinct disadvantage in respect of employment but also their general participation in community activities and our way of life is denied to them if they are unable to speak and understand our language. The importance of education in the English language to the migrant - adult and child - has been stressed by responsible authorities and migrant organisations ever since the commencement of the scheme, and particularly in more recent years. Successive Immigration Conventions and the Immigration Advisory Council have confirmed that the great barrier to assimilation and integration is the failure of the migrant to speak English and expressed the view that there is a real need for the teaching of the English language at every level for assimilation, social and economic reasons.

As the amendment indicates, the Opposition is far from satisfied with the educational programme to date. It is not so much a criticism of what has been or is being done for migrants in this regard but rather that a more comprehensive scheme has been delayed so long, particularly in view of the constant urging by conventions and immigration authorities. This measure, which is by no means the be-all and endall of the matter, is belated and a long time overdue.

At this stage I pose a few questions in respect of the subject, and some constructive criticisms of the Department and its activities in this field. Firstly, having in mind the Government’s sustained drive for migrants, has this aspect of migration been neglected, or at least, has the Department not been insistent enough in the priority that should be given to migrant education?

Provision of educational services to enable adult migrants to learn the English language began in 1947 in the opening days of post-war immigration schemes or, if I may say so, in the infancy of the programme. Since that time, great changes have taken place in the immigration programme, such as increased numbers, differing types of migrants and methods of transport. The fact that more than 50 per cent of the 700,000 migrants requiring instruction in English discontinued the classes would seem to present proof that a new and stimulating approach was needed in this field. These figures should have been an indication to the Department that the programme was falling short of what was required, particularly as lack of communication by language is accepted as the great barrier to citizenship and assimilation. It was evidently not until about 1967 or 1968 that the real seriousness of the situation dawned on the Government and with it the need to provide a scheme whereby the children in schools and those adults whom I might term the waverers, or those who were not highly educated and were unable to learn English, needed a new and comprehensive scheme if they were to do so. This point of view is substantiated by the figures I mentioned earlier and by the fact that only about 22,000 or 23,000 at this date are enrolled in continuation classes, radio and correspondence courses throughout Australia.

Surely, with this problem being stressed by immigration authorities everywhere, including citizenship conventions, advisory councils and other interested parties, a scheme might well have been expected at a much earlier date. Even now, under this scheme there are some glaring weaknesses which I shall show later. For instance, on the question of adult, education under these proposals, the casual migrant, as I shall call him, must be prepared to spend 5 hours a day for 6 weeks in the partly accelerated course at his own expense or 2 hours a week for a period of 18 months a,t a night school course if he desires to learn the language. This is a fairly tough proposal. It must be extremely doubtful, therefore, whether this large section of the migrant force, or a large percentage of it, will benefit by the scheme. When all is said and done, no matter what a person’s educational capacity may be, it is essential that he learn the language of his adopted country. Many thousands of migrants have neglected to do this for many and varied reasons, lt has yet to be proved whether the incentive and the expansion of the educational programme as outlined will encourage them to do so. Since 1945 more than 2 million migrants have come to Australia. lt would be an interesting exercise to ascertain how many or what percentage have learned to speak English since their arrival.

Secondly, at a time when every educational body in Australia - State, independent and university - is clamouring for additional teachers, schools and finance, where does the Government consider that the necessary number of teachers will be recruited? lt is estimated that the number of teachers required will be 300, and this at a time when there is an acute shortage of skilled teachers in Australia.

Classes are too big, classrooms are overcrowded and generally speaking the shortage of everything is acute. In fact, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland are recruiting teachers from abroad. I am informed that 100 teachers will be required this year, 60 next year and 330 for the year 1971-72. This is a very tall order at a time of acute teacher shortage, so the Minister might indicate what arrangements have been made to recruit them, what are the prospects of securing them, what are the qualifications necessary and what are the reactions of the educational authorities.

Thirdly, what indication has been given that the migrants, whom I would describe as being :on the fringe’, that is, those who have no special educational qualifications or inclination but who must know English for employment and other purposes, will be more interested than they have been previously in learning English. Probably the scheme is intended to appeal to them but in what way, as compared with the previous scheme, will it do so. On the surface, it will remain much the same as it is today. Information has already been given to the House that only 47 per cent of the 708,000 migrants who have come to Australia and attended pre-embarkation ship board, continuation or correspondence courses, have completed the course. Even in November 1969 only 14,840 migrants were enrolled in 1,050 continuation classes, and 7,780 migrants were taking combined radio and correspondence courses. In view of the number of migrants involved, these figures are by no means heartening. Will the position be improved under this scheme?

How will this scheme appeal to this section of the migrant population who have neglected to learn English? What incentive is to be given to them? Most of them, no doubt, cannot afford to take time off from work and at night are either too tired or lack the inclination lo spend time to which they are no doubt unaccustomed for periods of 2 hours a week for 18 months. This is not an easy problem, but it certainly merits special attention.

Has the Minister any idea as to what will be the response of industry to participation in the scheme? Will it co-operate? Will the lessons be given in the employers’ time or after work? This is important because I believe it will have a distinct bearing on the success or failure of the scheme. These are just a few of the questions one may ask. They are asked not in order to knock the proposals but more in an endeavour to ascertain the depth of the Government’s investigations of this subject.

I believe that it would be reasonable to ask industry to participate in a practical way in bringing a knowledge of the English language to this section of the migrant force. After all, industry has benefited a lot from the immigration programme. In fact, to my mind industry has had it on the cheap. It has been provided with employees - sometimes highly skilled - at little or no cost to it. This in turn has resulted in increased production and increased spending and purchasing power. T believe that industries employing large numbers of migrants should, at their own cost, provide classes in English. They should also encourage migrants to learn the language for safety and economic reasons, and it should be done at the employers’ expense during working hours.

Industries might also provide some monetary incentive or additional leave, promotion or something of this nature as a further stimulus to overcome the language barrier. I understand that some industrial organisations already are co-operating and providing classes in English along the lines I have suggested, and the scheme might well be expanded. However, the scheme should cover the whole range of industry, and I suggest to the Minister that implementation of an extensive campaign throughout industry along the lines I have mentioned might bring success in the recruitment of migrants to English classes. Today, for a number of reasons, migrants discontinue their classes and their education in the English language.

Comparatively recently two excellent surveys were conducted, one by the Department of Immigration in Canberra and the other by the New South Wales Department of Education, on the question of migrant education and the education of migrant children. These excellent reports, which are available to all and from which quotations have been made in the Parliament, referred to some of the problems confronting people who do not know the English language. I shall quote a few extracts from the reports broadly and quickly in the time available to me in order to give honourable members an idea of some of the problems which face this scheme and which must be overcome if the scheme is to be of great benefit. For instance, the report of the survey conducted by the New South Wales Department of Education in 1968-69 stated:

Migrant children performance in many subjects is affected by their language difficulties.

The predominant groups of migrants with English difficulties are the Italians, Greeks, Yugoslavs - totalling 61 per cent of the sample.

Of those with English difficulties 42 per cent come from homes where it is never spoken and 43 per cent sometimes.

Comparison shows that a significant proportion of migrants with poor school progress came from homes where English is never spoken.

The report of the survey conducted by the Department of Immigration in Canberra stated:

Based on evidence from departmental surveys it would be reasonable to estimate that approximately one-third of foreign bom migrants would be unable to speak English. Applied to the foreign bom migrant population this would mean that some 240,000 migrants would benefit from English language instruction.

That shows the nature of the problem and also indicates that this legislation has to cover a wide field. The report of the survey conducted by the New South Wales Department of Education in 1968-69 on the question of education of migrant children also stated:

Incidence of migrant children in total school population is about 1 in 20 and of the 50,664 reported migrant pupils some 16,452 - 32 per cent - have some type of English language difficulty.

One could quote at great length, from the report of the survey, which was an excellent one, because there are pages which deal with the problems facing these children and the problems which the Department of Education in New South Wales faces in providing education for these children.

As I mentioned earlier, migrant children present a very difficult problem, and one of the most significant statements which have been made on this subject appears in an article by Carolyn Dowling. In an article entitled ‘Seen But Not Heard’, which was published in March 1968, she said:

The passive, uncomprehending figure whose idleness and blank stare mar the most industrious of classes, is a more common sight, particularly in the lower forms of suburban high schools, than we care to admit.

That, as the Minister quite rightly pointed out, is one of the major- problems confronting us. The survey indicates the severe strain that has been placed on the educational system and on teachers in New South Wales and no doubt throughout Australia. It is difficult for a teacher to transmit knowledge to a child who has very little, if any, understanding of the English language. It is just as unfair to the children who, in many cases, while mentally more advanced that those who know and understand English are forced to languish in lower classes because of this disability. Of course, as I have mentioned, because of the conditions the teachers find the task well nigh impossible and can only do the best they can.

The number of migrant children in schools runs into many thousands, as has been pointed out in these articles and as is indicated by the number of teachers to be recruited. It has certainly taken the Government a long time to realise how unfair it is to teachers, children and State authorities to bring non-English speaking migrants into the country in thousands and leave the full responsibility for their education at every level to State governments and independent schools. The need has been there for a long time and, very belatedly, the Government has evidently realised its responsibility but still baulks at the capital expenditure and at making more extensive grants to the authorities for educational purposes. increased education costs to the States because of the influx of migrant children has given rise in many quarters to the question whether our migration programme should be curtailed. That is one of the major reasons advanced by those who advocate that course. These remarks, critical though they may be, are offered constructively in the hope that the Opposition’s views will result in improving the approach of the Government, both financially and practically, in the important field of migrant education. So important is language that 1 submit to the Government that migrant education should be encouraged by a wider range of activities in language and citizenship instruction, as appears to have been clone in Canada. For instance, in Canada classes for language instruction and courses in civic affairs have mushroomed and are conducted under various auspices, such as provincial departments of education, local school boards, service clubs, churches, welfare agencies, universities and ethnic groups.

It is true that there are many variations in the degree, quality and intensity of the courses offered. Some offer education by trained teaching personnel. Others are of a sporadic nature and are guided by volunteers. However, iri spite of all the diversity, there is a common thread running through the courses offered and growing evidence of uniformity amongst all the programmes because of the liaison and help provided by officers of the Canadian Citizenship Branch. Without saying that Canada has the perfect system, surely it is an indication of how much could be done in Australia along these lines. A national campaign seeking the co-operation of voluntary organisations, industries, clubs, progress associations, churches and other sections of the community would be a forward step in the education of migrants. If necessary, some form of financial or material assistance could he given.

Another factor that appears to be overlooked is that, I understand, approximately 60 per cent of the migrant* coming to Australia travel by air and the percentage might increase. This means that unless migrants have pre-embarkation instruction, they land in Australia without any knowledge at all of the English language. This is quite different from the days when practically all migrants travelled by ship and an education officer gave them instruction in the English language. Naturally this has accentuated the problem that we now face.

Clause 3 of the Bill states: capital equipment of an educational nature’ includes tape recording and playing equipment, but does not include any building.

This is undoubtedly one of the major weaknesses of the scheme, lt is in line with Government thinking on education generally, in that it fails to take into consideration the overcrowding and in many cases the non-existence of classrooms. Every education authority in the nation is clamouring for money for capital expenditure on buildings. There is nowhere to teach children in many schools, State and independent. Where are the educational classes proposed in this Bill to be assembled? What consideration has been given to the environment in schools for this type of teaching? lt is a specialised teaching requiring special facilities but, most importantly, it requires a suitable type of room. Is it to be expected that the teachers will lump all their equipment into the playground and teach under a tree, or will they teach on a verandah, in a weather shed or some other makeshift accommodation, because unless capital is available this is precisely what will happen? This appears to be the only way out for those who are short of capital.

There can be no excuse whatever for the Government failing to provide funds for capital expenditure on buildings as part of this scheme. As it stands, it means that the Government reluctantly has accepted the fact that it has a responsibility to the children, the States and the teachers to provide some finance for the thousands of migrants who have been brought to Australia, but it is confining it to the very minimum and leaving the responsibility for finding additional capital to the States. This is not good enough, and this is why the Opposition has moved the amendment which indicates that the Government should provide funds for capital expenditure.

The Minister estimates that the cost of the scheme over the next 4 years will total $16m, or $4m a year. The full cost of the migration scheme is extremely high. Only a small percentage will be spent on the education of migrants, yet this is generally accepted as the most important factor in their assimilation. Is it too much to ask that a substantial amount be made available for capital expenditure on buildings to alleviate this problem? Members of the Opposition believe that this should be the most important part of this legislation, quite apart from the provision of teachers, and unless the amendment is adopted we believe the scheme will fail. In his Ministerial statement of 23rd April 1970 the Minister said:

The Government recognises that the ability of migrants to communicate is fundamental to their successful integration. There are short and long term social and human benefits for the migrant and for the community in encouraging and providing the means for migrants to learn English.

Very few would disagree with this sentiment. The question is how do we achieve it and does the legislation now under discussion solve or at least make a major contribution towards this objective. As I have already indicated, I believe it is correct to say that while the legislation proposes an expansion of the present limited programme in the field of migrant education there are many gaps still to be plugged, as suggested by the amendment that 1 have moved.

I have referred somewhat briefly to 2 major considerations in the migrant education problem. First, there are children to be considered and, secondly, adults. A few moments ago 1 quoted from a statement by Carolyn Dowling about migrant children. I believe it is a sound move to give specialised teaching in English in the classroom. This appears to be the ideal place within the school curriculum - in school hours, in school surroundings with the proper textbooks, equipment and environment. It gives the child the opportunity in the right atmosphere to learn the means of communication and fulfil his educational desires according to his capacity as times goes on. I think it is fair to ask the Minister how long it is expected that the classes will function until the child is competent in English. Also, what will be the ages of the children who will attend these classes It is more essential than ever that some form of teaching be introduced to the school when it is considered that the New South Wales survey on this problem revealed that about 47 per cent of the children come from homes where no English is spoken lt is probably true to say that this form of planning, when expanded, must prove of benefit to the child, and particularly to the harassed teacher who is endeavouring to transmit knowledge to a percentage of the class who simply do not know what is being said. The scheme will fail if the Government stints on finance for capital equipment and other essentials.

Then there is the problem of the adults. Members of an Opposition parliamentary committee on immigration recently visited a centre where the intensive scheme was in progress. It was interesting to observe the people who were progressing favourably and quickly and to realise how lack of English had retarded their progress temporarily. One person we met was a dentist by profession but because of his lack of English he was working as a cleaner. A telecommunications technician was working as a kitchen hand. Another person undertaking this expanded course was a research technologist who was working as a laundry worker. Another was a horticulturalist but was presently occupied as a factory worker. I mention these people to indicate the effectiveness of the scheme. It is of value to these people whose experience could benefit this country. Until this intensive scheme was implemented they were denied the opportunity of pursuing their former occupations. This illustrates the need for the provision of proper educational facilities.

Another problem concerns those migrant adults who vary in age from elderly grandparents or parents to those who left school immediately prior to their coming to Australia and who have probably had little or no schooling in their own country. They have no knowledge of English, no English is spoken in their homes and they drift into clubs or into an environment singularly of their own countrymen in the workshops and factories. They fraternise only with those speaking their own language, mainly for convenience and communication purposes. The number involved amounts to hundreds of thousands. The best figure to take is that percentage of the 708,000 mentioned by the Minister who have already received instruction.

Does this legislation do anything to solve or relieve their problem? Is it a practical solution in the long term or is it an effort or contribution made hopefully to encourage them to participate in learning the language? Included in the adults are married women, many of whom do not go to work because of family circumstances. Their contact with English-speaking people is non-existent. How do they get on? Does this scheme propose a solution or an incentive for them? J am inclined to think that it will not touch many of this group. It is appropriate to refer to the excellent report concerning the survey undertaken by the New South Wales Department of Education. It states:

Reasons for delayed enrolment in courses were job commitments, lack of knowledge of courses, or just arrived in Australia. Students’ reasons for discontinuance were mainly too busy, shift work, overtime and mobility.

Men gave as their reasons for nonattendance having to work too hard, laziness, overtime and fatigue. Women said that they were too busy at home or had family responsibility. About 97 per cent of the migrant students said they would like more opportunity to talk in English with Australian people. Many of these migrants may never attend an advanced course, perhaps because of lack of educational facilities. What effect does the Minister think that the present proposals will have on this type of migrant without incentives, including permission to attend courses during working hours? The migrants that I have mentioned must have an earnest desire to learn the language. They must have an incentive to improve their economic position. They must have a desire to integrate socially. They must find the time or be able to afford to learn the language either during the day or at night.

I wonder whether any investigations have been made concerning what percentage of migrants in this category, or men and women over school age, really want to learn the language, and what is their intellectual capacity. The Minister has yet to state what effect the scheme will have on those I have mentioned and how many he expects will take advantage of it. Apart from those who really want to progress and learn the language because they are ambitious and anxious to succeed, I believe 2 factors stop people from educating themselves. Those with limited educational ability lack an incentive and they are incapable of finding time to attend classes. As I mentioned earlier, I believe that this problem could be overcome in respect of the men by their employers accepting more responsibility and enabling the men to attend classes in working time. Not only would this benefit the employer but it would make a satisfied citizen of the migrant concerned. To my mind the incentive scheme, in the case of adult men particularly, would appear to be the logical and practical way of achieving the best results. 1 feel that another method that might be applied - and no doubt it already has been to a great extent, but it could be more widely used - is an intensive publicity campaign among non-English speaking migrants on the need to learn the English’ language. Every form of available advertising should be used to impress upon these migrants prior to acceptance, embarkation on shipboard or on plane and on arrival how vital it is to learn English in order to enjoy a happy and successful life in Australia. Every industry, every bank, every public office or in fact any medium of publicity should be utilised with display signs impressing the need of migrants to communicate and learn English and advising them how they can go about it. Every migrant should be issued with a special brochure in the language he speaks setting out very clearly, but not too extensively the practical results to be achieved by being educated in the English language. (Extension of time granted). I thank the House and I will not take much longer. Whilst not criticising the objectives and the principles prompting the legislation on the education of migrants, I believe that there are still gaps through which countless thousands of migrants will escape the opportunity to learn English and participate in our community, economic and social life.

Time does not permit me to go over the full range of them. This is set out in the documents which I mentioned earlier. The facts and figures are given. They show that many are suffering and failing to be assimilated into our community because of lack of knowledge of English. These figures are there for all to see and they indicate the major problem. This is a problem which must be faced: we believe it will not be adequately covered by this legislation. I hope that the Minister will accept the amendment moved on behalf of the Opposition in the spirit in which it is presented. It is an endeavour to offer a constructive approach to improving the education of adult and child migrants and to relieving the States of some of the responsibility for a national programme of immigration. We should accept our financial responsibility for education, housing and other matters. I offer this amendment as a constructive approach to improve the child and adult education of migrants brought to Australia in a scheme commenced 25 years ago which has always had the sympathy and support of honourable members on all sides of this Parliament. I hope the Minister will see fit to accept the amendment because I believe it will make a major contribution towards overcoming the difficulties in the education of migrants that I have mentioned during the course of my speech tonight.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Lucock:
LYNE, NEW SOUTH WALES

– Is the amendment seconded?

Mr Crean:

– I second the amendment.

Dr SOLOMON:
Denison

– A year ago I attended in Canberra an Australian Citizenship Convention which was one of a number of such meetings which have been held since the war. Two or 3 weeks ago I attended a meeting of the Australian Institute of Political Science which dealt with the subject of immigration. The first of those conferences dealt substantially with the problems of migrants as seen by various workers in the field of immigrant education and interest in the community. The most lasting impression that I got from that conference was of the difficulties faced by migrants in coping with the English language, most notably by those with least access to it, and particularly by migrant housewives. The main burden of the second conference which was held 2 or 3 weeks ago was in fact a discussion on the pros and cons - perhaps there were more cons than pros - of the migration programme long since conducted with joint party approval in this country.

I find it a little interesting that the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Daly) in the new atmosphere produced by the second conference and just before and after it by newspaper and other comment relating thereto, has now discovered that the Government, if I read him aright, has done too little too late in the field of migrant education. I do not complain that he has found it. After all, he is in a position where he should be finding such information. In the main I compliment him on one of the more constructive speeches which I have heard him make in this House in intent if not entirely in execution. Indeed, I will agree with two or three of the suggestions he made. Nevertheless, the suggestion is that we have perhaps with some complacence but certainly with considerable agreement across the board or across the floor of this House and elsewhere in the community conducted a programme of immigration which has made various gestures and various activity projects to inculcate into migrants the best understanding that seems possible in a given time of the English language, whereby they could better be assimilated - 1 think the word is now integrated - into the community. As people who have listened to the honourable member for Grayndler will know, this is a vast enterprise. It is a very considerable operation to find out how, why and where we can best conduct the education of people not specifically brought up in the same means of communication as ourselves. Perhaps we should be glad that it is their problem at that stage rather than ours. It is very difficult sometimes to make oneself understood in someone else’s parlance.

The proposition before the House is quite a comprehensive one. As the Minister for Immigration (Mr Lynch) mentioned in his second reading speech there are 2 or 3 major aspects of this educational programme. There are the question of educating migrant children, the question of the extension and improvement of adult education in one or more parts of the world, and the question of an intensive language course for migrants better versed in some skill or other who possibly are already acquainted with the rudiments of the English language and are better able to comprehend an intensive course than are others. Some facts of the matter have already been adduced by the honourable member for Grayndler and the Minister at an earlier stage. I do not want to go over those unnecessarily. But the situation certainly is clear. About 26 per cent of 3.1 million gross arrivals - some of course have returned home in the interim - between 1945 and 1969 have been under 15 years of age. So there would appear to be immediately a prima facie case for very considerable child education in the English language for migrant children. Many of these children, of course, have come from homes and continue to come from homes where English is rarely if ever spoken. To overcome this problem the Government has identified several specific activities which it intends to implement through the Department and education departments in the States to improve the situation. The Commonwealth intends to pay salaries for the teachers of special classes. It will conduct training courses for teachers in the method of teaching English as a foreign language. It’ will introduce language laboratories and other equipment. This is a programme costing of the order of $1.5m per annum out of the $4m per annum overall which is to be spent.

The joint Commonwealth-New South Wales Education Department survey which was conducted a short while ago showed that of the 7,700 migrant children surveyed English was spoken at home ali or most of the time in only 15 per cent of the households. In fact, English was never spoken in 42 per cent of the homes. This, of course, is a most impressive figure indicating the dearth of English in the home situation of a considerable proportion of migrant children. Further figures discerned from this survey show that in households where no English is spoken some 27 per cent of the children were making what was rated to be good progress or better at school. On the other hand, however, the 63 per cent who were making poor progress at school came from the ‘no English’ speaking homes. We do not need to adduce any further figures to show that a problem exists.

I think that, this having been said, it is fairly obvious even to the uninitiated in these matters that the problem with children is unlikely to be as serious in a continuing sense, lt may be serious initially and thereby provide quite some impedi ment to a rapid or a normal increase in educational advancement, but it is likely to be a situation which will be overcome in the natural course of events merely by virtue of the fact that children are children, they are young, they are receptive and they are mixing with other children at least most of whom certainly speak English. Therefore these children, despite the disadvantage of the home situation at that stage, are likely in the normal course of their intermixing to get along fairly well. That is not to say that the programme should not be implemented at least as much as is envisaged.

It seems to me that the greater problem is the one which concerns adult education. Certainly, the honourable member for Grayndler had quite a bit to say about that. Although approximately one-third of foreign born migrants cannot in any effective way speak English when they get here, the intake in recent years in adult evening education classes conducted, to take one or two examples, has been quite considerably less than the number of current arrivals. For example, in 1966-67 there were 19,000 enrollees in the adult classes for language whereas 45,000 migrant arrivals occurred in the same year with respect to that area of need. In 1968- 69, 21,000 migrants enrolled whereas 61,000 migrants who needed to do so, in effect, arrived in this country. So, it is pretty clear that, as the honourable member for Grayndler rightly has said, we are not getting all these people in. The problem remains. 1 do not think that he quite adequately answered this problem although he tried to do so. The problem is: How do we get these people in. In particular, how do we get in the housewife more so even than the chappy who is at work and perhaps can be persuaded to get in by various employer incentives of the kind outlined. Certainly it would not appear to be exactly antithetical to the private enterprise ethic to have some employer indulgence in this matter and even an incentive whereby time was made available as well as facilities even for these people who certainly it can be argued make up a considerable part of our labour force. This is one of the major arguments for immigration being continuous. It would not be bad for those people who are benefiting most directly from the provision of this labour force to have some part in improving the status and the general worthiness - I do not use ‘worthiness’ in the moral sense - of the people whom they are employing. In this way they can assist those people to partake community life as a whole.

The review and extension of adult education which is envisaged takes place in several areas - at source, in Europe or elsewhere, and on shipboard, if it is shipboard, and in Australia. I have taken the trouble to talk to a small number of people who have been involved in the adult education programme. I have found that one or two problems exist. It is hard to go along with the honourable member for Grayndler who wants to provide holus bolus, as it were, classrooms, because surely this will detract from trie education need which he has identified already. We need to bear in mind that one of the biggest problems of capitalisation in the education field is that classrooms, whether they be university, technical college, secondary school or primary school classrooms, are not on the whole very greatly utilised. They may be during the day, but there are large periods during each day in a year - large chunks of each day, perhaps T might say - when classrooms are not used. This is one of the arguments for extending the university teaching year. Capital equipment in this way will be used more persistently.

It seems to me that when we are talking about school classrooms being used for adult migrant education, whether or not we involve also the question of special equipment for laboratory type situations and so on, it should be possible to use existing facilities at different hours than generally those facilities get their normal use without however detracting from expenditure in other normal areas of education, or, alternatively, incurring a larger additional capital expenditure for this purpose.

There are some problems which seem to be of a minor kind perhaps to which the Minister for Immigration might direct his attention if he has not done so already. For instance - and I hope that my figures are up lo date - a class maximum in the adult migrant education programme is regarded as 24. I compare this with the figure of 30 which is the generally accepted figure put forward by most teach er bodies as the optimum for normal class teaching. I wonder whether the figure for adult education in this respect might not stand a reduction given special consideration of the very considerable difficulties under which some of the people in these classes are working.

There is the question of materials needed, on which I think the honourable member for Grayndler touched. I would like to raise in this respect the question of the availability and accessibility of materials and not so much the question of whether or not they exist. There needs to be a very considerable degree of co-operation between the school in which the classes are being held and those who teach the classes. If the people teaching belong to the school at which the teaching is taking place, there is no problem as I see it. But if in fact this work is being carried out in some centre where the teachers do not teach normally, it is necessary sometimes for the materials involved in teaching to be housed in some teacher’s room, office or common room. For various personal reasons, understandable perhaps in the main, it is not always easy to get at such materials at the time when they are needed. This is something which perhaps the departmental officers involved in supervising these things might need to consider more carefully.

Another question concerns the teaching kit required. It is quite bulky. A car is needed to move it around. Strange as it may be in this day and age it is not always possible for the teacher concerned to have access to this means of transport. This is a practical problem which again appears minor but which may loom a little larger in the eyes of some of the teachers conducting these classes.

The question of incentives to enrol and the problem of dropouts from these adult migration classes in language are real ones. It is very difficult to provide an answer. I do not think that the honourable member for Grayndler grappled with these problems to ultimate effectiveness, and I find myself unable to give the ultimate answers. How in fact do we get people who prefer to do some more work, to stay at home, to earn overtime or to do whatever it is that they do, to attend such classes? How do we impress upon them sufficiently the importance to them of learning English in a working manner as quickly as possible? How do we demonstrate the fact that by doing so they will enhance their own status and increase their own usefulness to themselves, to their families and to the community at large. It is a difficult question and I think that it may be answerable only by those people who are engaged in the field of migrant education. This is not buck passing. It is deferring to those who would appear to be most likely to know.

The question of intensive language courses does not need to be outlined at any length at all. These are for a relatively special group, a group already having the benefit of greater capacity, it would appear, to learn. The amount being spent on this training appears to be relatively large. It will rise from approximately §100,000 to in excess of Sim in this financial year alone. This would appear to be money well spent because we are talking of people who are very likely on a per capita basis to infuse into the community a very considerable contribution not only by their efforts and through their own skills in other areas but also, one would imagine, probably by virtue of the fact of having these skills and being capable of acquiring expression in English - and other languages for that matter - more rapidly are they likely to be leaders of their own communities, insofar as there are communities of new migrants. They are therefore likely to very much repay the money spent on this avenue of migrant education.

I think that through all this it should be borne in mind that, desirable though it is, it is not necessary - I do not imply that it is - that in attempting to teach English to migrants, adult or otherwise, wherever we might aim, that we have to achieve perfection in a short period of time. After all, we do not achieve it here. We do not achieve it amongst most of our students, and perhaps it would be overmuch to expect to achieve it amongst migrants. In fact, what we need is a basic form of expression, a simplicity and a general understanding that is sufficient to get the person concerned through situations of everyday life. Of course, the so-called Australian situational method has recognised that. May I indicate what I mean and show the sort of achievement which I think we might try to get. I will quote from a letter written by a West Indian day labourer in Britain concerning a problem which he had. He expressed himself as follows:

Respected Sir:

When I got to the building, I found that the hurricane had knocked some bricks off the top. So I rigged up a beam with a pulley at the top of the building and hoisted up a couple of barrels full of bricks. When I had fixed the building, there was a lot of bricks left over. 1 hoisted the barrel back up again and secured the line at the bottom, and then went up and filled the barrel with extra bricks. Then I went to the bottom and cast off the line.

Unfortunately, the barrel of bricks was heavier than 1 was and before I knew what was happening the barrel started down, jerking me off the ground. I decided to hang on and halfway up I met the barrel coming down and received a severe blow on the shoulder.

I then continued to the top, banging my head against the beam and getting my finger jammed in the pulley. When the barrel hit the ground it bursted its bottom, allowing all the bricks to spill out.

I was heavier than the empty barrel and so started down again at high speed. Halfway down, I met the barre! coming up and received severe injuries to my shins. When I hit the ground I landed on the bricks, getting several painful cuts from the sharp edges.

At this point I must have lost my presence of mind, because I let go of the line. The barrel then came down giving me another heavy blow on the head and putting me in the hospital.

As the honourable member for KingsfordSmith (Mr Lionel Bowen) has correctly discerned in advance, the bricklayer wanted some workmen’s compensation. But the point of the story is that that letter written by somebody who had learnt English somewhere other than his native country included the elements of clarity, simplicity, perhaps a certain archaic flavour, and the dramatic effect dependent upon understatement. If we could get most of our migrants to that situation I am sure the Minister would be well pleased. I think even the honourable member for Grayndler would be well pleased. I feel, without I hope undue sanguineness of mind at this stage, that the programme involving this $16m or so to be spent in 4 years in several avenues of migrant education in language is well devised, even if not as comprehensive as some people would want, to improve the situation as we currently find it. The question of whether we intend to teach more people and to keep the programme rolling so that the problems are not perhaps compounded or increased as the years go by is one which I am sure we will be debating at another time.

Mr Les Johnson:
HUGHES, NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

– The Australian immigration programme was initiated by a Labor government some 25 years ago, and it has been supported by this Government since that time. So 1 think that ail of us here are very disturbed to hear these revelations which indicate the disadvantages to which migrants are being subjected. The honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Daly) indicated that the migrant education programme commenced in 1947 after about 1,000 migrants had come here. We have had a lot of opportunity to get it into gear, to oil the machinery and to make it work. I think it is disappointing for many of us suddenly to get these revelations indicating the stark nature of the situation, immigration is important to Australia. We have endeavoured to secure an increase amounting to I per cent of our population each year for some years. We have rarely achieved this. I think this year we are seeking about 175,000 migrants. Seventy per cent of the increase in our work force over the last 20 years has come from immigration. We are told by the Immigration Department that something like $650 is spent administratively on each migrant, but the net gain is said to be something like $10,000 for each migrant. We are told that migrants have added $70,000m to our gross national product over 20 years.

If all this is the case, although I know there are many who believe it is time we properly evaluated these alleged facts, clearly we should be thinking of migrants from the point of view that immigration is not a one-sided affair. It is probably time we were doing a bit more for them. We have relegated them to poor environments, crowded houses, inadequate recreation, insufficient public services, high interest rates, sub-standard health schemes, and we have often sent them off to do the toughest jobs in the most oppressive areas. There are many manifestations that migrants are socially disadvantaged in Australia. The success of Australia’s immigration programme has long been tarnished by an obtuse disinclination to evaluate the problems which migrants and their children encounter. Nevertheless, I believe it is safe to say that in the field of formal education the Commonwealth has been recreant to its responsibility to ensure that adequate facilities are available. Of course, we can say this of Australian children generally: that there are many thousands trying to get into universities, that there are probably thousands trying to get into kindergartens and that there are class loading problems and the like, but there are special problems with migrants. Without the fulfilment of these obligations by the Commonwealth Government, the States will always suffer from an inadequacy of funds necessary to meet both the general needs of education and the particular finesse and expertise and special resources required for the education of migrant children.

Startling revelations about language problems of migrant children have now come to hand 25 years after the then Labor Government initiated our first immigration programme. For many of the 2i million people who have comprised our total net population gain since 1946 and for a large number of their children the lost opportunities that have resulted can never be regained. So much has gone, never to be retrieved, and we all deplore that fact. How many returning migrants who have left Australia in disillusionment have suffered from an inability to communicate because of insufficient skill with the English language? Over the last 5 years 21,697 migrants who had come to Australia with assisted passages have packed up their bags and gone home within 2 years of arriving here. Most of us who work in this field and who make contact with migrants know that the language problem often contributes to their unhappiness.

Some went because of inadequate housing, deficiencies in the health scheme and all kinds of things, but many must have gone because of the deficiencies of the education system and our failure to convey an understanding of the English language to them. For a long time the Government has shown indecent haste to get migrants, any sort of migrants, as long as they were of European extraction. We have not shown any enthusiasm to get the others, regardless of whether they can speak English. What thought has been given to requiring intending migrants to take a course in English prior to leaving their home country? There are lots of people who now say that we should now put a stop to or a brake on the immigration programme. I suppose another way of looking at it is to decide to be more selective and to bring to this country those migrants who have a knowledge of the English language because of their willingness to apply themselves to it before they arrive in Australia. It is clearly a possibility that we could make a knowledge of English a condition of their immigration arrangement.

Two and a half million persons who were born overseas are now in Australia. We are told that they represent 20 per cent of the population. We have sent many back. In 1969-70 we repatriated 693 for undisclosed reasons and we deported 491. 1 think this demonstrates our inability to be selective. In addition to that, we have found that a lot of those who have come here and sought naturalisation are not suitable for many reasons. I want to mention some of the reasons because they have a very precise bearing on this subject. In the 19 years to 1969 we rejected 529 applicants for naturalisation on security grounds and 20,022 on other grounds. Bui then we rejected a lot of others because of their very inadequate knowledge of English or their inability to speak English.

Mr Lynch:

– This is very interesting, but what has it to do with the Bill?

Mr Les Johnson:
HUGHES, NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

– The figures I am quoting come from the Minister for Immigration (Mr Lynch) and I think they have a very clear relevance to the Bill since we are talking about educating migrants. Among the things in which we need to educate them - and this is clearly the subject of the Bill - is the English language.

Mr Lynch:

– I think you are a long way from home.

Mr Les Johnson:
HUGHES, NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

– I disagree with the Minister but I must not be diverted since I am making only a passing reference to this matter anyway. It is amazing that in these years we have had such a high incidence of people whose applications for naturalisation have been rejected because of their inability to speak English. In 1961 1,683 people were rejected; in 1962, 1,920; in 1963, 1,760; in 1964, 1,670; in 1965, 914; in 1966, 505; in 1967, 237; and in 1968- the last year for which the figures are available to me - 170.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Luchetti:
MACQUARIE, NEW SOUTH WALES

– Order! The honourable member’s information is most interesting but I think it is somewhat wide of the Bill.

Mr Les Johnson:
HUGHES, NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

– One would have thought, Mr Deputy Speaker, that rather than rejecting these applicants the interest of the Government and of the Department would have been attracted from the standpoint of teaching them English. 1 was interested in the remarks of Professor W. F. Connell, Professor of Education at the Sydney University. He pointed out that a recent survey by the Department of Immigration indicates that one-third of foreign born migrants cannot speak English. He said:

Departmental classes cater for a small proportion of these . . . Present classes are not matching the numbers of recent arrivals.

I point out to the Minister in case he has forgotten - and it is a long time since this Bill was first introduced - that this Bill has a very real relevance to teaching migrants to speak English and classes are to be set up under this legislation for that precise purpose. Professor Connell said, further:

In 1966-67 the average enrolment in all courses was 19,390 and Australia’s intake of nonEnglish European-born settlers was 44,690 . . . In 1968-69 enrolments were 20,668 and the country’s intake 61,296.

These are enrolments in courses where migrants learn to speak English. So about one-third of those coming in each year who suffer from an inability to- speak English actually take advantage of the opportunities extended to them. The Professor also said:

It appears that the language problem is steadily slipping backwards.

What is wrong with the courses? The fact of the matter is - and surveys have shown this - that migrants do not last long at the courses for reasons best known to themselves. In New South Wales in the period from October 1968 to October 1969 a total of 19,915 students enrolled in evening classes and there were 17,959 abandonments. We are told that many attend once or twice, that half spend less than 2 months with the courses and three-quarters give up less than 5 months after commencing. It is estimated that less than 10 per cent of the yearly intake of migrants needing English instruction actually complete the courses.

Then there are these special problems referred to by the honourable member for

Grayndler concerning women and their unpreparedness to learn the English language. There is a need for special orientation, lt has been suggested by speakers at immigration conventions that morning classes should be initiated to encourage women to participate; that women teachers should be introduced into the system; that there should be husband and wife teaching teams and that migrant couples should be encouraged to participate in these courses. It is also suggested that there should be intensive courses and that these should start, first of all. in the home countries before the migrant comes to Australia. As 1 have mentioned before, it should be a condition of migration that the courses should continue on the ship and then in the hostels for some months after arrival. While migrants are in a hostel, possibly sacrificing their employment, they should be given financial assistance probably by way of the payment of unemployment benefits so that they will be encouraged to continue in these language courses which, in the end, will bring such a considerable benefit to themselves and to Australia generally.

I was also interested in the remarks of Olive Nichols, District Inspector of Schools in the New South Wales Department of Education. She said that in New South Wales 32 per cent of migrant children - almost 1 in 3 - in the total school population have language problems. This, of course, is a crisis of great magnitude. She pinpointed the crisis as being mainly in Sydney, Wollongong, Canberra and Newcastle and, to some extent, in other capital cities as well. Se pointed out that mildly intellectually handicapped children number some 30,000 but the next category of special needs in this country so far as education is concerned involves the 16,452 migrant children in New South Wales and a similar proportion of the school population in other States who have language problems. We are obviously doing insufficient about this problem. My colleague the honourable member for Grayndler has mentioned how the circumstances of a migrant child affect him in his English speaking ability at school. The amount of English spoken at home is clearly a factor. The proportion of these migrants who speak English at home all the time amounts to only 4 per cent. Those who speak English most of the time amount to 11 per cent, those who speak English at home sometimes amount to 43 per cent and those who never speak English at home amount to 42 per cent, lt is interesting to see what happens to the ,- …… - , School progress is average for 33 per cent, below average for 48 per cent and poor for 63 per cent. I think this underlines the importance of ensuring that migrant children and their parents are given the greatest possible encouragement to learn the English language. 1 think there are lots of ways in which this problem can be assailed. 1 agree with the honourable member for Grayndler that we. need a comprehensive programme of migrant education. I think we need adequate facilities and capital equipment, including buildings and I am not sure that the Government will go far enough in respect of these things. There is already some speculation around the lobbies that the subject matter of this Bill, the migrant education programme, might become one of the first casualties of the Government’s antiinflationary measures. We are told that some SI 6m might be expended over the next 4 years if this programme is fully implemented. Quite frankly, I think the programme is so recently contrived and thought out that we will have great difficulty in obtaining the skilled personnel and the resources to fulfil the programme and doubtless this will be used as an excuse to curtail the proposed expenditure. But 1 would not be surprised if we have it curtailed for anti-inflation reasons. I would like to see the special facilities and the capital equipment which have been referred to by the honourable member for Grayndler provided. 1 think there are lots of other modern and contemporary ways of doing it.

We ought to have radio stations whose programmes are specially devoted to this purpose having regard to the magnitude of the problem. In the United States there are 5.201 radio stations and many of them devote their programmes to education purposes and to migrant education purposes. Some cities have 50 radio stations. There is not a shortage of frequencies in Australia. The only inhibiting factor is the unwillingness of the Government to invoke some of these new techniques which would enable migrants to be educated through radio programmes. This is the only real obstacle to migrant education that we have in this country. I am interested in the remarks of Professor Parish of the University of New England who said:

By the Australian Broadcasting Control Board yardstick for the Atherton Tablelands- because there are 20,000 people in radio stations -

. the Sydney Metropolitan Area- which is the area in which there is the highest incidence of migrants who need this kind of special instruction - . . should have 100 licences.

What is there against making available special radio facilities to assist with the education of migrant children and adult migrants? I think it is time that we went even further and undertook what is being done in the United States, where special television facilities are made vailable, and in the United Kingdom, where 25,000 parttime students are to be educated at an open university in this specialised field.

I say to the Minister that if the problems are of such a magnitude we should smarten up and get some modern ideas. If the migrants are to be located in our great cities such as Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, in view of the shortage of teachers and the inability of this Government to provide the buildings and capital equipment which are so essential in migrant education, there is no reason at all why further radio stations and television channels should not be made available for this programme. When considering the benefits which we derive from our migration pro gramme I sincerely hope that we will look more positively towards giving the assistance which is so necessary in this programme. I have been told that in the last 6i years Australia has recruited by way of migration 1,400 medical practitioners, 1,600 senior students, 4,000 engineers, and 3,500 architects and surveyors. Within a period of 6i years 36,000 professional workers have come to this country to settle. That is an impressive figure of 9 per cent of all immigrant workers in Australia. Our rich intake of quality justifies strong support for the migrant education programme.

Although I am impressed with the fact that after this long period which has elapsed since the introduction of the migrant education programme and the fact that it has languished for such a long time we are now starting to do something about it but I believe that what is proposed is insufficient. I believe it is necessary for this Parliament to consider seriously the amendment moved by the Opposition that the Government should make available buildings and capital equipment which are so essential for this programme. I particularly commend the proposition that we should invoke new techniques and use the mass media by way of radio and television facilities to give the migrants the educational opportunities which they so desperately deserve.

Debate (on motion by Mr Reid) adjourned.

House adjourned at 10.33 p.m.

page 64

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS UPON NOTICE

The following answers to questions upon notice were circulated:

Arbitration (Question No. 383)

Mr Snedden:
Minister for Labour and National Service · BRUCE, VICTORIA · LP

– The answer to the honourable Member’s question is as follows: 1 am advised that from information available to my Department, the following unions registered under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act and where applicable branches of such unions are due to hold elections for full-time paid offices in 1970. Where information is available about the office or offices to be contested in the election, this is shown in brackets.

Actors’ and Announcers’ Equity Association of Australia.

Administrative and Clerical Officers’ Association, Commonwealth Public Service - New South Wales, Victoria. Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory Branches.

Air Pilots Guild- New South Wales Branch.

Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners of Australia - New South Wales, Victorian, Tasmanian Branches.

A.M. P. Society Staff Association - (Federal Secretary).

Association of Architects, Engineers, Surveyors and Draughtsmen of Australia - Queensland Branch.

Association of Officers of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - (Genera) Secretary).

Association of Professional Scientists of Australia - (Executive and Industrial Officers).

Australasian Airline Flight Engineers’ Association - (Federal Secretary).

Australian Association of Social Workers.

Australian Bank Officials’ Association.

Australian Builders Labourers’ Federation - Queensland Branch.

Australian Coal and Shale Employees’ Federation.

Australian Foremen Stevedores’ Association - Federal organisation (General Secretary).

Australian Glass Workers’ Union - Victorian Branch.

Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers - Federal organisation (Secretary) and Victorian Branch.

Australian Nursing Federation Employees’ Section - Federal organisation and Victorian Branch.

Australian Railways Union - Tasmanian Branch. Australian Shipping Officers’ Association - Federal organisation and Victorian Branch.

Australian Textile Workers’ Union - Federal organisation and Victorian and Tasmanian Branches.

Australian Theatrical and Amusement Employees’ Association - New South Wales Branch.

Australian Tramway and Motor Omnibus Employees’ Association - Victorian Branch.

Australian Workers’ Union - Victoria-Riverina and Queensland Branches.

Boilermakers and Blacksmiths’ Society of Australia - Victorian, Queensland and Whyalla Branches.

Building Workers’ Industrial Union of Australia - New South Wales and Victorian Branches.

Clothing and Allied Trades Union of Australia - Federal organisation and New South Wales Branch.

Commonwealth Public Service Association (Fourth Division Officers) - Victorian Branch (Secretary).

Electrical Trades Union of Australia - New South Wales, Victorian, Western Australian and Tasmanian Branches.

Federated Artificial Fertilisers and Chemical Workers’ Union of Australia -

Federated Clerks’ Union of Australia - Federal organisation, New South Wales, Victorian, Central and Southern Queensland, and Western Australian Branches.

Federated Engine Drivers and Firemen’s Association of Australasia - Victorian and Queensland Branches.

Federated Confectioners’ Association of Australia - Tasmanian Branch.

Federated Gas Employees’ Industrial Union - Victorian Brunch.

Federated Ironworkers’ Association of Australia - Federal organisation (National Secretary) and Newcastle, Port Kembla, Victorian. Queensland, Adelaide, Western Australian and Tasmanian Branches.

Federated Liquor and Allied Industries Employees’ Union of Australia - Queensland Branch.

Federated Municipal and Shire Council Employees’ Union of Australia - New South Wales and Victorian Branches.

Federated Moulders (Metals) Union of Australia - Victorian Branch.

Federated Photo Engravers, Photo Lithographers and Photogravure Employees’ Association of Australia - Federal organisation and Victorian Branch.

Federated Rubber and Allied Workers’ Union of Australia - Victorian Branch.

Federated Ship Painters and Dockers’ Union of Australia - New South Wales Branch.

Federated Shipwrights and Ship Constructors Association of Australia - Tasmanian Branch.

Federated Storemen and Packers Union of Australia - Queensland and South Australian Branches.

Health and Research Employees’ Association of

Australia. Merchant Service Guild of Australia.

Motor Transport and Chauffeurs’ Association - Victorian Branch.

Municipal Officers’ Association of Australia - Victorian and Queensland Branches.

Operative Painters and Decorators’ Union of Australia - Queensland and Tasmanian Branches.

Plumbers and Gasfitters Employees’ Union of Australia - Victorian (Branch Secretary) and Tasmanian Branches.

Postal Telecommunications Technicians’ Association (Australia) - Federal organisation and New South Wales and Victorian Branches.

Printing and Kindred Industries Union - Victorian (Assistant Secretary), Queensland and Tasmanian Branches.

Pulp and Paper Workers’ Federation of Australia - Federal organisation and Melbourne Branch (Secretary).

Shop Assistants and Warehouse Employees’ Federation of Australia - Tasmanian Branch.

Sheet Metal Working, Agricultural Implement and Stovemaking Industrial Union of Australia - New South Wales Branch.

Undertakers’ Assistants and Cemetery Employees’ Union of Australia - Victorian Branch.

United Commercial Travellers’ Guild of Australia - Victorian Branch.

Victorian. Fibrous Plasterers’ and Plaster Workers’ Union - (Secretary/Treasurer and Assistant Secretary).

Victorian Plasterers’ Society.

Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia - Federal organisation and New South Wales,

Melbourne, Geelong, Portland. South Australia, Fremantle, Albany, Esperance, Bunbury, Geraldton and Tasmanian Branches. Wool and Basil Workers’ Federation of Australia - Victorian Branch.

Arbitration (Question No. 416’)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. What was the total annual amount of (a) premiums and (b) claims in respect of workmen’s compensation insurance in each State and Territory since 1950.
  2. What percentage of premiums paid for workmen’s compensation insurance was paid out in claims each year in each State and Territory since 1950.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The Commonwealth Statistician has provided the following information:

(a) and (b) The total annual amounts of premiums and claims in respect of workmen’s compensation insurance in each State are shown in the following tables. Similar information is not available for the Northern Territory or the Australian Capital Territory.

The information which would be necessary in order to calculate the percentage of each year’s premiums paid out in claims under workmen’s compensation insurance is not available.

National Service (Question No. 614)

Mr Webb:
STIRLING, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. ls he able to say whether some State governments and many private employers make up the pay of staff called up for national service. (2.) If so, will he agree lo supplement the pay of Commonwealth public servants called up for national service to the amount which they would have received had they remained in the public service.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The Department of Labour and National Service and the Public Service’ Board have advised that the New South Wales Government and some private employers make up, under widely varying schemes, the pay of at least some employees.
  2. I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 15th August 1967 in answer to a similar Parliamentary Question asked by the honourable member (Ilansard page 84).

Arbitration (Question No. 709)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Has. his attention been drawn to a decision of the last National Conference of the Australian Council of Salaried and Professional Associations that salary rates should (a) move in accordance with the changes in prices, (b.) contain a fair share of the increase in national productivity, (c) provide appropriate recompense for the proper and just evaluation of skill and responsibility involved in the particular tasks performed, (d) provide for equal pay. (et accord with the improving standards in the level of community skills arising through technological innovation, (f) be accorded proper comparability with standards of remuneration paid both within and outside the salaried area, (g) take account of and adequately provide for the needs and entitlements of salaried workers living in a modern society, and (h) reflect the standard of over-award payments existing in the community.

    1. If so. does the Government disagree with any one of the principles set out in the decision.
    2. If some of the principles are disagreed wilh which are they.
    3. Will he instruct counsel .representing the Commonwealth before any tribunal dealing with these matters to support the principles contained in the decision with which the Government is in agreement.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. and . (3) The Government accepts that in setting wage and salary rates it is appropriate for tribunals to ‘ consider the factors mentioned, but the extent lo which all or any of those factors may influence the determination . of particular wage claims will depend on all of the circumstances of the case, including over-riding considerations such its the state of the economy and its capacity to pay any wage increase contemplated.
  3. Counsel representing -the Commonwealth in industrial proceedings will be given appropriate instructions in the light of the nature of those proceedings and all the circumstances existing at the lime.

Arbitration (Question No. 805)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice: -

  1. What is the period of (a) annual and (b) sick leave allowed to (i) Presidential members of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, (ii) the Commonwealth Public Service Arbitrator and his deputy and (iii) Commonwealth Conciliation Commissioners.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: 1 am advised that there is no provision made by law for annual leave or sick leave for Presidential members of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. The Conciliation and Arbitration Act provides that a Commissioner may not absent himself from duly for 14 consecutive days or for 28 days in any 12 months, without leave from the Minister for Labour and National Service. A similar provision exists in the Public Service Arbitration Act in respect of the Public Service Arbitrator and a Deputy Public Service Arbitrator.

Arbitration (Question No. 854)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. What are the. names of those members of trade unions who since 1st January 1967, were granted financial assistance under regulation 138 of the Conciliation and Arbitration Regulations.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The following are the names of those members of trade unions in respect of whom, since 1st January 1967. a Registrar has directed that financial assistance be given pursuant to regulation 138 of the Conciliation and Arbitration Regulations.

As at 16in November 1970. claims have been passed for payment in respect of those persons whose names are marked with an asterisk:

Arbitration ‘ (Question No. 981)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. On how many occasions has a Commissioner or the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission dealt with a demarcation dispute in which the members of one union were covered by a Federal Award and the other members to the dispute belonged to a State union and were covered by a State Award.
  2. On how many of these occasions has the Commonwealth Conciliation Commissioner made an order in respect of such a dispute.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

I am advised that the information asked for is not readily available. To obtain it would involve an unjustifiable expenditure of time and staff resources.

National Service (Question No. 1123)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. ls he able to say whether the New South Wales State Government and some private employers make up the pay of their employees who are called up for national service.
  2. ls it a fact that in some cases the amount of pay lost by a national serviceman during his period , of service represents a considerable financial sacrifice.
  3. ls it inequitable that some national servicemen should suffer such a loss while others have their loss made up by their employers.
  4. If so. will the Commonwealth follow, the example of the New South Wales Government and of those private employers who make up the pay of national servicemen by paying to Commonwealth employees who are called up for national service an amount equivalent to the difference between their national service pay and the amount which they would have received but for their call up.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. to (4) i refer the honourable member to the answer I gave today to Question No. 614.

Arbitration (Question No. 1255/

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Does his reply to question No. 1010 (Hansard, 3rd June 1970, page 2874) indicate that the.

Government did not make any submissions to the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission concerning the principles to be followed by the Commission in determining whether equal pay is appropriate? (21 If not, what were the submissions made to the Commission on behalf of the Commonwealth?

Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) My reply to the honourable member’s question No. 1010 (Hansard, 3rd June 1970, page 2874) did not indicate and was not intended to imply that the Government did not make submissions during the Equal Pay Case of 1969 on principles that the Commission should follow in determining equal pay. The text of the Submissions made by the Commonwealth in the Equal Pay Case 1969 ran into 78 pages. I shall send the honourable member a copy.

Arbitration (Question No. 9216)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National- Service, upon notice:

In what way or for what reason were 3 of the 4 agreements, which the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission has refused, to certify under section 31 of the Act. not . in , the public interest. (Question No. 521, Hansard,. 2nd. June 1970).

Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question1 is as follows:

The reasons for the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission refusing lo certify agreements under section, OM of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act in .that they were not in the public interest are set out in the decisions of the Commissioners refusing certification. The references are as follows:

Atomic Energy (Question No. 1287)

Mr Stewart:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

Are former employees of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission restricted., legally or otherwise, from contributing to public discussion on nuclear power stations; if so, why.

Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The answer to the question depends on the nature of the information contained in the contribution and the way in which the former employee obtained that information.

If the contribution contained restricted information, as that phrase is defined in the Atomic Energy Act 1953-1966, which was obtained in the course of the former employee’s employment or in any of the other circumstances sei out in section 48 of that Act, it would be an offence to make public that information.

Again, under section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914-1960, a former officer would be guilty of an offence if, without authority, he communicated to the public information that came to his knowledge by virtue of his office and that, at the time, he ceased to be an officer, it was his duty not to disclose. Tn this connection, it should be noted that section- 53 of the Atomic Energy Act makes it an offence for an employee- of the Commission to communicate information concerning activities of the Commission or the -contents of a document lo which he has had access by reason of being an employee.

The reason for the restrictions is that many Commission employees have access to classified information of commercial or defence importance. The information could be acquired as a result of expensive research activities, in Australia or from atomic energy activities overseas in countries wilh which we have agreements for sharing nuclear knowledge. Such agreement* could not normally be achieved unless both parties had made provision for secrecy. We could not contemplate absolving a person from .secrecy merely because he left Commission employment. However, section 5 (2.) of the Atomic Energy Act makes it clear that, for present purposes, the term ‘restricted information’ does not include information published in scientific or technical literature or in public statements made or authorised by or on behalf of the Commission or the Minister. Accordingly, persons are not prevented from discussing published information - on nuclear matters merely because they have, at one time, been Commission employees.

International Conferences in

Australia: Support by Commonwealth Government (Question No. 1379)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

Will he bring tip to date the answer he gave me on 10th September 1969 (Hansard, page 1134) on international conferences held in Australia which have received support from the Commonwealth.

Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

International Conferences held in Australia between 1st July J969 and 30th June 1970 which have received support from the Commonwealth Government are listed in the table hereunder. The list has been compiled from information provided by the relevant Ministers.

As previously, the table includes conferences which might broadly be described as inter-governmental’ and ‘non-governmental’ (i.e. sponsored by private organisations). The inter-governmental conferences, which for the purposes of this answer include conferences of an official nature such as those associated with United Nations bodies and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, are marked by an asterisk. Conferences and working groups relating to inter-Service cooperation -e.g. pursuant to the American, British, Canadian and Australian Armies Standardisation Agreement - have not been included. For these, the Departments concerned have continuing secretariats as part of their normal functions.

The table includes the cost of support by the Commonwealth. Wilh regard to non-governmental conferences, where support in addition to a financial contribution has been provided, the form of support is shown. With regard to intergovernmenmi conferences the host facilities appropriate to the conference have been provided. These facilities vary from conference to conference and may include such items as conference accommodation, departmental administrative services, including secretarial services, transport and entertainment.

Department of National Development (Question No. 1463)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

On what dates have there been meetings of the interdepartmental committees established to consider (a) northern development, (b) development projects other than projects in northern Australia and (c) natural resources.

Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The details of the proceedings of interdepartmental committees are confidential and it is noi the policy of the Government to disclose the type of information sought.

Penal Administration (Question No. 1469)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the AttorneyGeneral, upon notice:

What progress has been made with the reforms and programmes decided on by the Ministers concerned with penal administration. (Hansard, 21st May 1969, page 2094.)

Mr Hughes:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

A meeting of prison administrators was held on 23rd June 1969 to discuss the decision relating to penal statistics made by the Ministers at their meeting on 27th March 1969. The prison administrators discussed the details of a scheme for the compilation of- penal statistics on a uniform basis. Agreement was reached on a basic programme that had been prepared by the State of New South Wales for this purpose.

Wilh regard to alternatives lo imprisonment, the procedure of releasing offenders on licence or parole in appropriate cases subject to supervision by a parole officer, is being used to an increasing extent in the case of Commonwealth offenders. In addition, draft legislation has been prepared for the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory providing, as an intermediate step between probation and imprisonment, for the release of offenders on probationary supervision, subject to the payment of a penalty to the Commonwealth in a lump sum or by instalments.

In relation to young offenders, the procedure being followed in respect of offenders against Commonwealth law is that a prosecution is not to be commenced against a person under the age of 1.6 years without my consent or the consent of the Secretary lo my Department or of the DeputySecretary.

Arbitration (Question No. 1534)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Does the recently amended Conciliation and Arbitration Act make it unlawful for the Commonweatlh Conciliation and Arbitration Commission to award wage rates that are (a) so high as to be uneconomic to an employer or (b) so low as to be uneconomic to an employee.
  2. If not, does a presidential member of the Commission have the power (a) to enforce employer acceptance of such rates by the insertion of a clause to ban the reduction or retrenchment of staff, or the closure of a work place or section thereof or (b) lo enforce employee acceptance of such rates by the insertion of a strike-ban clause in the award.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) What may be included in an award made by the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission in settlement of a dispute depends upon such matters as the ambit of the dispute, the definition of ‘industrial matters’ in me Conciliation and Arbitration Act and, the meaning of industrial dispute’ in the constitutional sense.

The relevant powers of a presidential member are as set out in section 33a of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904-1970.

Arbitration (Question No. 1535)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National ‘Service, upon notice: ‘

  1. ls there any power under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act to force an employer to continue the employment of the (abour at wage rates which the employer deems to be uneconomic.
  2. If so. what section of the Act contains such a provision, and, on how many occasions since Federation has an employer been prosecuted and penalised for refusing to employ labour at allegedly uneconomic rales fixed by the Arbitration Commission. . ,
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. I would draw the honourable member’s attention to the answer 1 provided to his Question No. 1534.
  2. At page 72 of Hansard for 25 th February 1969, the then Minister for Labour and National Service provided an answer to ‘Question No. 1026 setting out detailed information on cases in which Arbitration Inspectors had launched prosecutions against employers for breaches of awards made pursuant lo the Conciliation and .Arbitration Act. I am advised that many other prosecutions of a similar nature have been instituted over the years by unions. I am not aware” if, in’ any of these cases, it was alleged by ah employer that he was unable to pay rates fixed by the award because those rates were ‘uneconomic’;

Arbitration (Question No. 1536)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

Is there any power under the’ Conciliation and Arbitration Act to prevent an employer from reducing staff, or from closing a factory, or from closing portion of an undertaking, in cases where

In the opinion of an employer, minimum award rales fixed by the Arbitration Commission could result in loss or insufficient profit.

Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

I would draw the honourable member’s attention to the answer I provided to his Question No. 1534.

Arbitration (Question No. .1555)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Does the Conciliation and Arbitration Act authorise the Governor-General to make regulations providing for the exhibiting, on the employer’s premises, of a copy of any order or award binding on the employer concerned.
  2. Do all awards and orders of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission contain a provision for the posting of copies of such awards or orders on the premises of an employer bound by such awards and orders.
  3. If there are no regulations requiring the exhibiting of awards and all awards of the Commission tlo not call for such exhibiting of awards what steps does he propose to take to ensure that this important requirement is carried out in future.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. About one-fifth of the awards of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission contain a provision for the posting of copies of such awards on the premises of lbc employers bound by such awards.
  3. 1 am inclined to the. view that this is a matter best left to the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission and to the parlies to disputes before thai body to deal with in the awardmaking process.

Atomic Energy (Question No. 1560)

Mr Stewart:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Do reports exist on the (a) geological, (b) hydrological, (e) hydrographical, (d) meteorological, (e) ecological and. (f) - environmental investigations of sites for. a nuclear power station, other than the site selected al Jervis Bay.
  2. If so, will be make these reports available.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) As stated in the reply to Question No. 1191 and as amplified in iiic answer to Question No. 1561 the information referred to by the honourable member is included in reports which are al present confidential to the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and the Electricity Commission of New South Wales.

Atomic Energy (Question No. 1561)

Mr Stewart:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Did he in his answer to Question No. 1191 (Hansard, 19th August 1970, page 252) infer that confidential studies of the environmental and ecological factors in the siting of the nuclear power station at Jervis Bay had been made.
  2. Did he in his answer to Question No. 1194 (Mansard, 19th August 1970, page 253) state that a detailed examination of environmental and ecological factors is being made so that any disturbance of the environment at Jervis Bay will not be significant.
  3. If so, which answer is correct.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. Yes.
  3. The answers to Questions 1191 and 1194 are both correct and are not inconsistent. Question 1191 which the honourable member in substance has repeated in Question 1560 asked if reports could bc made available on some six factors (2 of which were the environmental and ecological factors) in respect of each site considered for the proposed nuclear power station. The honourable member was told that the reports were confidential in the sense that they were internal to the joint considerations of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and Electricity Commission of New South Wales. The studies were merely to ascertain the various favourable and unfavourable factors of the sites initially considered. Several of the studies necessarily were little more than of a reconnaissance nature: the studies were not uniform in depth and were not designed for publication. They nevertheless showed the pre-eminence of the Jervis Bay site.

Question No. 1194 asked if heated waste water from the proposed Jervis Bay station would be discharged imo the ocean and asked further if there was any danger from such a release. The honourable member was informed that a final decision had not been reached on the point of discharge and that a detailed examination of the environmental and ecological factors which might be affected was being carried out. This examination is still being carried out in considerable depth and will not be completed for some time.

I would add that in relation to possible dangers from the release there will be a continuing monitoring after the nuclear power station has been completed so that any effect of the discharge on the environment will be kept under constant observation.

Atomic Energy (Question 1562)

Mr Stewart:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Was the Western Australian State Government approached when the site of the first nuclear power station in Australia was being considered.
  2. If so, was any interest shown in siting the station in that State.
  3. Has his attention been drawn to a recent announcement by the State Electricity Commission of Western Australia that it is now interested in the construction of a nuclear power station.
  4. Does this represent a change of mind by the Western Australian authorities; if so, is be able to give the reasons for this.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) Early in 1969 the then Minister for National Development visited all States and sought information from the relevant Ministers on the plans, if any. that their States might have for introducing nuclear energy. The Western Australian Ministers went no further than foreshadowing a possible need at some future dale. The New South Wales Ministers however stated that they had an immediate interest in ‘going nuclear’ subject to the provision of finance and technical assistance by the Commonwealth.
  2. and (4) I have no knowledge of any recent announcement by the Stale Electricity Commission of Western Australia that it is now interested in the construction of a nuclear power station. 1 am therefore not in a position to comment on any such announcement.

Atomic Energy (Question No. 1563)

Mr Stewart:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Can he say whether Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd has expressed interest in installing a nuclear power station in Western Australia.
  2. Has his attention been drawn to statements on this matter made by both the Company and the Premier of Western Australia.
  3. If so, was he or the Australian Atomic Energy Commission aware of these statements when the answer to Question No.- 1271 (Hansard, 19th August 1970, page 254) was being prepared.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. I am unaware of any interest recently expressed by Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd in the installation of a nuclear power station in Western Australia although in recent years there has been considerable speculation in newspapers on the possibilities of establishing such a station.
  2. No.
  3. No.

Radio Transceivers (Question No. 1569)

Mr McIVOR:
GELLIBRAND, VICTORIA · ALP

asked the PostmasterGeneral, upon notice:

  1. Will he consider legalising the operation of a Citizens Band low powered two-way radio system similar to that in use in New Zealand.
  2. Will he also take steps to stop illegal powered transceivers entering this country and their sale by retailers to the general public.
  3. Will he take suitable action to ensure that the general public are better informed regarding the purchase and use of sets on the Citizens Band.
  4. Will he take action to prohibit, under heavy penalty, the sale by retailers of Citizens Band transceivers to any person who does not have a written approval from his Department for its purchase.
Sir Alan Hulme:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Careful consideration has been given to the question of licensing the operation in Australia of what are known in the United States of America and in certain other countries, including New Zealand, as ‘Citizens Radio Services’. These services provide for the use of relatively lowpowered radio equipment on a limited number of frequencies set aside for the purpose for the exchange of communications relating to the business or personal activities of the licensees. The conclusion has been reached, however, that licensing policy in Australia which provides for the authorisation in the 27 megahertz band of lowpowered transceiver units in what are known as handphone Mobile Services adequately caters for all legitimate requirements iti this country. Over 14,000 of these units have been licensed for use by Police, Fire Brigades. Forestry Departments, Civil Defence Organisations and other public bodies and also by private individuals and organisation having a need for short range communication in connection wilh such activities as building construction, properly management, sporting events and for safety and rescue purposes. The extension of licensing policy lo provide for the use of common radio frequencies lor the conduct of all kinds of business and personal conversations would lead, as it has done elsewhere, to a state bordering on chaos in the frequency bands concerned to the detriment of services established to meet the important and useful public and private needs lo which I have referred. Unrestricted radio-communication would also permit the contravention of longstanding Government policy in Australia which provides that the public telephone and telegraph systems which have been provided at considerable public expense should be the normal means of communication between individuals residing in areas where these services are available.
  2. The Customs Department with which the question was discussed some lime ago has indicated that it is not the practice lo place restrictions on imported goods if similar articles can be freely manufactured and sold locally. The Customs Department, however, is co-operating with my Department by supplying names and addresses of individuals and firms discovered bringing these units into the country.
  3. Every endeavour is made through Press statements and advertisements to warn the public that use of radio transceiver equipment without a licence is illegal and of the penalties which may be imposed on offenders. A leaflet conveying this message will soon be on distribution at Post Offices. In addition a brochure is available from the Regulatory and Licensing areas of the Post

Office in capital cities and major provincial centres which sets out the conditions under which licences may be granted for the employment of this type of radio communication.

  1. The Wireless Telegraphy Act as it now stands does not prohibit the possession or sale of radio-communication transmitting and receiving equipment. The Act is directed against the establishment and use of equipment for the purpose of transmitting messages. Consideration has been given to the tightening of the law to cover possession of equipment capable of being used for this purpose and enquiries are proceeding in this direction.

Export: Australian Cars (Question No. 1570)

Mr Grassby:

asked the Minister for Trade and Industry the following question upon notice:

  1. Can he state the average F.O.B price of Australian made cars exported during 1969-70.
  2. What was the average amount of tariff protection represented in the cost of a standard type car fabricated in Australia during 1969-70
  3. What was the total value of the protection in that year.
  4. What amount per employee engaged in the motor car industry in Australia does this represent.
Mr Anthony:
CP

– The answer provided by my predecessor (Sir John McEwen) to the honourable member’s question is as follows: (I.) In 1969-70, 13,337 assembled passenger motor cars valued at $21,499,000 were exported from Australia, wilh an average- unit value of $1,612 F.O.B. (These figures refer to Australian produce as defined by the Commonwealth Statistician.) (2), (3) and (4) lt is not possible from official statistics and published industry information to answer these questions.

Demonstrations (Question No. 1580)

Dr Klugman:

asked the Prime Minister upon notice:

In the event of charge? being preferred against any person participating in any demonstration at which photographers under the control of the Commonwealth were present, will he direct that defendants be given copies of all photographs taken in order to assist in the preparation of their cases and to ensure that magistrates, judges and juries are given a complete picture of the events giving rise to the charges-

Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to ‘he honourable member’s question is as follows:

If photographs are known to the prosecutor and in the possession of the Commonwealth and are relevant they are produced to the Court on the hearing of the charge. Also if a defendant has reason to believe any person is in possession of photographs which may be relevant tn his case, court procedures, provide for the issue and service of a subpoena requiring the production of the photographs in evidence.

Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on Broadcasting (Question No. 1598)

Mr Keogh:

asked the PostmasterGeneral, upon notice:

  1. Will he state the reasons for the abolition of the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on Broadcasting.

    1. In view of the increasing criticism of many aspects of television and radio broadcasting, will the Government give early consideration to the re-establishment of the committee.
Sir Alan Hulme:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. lt was decided in February 1950, not to reconstitute the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Broadcasting because die functions of the Committee, advising the Postmaster-General on broadcasting matters, had been absorbed by the Australian Broadcasting Control Board which had been established in 1949. Subsequent amendments to the Broadcasting and Television Act deleted provision for such a committee.
  2. The Government has no plans lor reestablishment of such a committee, nor is the Government aware of any shortcomings or criticism of the services which would justify such a course, having regard to the functions and competence of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board to deal with such mutters.

Broadcasting (Question No. 1*83)

Mr Grassby:

asked the PostmasterGeneral, upon notice:

  1. it is a fact that in some localities such as large areas north of Wentworth in New South Wales radio reception is not available.
  2. Are the present 101 broadcasting bans adequate to meet the present requirements of radio coverage; if not, is there a need for further development of these bands or some other development.
  3. What arrangements have been made to date for the introduction of frequency modulation.
  4. If no arrangements have been made, will the Government give urgent consideration to frequency modulation broadcasting and its introduction in order to improve existing broadcasting standards and till the gaps which exist.
  5. Is he able to give the (ft) number and (b) names of nations in Western Europe and in the Americas which have frequency modulation broadcasting.
Sir Alan Hulme:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. to (5) As the honourable member will be aware, I announced on 7th May 1970, that there will be an inquiry by the Australian Broadcasting Control Board into frequency modulation broadcasting. From the terms of reference of the inquiry which I provided in my later statement on 14th May, the honourable member will appreciate that the type of matters which he has raised in this question will be encompassed by the inquiry. 1 have already indicated that 1 will in due course make the report of the Board available to honourable members and the public.

Telephone Services (Question No. 1625)

Mr Enderby:

asked the PostmasterGeneral, upon notice:

Can he arrange for slock exchange reports to be available on the local Australian Capital Territory telephone exchange as they are available in Sydney by dialling 207«.

Sir Alan Hulme:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The Department has made plans to extend the Stock Exchange Recorded Information Service lo Canberra but the date of introduction will depend upon the outcome of some negotiations currently taking place with the Sydney Stock Exchange, and resolving some technical problems in Canberra.

Third Party Insurance (Question No. 1657)

Mr Crean:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. What was :he outcome of some attention at departmental level being given to whether section 51 of the Constitution could be used by the Commonwealth, following the example of uniform legislation relating to life insurance passed in 1945, to pass uniform legislation in the field of third party insurance (Ilansard,- 18th August 1970, page 110).
  2. As it is now commonplace for motorists to venture far interstate,- has he considered the desirability of the . Commonwealth intervening lo ensure uniformity in the field of third party insurance, even though the Acts of the 6 Slates are by no means identical.
  3. Will the Commonwealth itself now examine the merits of adopting a concept other than negligence’ as the norm for compensation in road accident cases instead of waiting oh the deliberations of the Australian Transport Advisory Council which has in turn been frustrated by the failure to secure he report called for by the New South Wales State Government on this matter.
  4. Has his attention been, drawn to the situation in Saskatchewan, one of the middle Provinces of Canada, which has operated since 1946 under absolute liability’ -in substitution for ‘negligence’ without problems arising with neighbouring Provinces or complementary or reciprocal legislation being necessary.
  5. Will he give an assurance that, iin any future inquiries sponsored by the Commonwealth,evidence from spokesmen for road victims, hospitals and .such, apart from the usual motoring bodies and insurance companies, will be sought.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– I have been advised that the answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The attention at departmental level to the question of the Commonwealth’s powers in relation to third party insurance referred to in answer to the honourable member’s question no. 679 (Hansard 1.10, 18th August 1970), related to particular proposals for a scheme of uniform motor vehicle insurance which had been put forward by Mr Power. My reply to Mr Power dated 27th February 1970 commented as follows:

Your proposals raise issues which have extensive implications for many areas of Government activity, and while the Commonwealth Parliament possesses limited legislative powers in relation to some of the fields involved, it is the prerogative of the State Governments lo lake all the necessary action within their own boundaries. In particular, only a State Government would have the power to alter the “rule of fault”’ liability as it applies at present within the State’.

  1. and (3) These questions raise much the same issues as were raised by Mr Power. They go beyond the question of uniform legislation based on existing principles into the question of uniform legislation based on a different concept of liability than applies at present. As indicated in my reply to the honourable member’s question No. 679, the present State laws have a large measure of uniformity and reciprocity. As indicated in my reply to part (1) above, the question of malting a basic change in the concept of liability applicable within a State falls within the legislative competence of that State.
  2. Yes.
  3. lt is the usual practice for inquiries instituted by the Commonwealth to take into account the views of all interested parties.

Television: Subliminal Perception (Question Noi 1682)

Dr Everingham:
CAPRICORNIA, QUEENSLAND

asked the PostmasterGeneral, upon notice:

  1. Are television films checked for subliminal advertising.
  2. Can this type of advertising be monitored or controlled. .
  3. If so, what action has he taken towards such control.
Sir Alan Hulme:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: (1.) lo (3) The Television Programme Standards of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board prohibit the use of the process known as subliminal perception or similar techniques in television programmes or advertisements. It is therefore the responsibility of licensees to ensure that such techniques are not used and therefore to check that programme matter does not involve these techniques. The Board informs me that 1 there is no evidence of the use of subliminal perception techniques in Australian television programming or advertising.

Employment: Civilian Workforce - (Question No. 1703)

Mr McLeay:
BOOTHBY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. What was the total number of persons in the Australian civilian workforce in each of the years ending 30th June 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1970.
  2. What was the total number of Commonwealth Government civilian employees in each of the same years.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

It is not possible to provide a figure for the Australian civilian workforce as at 30th June as survey-based estimates of the Australian civilian workforce are published quarterly by the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics for February, May, August and November.

The total number of persons in the Australian civilian workforce as at May 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1,970 is shown in the following table.

These estimates are based on the results of a quarterly population survey which is carried out on a one per cent sample throughout Australia. The estimates relate to all persons aged fifteen years and over, except members of the permanent armed forces, national servicemen enlisted in the Regular Army Supplement and certain diplomatic personnel customarily excluded from census and estimated populations.

The total numbers of Commonwealth Government civilian employees in the same years are shown in the following table. Figures are supplied for May and June and are derived from bulletins published by the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics.* The figures include, in addition to the Staff of government departments, employees of semi-government and statutory authorities.

Territory of Papua and New Guinea: Insurance Companies . - (Question No. 1738) Mr Whitiam asked the Minister for External Territories, upon notice:

What income was received and what investments were made by (a) life and (b) other insurance companies in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea in 1969-70.

What percentage of the companies’ income was invested in (a) Territory industries, (b) Territory housing and (c) Territory public loans.

What action has been taken to ensure that the income which the companies derive from Territory operations is invested in the Territory.

How many (a) indigenes and (b) expatriates are employed by the companies in the Territory.

Mr Barnes:
Minister for External Territories · MCPHERSON, QUEENSLAND · CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The total income received by life insurance companies operating in the Territory during 1969- 70 is not known. The premium income received by life insurance companies operating in the Territory during their financial years ended in 1969-70 was $3,180,000.

Particulars of investments’ made by life insurance companies in the Territory during 1969-70 are not known. However, investments by life insurance companies in Territory public loans in 1969-70 amounted to $7,340,000; this includes an amount of $6,290,000 invested in the special loan to finance the purchase of equity in the Bougainville Copper Pty Ltd for the ‘benefit of the people of the Territory as a whole, In addition life insurance companies paid loans on mortgage and loans on security of policies amounting to $249,000 in the Territory in 1969-70.

Particulars of the income of other insurance companies operating in the .Territory in 1969-70 are not available. The only available information about investments is that they invested $695,000 in Territory public loans in 1969-70, including SI 30,000 invested in the special loan to finance the purchase of equity in Bougainville Copper Ply Ltd.

  1. The information requested is not available.
  2. The Treasurer of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea regularly approaches all insurance companies operating in the Territory for subscriptions to Territory public loans.

  3. At 30th June 1970 employment by insurance companies was:

    1. 31 indigenous
    2. 133 non-indigenous.

These figures include agents and brokers.

Coal (Question No. 1770)

Mr Les Johnson:
HUGHES, NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

asked the. Minister for National Development, upon- notice:

  1. ls he able to say whether Clutha Development is proposing a multi-million dollar offshore coal loading facility- in the Coledale-Scarborough area north of Wollongong to .facilitate export from the southern coalfields.
  2. Are details of this proposal; including its estimated cost, known; if so, what are they.
  3. Will either Commonwealth’ or Stale funds bc utilised in. either the project or ancillary development.
  4. Is he able to say whether Clutha Development is overseas-owned.
  5. Can he say (a) how it is incorporated, (b) what arc ils present business interests, (c) what is its capital and (d) what coal mines or coal leases are owned or held by this firm.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. lt is understood that Clutha Development Ply Ltd has submitted proposals to the New South Wales Government for the building of an off-shore coal loading facility in the ColedaleScarborough area north of Wollongong.
  2. The company’s proposals are understood to cover the construction of an off-shore loader rated at 4 lo 6.000 tons per hour initially geared to the export of 12 million tons of coal per annum. The proposed water depth of the loaders is to be in excess of 70 feet in order to handle vessels of upward of 200,000 tons deadweight. Estimated costs of the proposals are not known.
  3. I am not aware of any suggestion that Commonwealth funds be utilised in the company’s project. The question of finance is currently a matter of negotiation between Clutna Development Pty Ltd and the New South Wales Government.
  4. Clutha Development Pty Ltd is owned by Wollclift Ply Ltd’.

  5. (a) Wollclift Pty Ltd is incorporated under the New South Wales Companies Act.

    1. Its coal mining and shipping operations in Australia are carried on through 19 subsidiary companies including Gutha Development Pty Ltd.
    2. A search at Registrar-General’s Department discloses that paid up capital of Wollclift is $2m in 1.00,000 shares of $2 each. The major shareholder is Universe Tankships lnc, Bermuda.
    3. Coal Mines owned and operated by the group in New South Wales include:

Wollondilly Wollondilly Extended Nattai Bulli Valley No. 1 Brimstone No. 1 Brimstone No. 2 Oakdale Foybrook

Foybrook Open Cut

Howick Open Cut

Western Main

Eastern Main

South Clifton

North Bulli No. 2 In addition the group owns Tongarra and Excelsior Collieries which are not operating at present.

Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (Question No. 1783)

Mr Jacobi:
HAWKER, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Has Australia signed and ratified the Vienna Convention on civil liability for nuclear damage.
  2. What legislative action is required by the Commonwealth and the States lo provide for liability in nuclear accidents.
  3. What progress has been made in drafting such legislation.
  4. What is the proposed limit on liability, if any.
  5. Did the Australian Atomic Energy Commission in its 1968-69 Annual Report indicate that overseas suppliers may not enter into contracts unless exempted from all third- party liabilities and nuclear materials may not be obtained from some countries unless such legislation has been enacted; if so, does the Government intend to take urgent action on this matter.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Australia has neither signed nor ratified this Convention. So far only 4 countries have ratified it (Cuba, United Arab Republic, the Philippines and Argentina). Five ratifications are necessary to bring the Convention into force.
  2. The form of the legislative action has not yet been decided: currently it is being considered by a Commonwealth/States body known as the Consultative Committee on Nuclear Energy. (See also reply to Question No. 1786.)
  3. Drafting of Commonwealth legislation has not begun.
  4. This has not yet been determined. I might add that limits specified in the legislation of other countries differ widely because of differing assessments of possible damage from a nuclear accident.
  5. The Commission did raise the possibility of encountering difficulties with suppliers unless they were exempted from third party liabilities. The probable need for legislation and its form are being considered by the Consultative Committee on Nuclear Energy. If any required legislative action is not completed by the time a nuclear reactor is being installed a possible alternative would bc the completion of a formal agreement with the supplier so that he would be held harmless for third party liability for nuclear damage.

The possible need for safeguards agreements lo facilitate supplies of nuclear materials is a separate issue which was also mentioned in the Report. Such agreements are designed to prevent the diversion of nuclear materials lo military purposes and are usually administered either by the supplying country or by the International Atomic Energy Agency by agreement between the supplying country and the receiving country. Australia has such an agreement with the United States and the Agency, but such agreements do not require legislation.

Australian Atomic Energy Commission (Question No. 1784)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

Does he intend to present to Parliament the Annual Report of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission for 1969-70 prior to the acceptance of the tender for the Jervis Bay Nuclear Power Station.

Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The Annual Report of the Atomic Energy Commission was tabled in Parliament on Thursday, 15th October 1970. i Atomic Energy (Question No. I7HS)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

If either of the tenders for nuclear power stations using heavy water are chosen (a) what will be Australia’s annual requirements for heavy water to the year 1990, (b) at what stage will a local heavy water plant be justified, and (c) what are the likely sources of supply before such a plant can be built in view of the Canadian difficulties with the Glace Bay plant.

Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

Details of the annual heavy water requirements of the CANDU and SGHWR reactors under consideration for construction at Jervis Bay are contained in confidential commercial tender documents and cannot be made public. lt is not possible to stale now the stage at which a local heavy water plant would be justified. Justification for constructing such a plant would depend upon Australia’s future requirements for heavy water and the price and overseas availability of il at that time.

The Glace Bay plant is not the only source of supply of heavy water from Canada - there is another plant operating at Port Hawkesbury, and the Bruce plant is expected on line by 1972. Heavy water reactors would not now be under consideration for Jervis Bay if economic sources of heavy water had nol first been established.

Atomic Energy (Question No. 1786)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

Does he intend introducing legislation, as suggested in the 1968-69 Annual Report of the Atomic Energy Commission, to establish regular control over nuclear facilities and materials; if so, when.

Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The licensing and regulatory control of nuclear installations is currently under study not only by various Commonwealth Departments and the Atomic Energy Commission but also by the joint Commonwealth/States Consultative Committee on Nuclear Energy! An important aspect of the problem is the question of what legislation may be necessary to establish effective and efficient licensing and regulatory arrangements throughout Australia. These are complex issues involving technological, legal and financial considerations and their elucidation will take some lime. It is not expected that legislation would be introduced in the immediate future.

Atomic Energy (Question No. 1787)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the’ Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Can he provide information on the Government’s plans for nuclear power station development in Australia showing,- in particular (a) projected electrical energy power demand annually until 1990 and (b) projected nuclear power electric generation capacity annually until 1990.
  2. Will he also supply, in a tabular form similar to that provided to the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (Victorian Branch) Annual Conference in 1970 by ‘officers of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission, the demand by each main reactor tyPe under consideration each year for (i) uranium, (it) heavy water, (iii) zirconium and (iv) fabricated -fuel elements.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: (() and (2) The Commonweatlh Government has no plans at present for nuclear power station development other than those associated with the proposed Jervis Hay project. Power developments are primarily Stale matters but it is known that Stale Governments’ plans in respect of future nuclear power development are by no means firm nl present.

Current estimates of generating capacity to meet demands for electricity are given in the table below. For the reason given above however 1 would not like to estimate how much of ibis capacity will be supplied by nuclear units. As a result I am unable to speculate on behalf of the Government the demand by. each reactor type for fuel, heavy water etc. although, as observed by the honourable member, two A.A.E.C. officers gave their own views on thi* subject to a learned society in March 1970.

Atomic Energy (Question .No. 1788)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Has the Atomic Energy - Commission investigated Doctor dc Bruin’s concept of a combined nuclear power and water desulination plant for South Australia if so with what result.

    1. Has the Minister stated that unit power generation costs from a 500 MW station will be higher than an equivalent coal fired station.
    2. Has the United Nations recommended that the maximum sized station for the initial ‘ unit in a nuclear power programme should be 300 MW.
    3. If so, can he indicate if the more comprehensive training and experience obtained in operating a 500 MW nuclear power station will be sufficient lo justify using a station of this size rather than a smaller station for which the subsidy required will be less.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes. The suggestion of locating .a combined nuclear power and water desalination plant in South Australia has been considered. The possibility was rejected, however, because considerable technical problems still remain to be solved before duplex’ plants of the size necessary for economic operation become practicable. Such plants are not expected to be available for several decades.
  2. I have said that generation costs of the proposed Jervis Bay Nuclear Power station are expected to be higher than those of large new coal fired stations’ situated on the New South Wales coal fields.
  3. I am unaware of any recommendation by the United Nations that the maximum sized stations for the initial unit in a nuclear power programme should bc . 300 MW. lt would bc surprising if that Organisation were to make a recommendation of this technical nature.
  4. Hud we adopted a smaller unit there would have been a saving of capital but production costs per unit of electricity would be higher. As a result we decided that a 500 MW or slightly larger tmi: was the optimum “size. In addition such a unit was an appropriate one for the New South Wales grid having regard to that Slate’s demand pattern.

Uranium (Question No. 17X9)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

Has any agreement been reached with any of the three governments who are parties to the agreement for collaboration in the development and exploitation of the gas centrifuge for enriching uranium (Great’ Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Netherlands) regarding the supply of centrifuge technology to Australia if Australia should accept a lender for the nuclear power station at Jervis Bay from either the Nuclear Power Group of Great Britain or KraftwerkeUnion of West Germany.

Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

No, but an offer was made by the consortium to consider such arrangements if either the United Kingdom or Wes! Germany suppliers was the successful tenderer. Formal arrangements cannot be considered until the successful ‘ tender has been decided.

Tariff (Question No. 1805)

Mr Hayden:

asked the Minister for Trade and Industry the following question, upon notice:

  1. Is the motor vehicle industry in Australia protected by tariffs.
  2. If so, what are the details of the tariffs applying to the various sections of this industry for the last year for which these figures are available.
  3. In connection with the motor vehicle industry in Australia, is he able lo furnish (a) the name of (i) manufacturers, (ii) assemblers and ‘(Hi) spare part manufacturers, (b) the location of the factory sites, (c) the work force at each factory, (d) the number of motor vehicles of each type and style produced in these factories, and (c) for each company (i) the estimated capital investment (ii) value of production (iii) the net profit (iv) the degree of overseas ownership (v) the profits remitted overseas and (vi) the profits remitted expressed as a percentage of total net profits.
  4. Can he give details of the proportion of the Australian content to total manufacture for each of the companies in the following categories (a) 100 per cent, (b) 100-90 per cent” (c) 90-75 per cent, (d) 75-50 per cent and (e) less than 50 per cent.
  5. Which of the companies are engaged in an export programme, and what was the value of their exports for each of the last 5 years.
Mr Anthony:
CP

– The answer provided by my predecessor (Sir John McEwen) to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes.

  2. These are to be found primarily in Chapter 87 of the Customs Tariff. In general terms, the rates are -

    1. on imported fully assembled passenger cars 45 per cent (General) 35 per cent (Preferential) and 374 per cent (Canada).
    2. on most components - 35 per cent (General) and 27i per cent (Preferential).

Some components (e.g. motor vehicle glass) are classifiable to other chapters of the Tariff.

  1. (a) and (b): Companies and factory locations -

    1. Manufacturers of Motor Vehicles -

British Leyland Motor Corp. of Aust. Pty Ltd - Waterloo (New South Wales)

Chrysler Australia Ltd - Adelaide (South Australia) and Port Melbourne (Victoria)

Ford Motor Co. of Australia Ltd - Geelong and Broadmeadows (Victoria), Homebush and Auburn (New South Wales), Eagle Farm (Queensland)

General Motors-Holden’s Pty Ltd - Port Melbourne and Dandenong (Victoria), Woodville and Elizabeth (South Australia), Pagewood (New South Wales), Acacia Ridge (Queensland), Mosman Park (Western Australia)

International Harvester Co. of Aust. Pty Ltd - Geelong and Dandenong (Victoria).

  1. Major Assemblers »f Motor Vehicles-

Australian Motor Industries Ltd - Port Melbourne (Victoria)

Motor Producers Ltd - Dandenong (Victoria)

Renault (Aust.) Ply Ltd - West Heidelberg (Victoria)

Pressed Metal Corp. Ltd - Enfield (New South Wales). In addition there are a number of companies which assemble commercial vehicles of various types and sizes.

  1. Component manufacturers -

The Commonwealth Statistician recorded 382 factories as manufacturing motor vehicle components in Australia in 1967-68. Some companies manufacturing components own more than one factory. lt is not possible to list all the companies involved in component manufacture. However, details relating to most of these companies can be found in the Australian Automotive Products Export Directory, issued by the Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers, Industry House, Canberra. Australian Capital Territory. I have forwarded a copy of this Directory to the honourable member.

  1. (c) Statistics are not available for the work force at each factory.
  2. (d) Although the bulk of this information is provided to the Government, it is done on a confidential basis and I am unable to make the information available.
  3. (e), (4) and (5) lt is not the Government’s practice to release information which deals with the financial circumstances of individual companies. Total exports of road motor vehicles and components and accessories over the past 5 years have been as follows -

Australian Capital Territory Companies (Life Insurance Holding Companies) Ordinance 1968: Complementary State Laws (Question No. 1815)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

What has been the (a) dale, (b) nature and (c) outcome of any communications between the Commonwealth and any of the Slates concerning legislation to match the Australian Capital Territory Companies (Life Insurance Holding Companies) Ordinance 1968.

Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

I am informed that there have been no communications between the Commonwealth and the States for the particular purpose described in the question. I am further advised by the AttorneyGeneral that his predecessor informed the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General ut its meeting on 31st October 1968 of the specific action to be taken by the Commonwealth’ oil this matter. Any complementary or related action by the States is for Stale governments to decide upon.

Conference on Northern Development (Question No. 1816)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Which Ministers attended the conference on northern development in Brisbane in September.
  2. What requests or suggestions were made at the conference for legislative or administrative action by (a) the Commonwealth, (b) the Northern Territory, (c) Queensland and (d) Western Australia.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The Ministers attending the conference on northern development in Brisbane on the 10th September 1970 were:

The Minister for National. Development, the lion. R. W. Swartz The Minister for the Interior, the Hon. P. J.

Nixon

The Premier and Minister for Slate Development in ‘ Queensland; the Hon. J. BjelkePetersen, and

The Minister for Industrial Development and the North-West in Western Australia, the Hon. C. W. Court.

  1. The purpose of the meeting was to review progress on northern development and to coordinate thinking across a Wide range of issues that affect northern Australia’s development The Press statements issued before and after the meeting, copies of which have been made available lo the honourable member, indicate the range of topics covered. No specific requests or suggestions were made at the conference for legislative action.

Commonwealth Grants Commission: South Australia (Question No.. 187.1) Mr Whitlam asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. When did the Commonwealth Grants Commission commence its inquiry into the application made by South Australia for a grant ai financial assistance.
  2. When did ‘.he Commission make its report on the application.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to’ the honourable member’s question is as follow:

  1. The Commission’ commenced its formal inquiry into the application by South Australia at a hearing in Canberra on 3rd August 1970.
  2. The Commission’s recommendation that an advance grant of $5m be- -paid in 1970-71 was conveyed to the Governor-General by the Chairman of the Commission on 10th August 1970. The Commission reported on the application on 1st October 1970.

Atomic Energy (Question No. 1*87)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Arc the economic factors associated with uranium enrichment and nuclear reactor fuel element fabrication such that large plants have a considerable cost advantage.
  2. Is he able to say whether many countries have found it advantageous to undertake joint projects in this area lo achieve favourable economies of scale.
  3. Can he stale, which countries are establishing or considering joint facilities.
  4. Does the Government contemplate cooperative action in this area; if not, why not.
  5. Will the recent Nabarlek uranium discoveries make co-operative Government activity more desirable.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

  1. The economics of reactor fuel fabrication and proven uranium enrichment processes depend on a number of factors but in general the production costs decrease as the size of the plant increases.
  2. and (31 Great Britain. Germany and the Netherlands have been negotiating an agreement for a joint programme on fuel enrichment which, apart from the hope for favourable economics, will more importantly offer the advantage of combined technological development and scientific expertise. But this agreement has not yet been finalised, and I know of no other such joint projects on co-operative enrichment. There has been a co-operative effort on the pari of OECD countries in the high temperature gas-cooled reactor Dragon’ in Britain and fuel fabrication is part of the co-operative effort, but the economics of it were not the basis for this co-operation.
  3. The Government has no plans for a cooperative programme in uranium enrichment and would not consider such a move until Australia’s long-term future requirement for enriched uranium is known.
  4. Not necessarily. Naturally, this discovery and any future discoveries which increase Australia’s proven reserves of uranium could lead to initiatives towards a co-operative enrichment programme lo meet local demand and for export purposes.

Uranium (Question No. J 888)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Has his attention been drawn to a statement by Mr Yasuhiro Nakasone, the Director of the Japanese Self-Defence Agency, that Australia might be interested in co-operating with Japan and other countries in establishing a uranium enrichment organisation.
  2. If so, what is the Government’s attitude to this proposal.. .
  3. Have any discussions been held with the Japanese Government on the possibility of 3tich a project.
  4. Can he say which nations are considering joining such an organisation.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. The Government has not received and consequently has not discussed any oiler to collaborate wilh Japan in establishing a uranium enrichment organisation.
  3. No.’
  4. No.

Atomic Energy (Question No. 188!»

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Has the South Australian Government submitted a proposal to the Commonwealth to connect the South Australian and Victorian electric power grids with a view to establishing a nuclear power station to supply both States with electricity.
  2. If so, has the Commonwealth considered this proposal.
  3. Are suitable sites available for this type of nuclear power station in the south-east of South Australia.
  4. Would the economy of this type of power station be competitive wilh fossil fuel plants.
  5. Was a benefit/cost analysis done on this proposal; if so, with what result.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) Such a proposal was raised informally by a previous South Australian Government but no current proposal is under consideration.
  2. No detailed studies of available sites have been made for South Australia. The siting of reactors involves many complex issues such as availability of cooling media, nearness to population and load centres and other considerations. When a definite proposal is made sites must be considered individually. However, it seems probable that physically suitable sites could bc found in the region.
  3. At the present time a nuclear power station would not bc economic in South Australia as electricity can be produced more cheaply from oil or natural gas.
  4. Although no benefit/cost analysis has been done by the Commonwealth a number of less detailed studies have been made on the proposal to interconnect Victoria and South Australia. Superficially such a scheme could have attractions because of the time differences between the States. The pooling of generating resources might reduce the total amount of generating plant required in each system either to meet peak demands or provide spare plant.

It has been ascertained however that the economics of such interconnection are not attractive at present. Very long transmission lines would be required from Adelaide to Melbourne, and there would be virtually no intermediate load centres to be served. This position may change in the course of time.

Commonwealth Public Service (.Question No. 1901)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. How many persons were employed in the Commonwealth Public Service in each vear since 1950.
  2. What has been the percentage increase in each Commonwealth department since 1950.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The Public Service Board has informed me that the. answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

  1. Tabic 1 below shows the number of persons employed in the Commonwealth Public Service in each year since 1950.
  2. Direct comparisons over time to measure the growth rates of individual departments are vitiated by changes in the structures and functions of particular departments. Table 2 below shows the growth and percentage increase in departments existing in both 1950 and 1970. Also shown are the staff numbers in June 1950 in departments abolished since that date and staff numbers in June 1970 for departments- which have been created since 1950.

Commonwealth Public Service (Question No. 1921)

Mr Keogh:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. ls it a fact that it is many years since the $48 allowance based on Public Service Regulation 97a and paid to Postmasters in lieu of quarters has been varied.
  2. If so, will he give early attention to having this and other rates in the Public Service Regulations, which have remained unaltered for a long period, adjusted to the level of current costs of living.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– I am informed by the Public Service Board that the answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. Allowances in the Public Service Regulations are reviewed from time to time and adjusted as circumstances require. The allowance referred to in part (1) of this question is of long standing, lt was the subject of a claim before the Public Service Arbitrator in 1966 when the Postmasters’

Association filed an application to vary the allowance from $48 a year to $.400 a year. Postmasters are the only class of public servants to whom such an allowance is paid. Whilst the Public Service Board and the Postmaster-General’s Department did not seek the withdrawal of the allowance, having regard to ils long existence, they opposed the claim on the ground that there was no reason to distinguish in this respect postmasters from other officers of the Service. As one reason for dismissing the claim the Arbitrator considered that there was no justification for officers who were not’ provided with official quarters to bc placed on parity .wilh those who happened to occupy official quarters at rentals which may be lower than that required for private quarters. . .

Jervis Bay Nuclear Power Station (Question Nu. 1926) Mr Jacobi asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Will he provide details of specifications required of all tenders for the nuclear power station at Jervis Bay relating to:

    1. radionuclide emissions for airborne effluents in terms of (i) gross bela values,
    2. levels of individual radionuclides and
    3. time of storage ot off-gases required before release lo the atmosphere: and
    1. radionuclide emissions tor waterborne effluents in terms of (i) radionuclide levels in cooling water and (ii) radionuclide levels in high conductivity liquid wastes and laundry wastes, in terms of gross beta values and levels of individual radionuclides. (2) Is he able to state the relationship oi these radionuclide emission standards to (a) International Atomic Energy standards, (b) U,1it ed States Atomic Energy Commission standards, io) standards specified by the State of Minnesota and (d) standards specified by the Stale of Maryland.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) For commercial reason* information contained in the lender specification- is al the present time restricted lo the tenderers, the Electricity Commission of New South Wales, the Atomic Energy Commission and ils consultants. Bechtel Pacific Corporation. However all radioactive discharge from the Jervis Bay nuclear power station will he controlled to limits less than 1/10th of those specified as safe by the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the internationally recognised expert body on the matter. Those specified standards are accepted by the International Atomic Energy Agency. They are also accepted by the USAEC. The Slates of” Minnesota and Mar>land. in the United States of America, have adopted limits which are approximately in the same order of magnitude as those specified for Jervis Bay.

Jervis Bay Nuclear Power Station (Question No. 1927)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Has his attention been drawn to the recent publication “Ecological Factors in ;he Siting, Design and Operations of a Nuclear Power Station’ by Dr Davy, M. S. Giles and E. Charash.
  2. Does this publication contain am. data of Australian origin.
  3. If not. will he inform the Hou<e when and where Australian data relevant lo the ecological hazards associated with constructing a nuclear power station al Jervis Bay will be published with special reference lo (a) concentration factors of critical radionuclides in marine organisms found in the Jervis Bay area, (b) movement In tritium through the marine food chain of So:.;th Coast estuaries, (O eating habits of the local population and (d) redistribution of airborne radionuclides and the influence of local “topography and meteorology on this redistribution.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

  1. Yes. 1 made the paper available lo members of this House on i 2 th June last year.
  2. The paper presents a general discussion of the current approach lo ecological considerations for the siting of nuclear power stations and does not contain da in relating specifically .to. the proposed site at Jervis Bay.
  3. As I have stated in the House on several occasions, when a final choice of the reactor for the Jervis Bay project has been made I will make a full statement to the House. The statement amongst other things will traverse the possible effects of the reactor on the ecology of the Jervis Bay area. In addition 1 should mention that the Australian Atomic Energy Commission intends to hold a public symposium in Sydney towalds the end of the financial year. The Commission will contribute papers lo the symposium on a number of aspects of the Jervis Bay project including those relating to the possible effect of the pow,er station on the ecology of the area.

Jervis Bay Nuclear Power Station (Question No. 1928)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. ls he able lo state whether the United States firms Westinghouse and General Electric have developed nuclear power reactors which claim io reduce emissions of radionuclides to near zero levels by the development of sophisticated air hold up systems.
  2. ls it a fact ibm this new system will only add about $1,000 per megawatt to the cost of a nuclear power reactor.
  3. If so. will he investigate the possibility of having such a system incorporated into the proposed nuclear power plant al Jervis Bay.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Both Westinghouse and General Electric have stated that they have units available which reduce ;he emission of airborne radionuclides.
  2. The cost will depend on the size and type of station involved and exact cost .lata is not available al present.
  3. The feasibility of incorporating such units into the proposed Jervis Bay plant will depend to a large extent on the type of reactor chosen. However the availability of these units will certainly bc taken into consideration when a contract is being negotiated.

Jervis Bay Nuclear Power Station (Question No. 1929)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Has the Government adopted, as a longterm strategy for planning future nuclear development, the building, initially only, of reactors of the. type accepted for the Jervis Bay nuclear power station,, and then the building of fast breeder reactors as soon as they become available.
  2. If not. what strategy has been chosen.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

  1. The construction of nuclear power stations subsequent to the Jervis Bay plant will be the responsibility of the individual States. The Government proposes to assist the Stales as far as possible in their forward planning. The introduction of fast breeder reactors will depend on the economics of such systems, their sizes relative to the capacity of State systems at the time and the availability and price of plutonium. For these reasons, it would not be prudent at this stage to commit Australia to a fixed approach to nuclear power.
  2. The only strategy which has been considered for Australia’s nuclear development is to construct conventional converter reactors, of the type offered for the Jervis Bay Station. Such reactors will produce plutonium for use as fuel in fast breeder reactors if these, as expected, become available later this century.

Jervis Bay Nuclear Power Station (Question No. 1930)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice: “(1) Has his attention been drawn to a suggestion by the eminent nuclear scientist. Professor Sir Mark Oliphant, that the introduction of nuclear power to Australia should be delayed until fast breeder reactors are available.

  1. ls he able to stale whether the first fast breeder power station is expected to enter the United Kingdom power grid well before 1980 and that a short time thereafter the majority of British reactors are expected to be of this type.
  2. If so, will he consider delaying the introduction of nuclear power until these fast breeder reactors are available.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. A 250M.We prototype fast breeder reactor is scheduled on line at Dounreay in 19*74. Subsequently the extent to which fast breeder power stations will contribute to the overall power supply of the United Kingdom will depend on the success of this unit.
  3. No. It would be a mistake to delay the introduction of nuclear power to Australia. Fast breeder reactors have not yet been shown as commercially practicable and in any case depend for fuel of plutonium produced in converter reactors of the type being considered for Jervis Bay.

Nuclear Power (Question No. 1931)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. What alternative sources of advice on nuclear- power, other than the Australian Atomic Energy Commission, are available to the Government (a) within the Commonwealth Public Service and (b) outside the Commonwealth Public Service.
  2. Has the Government considered commissioning independent consultants to provide advice in the development of nuclear power in Australia; if not, why not.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

  1. Within the Commonwealth Public Service my department provides policy advice as dinstinc from technical advice on nuclear matters principally in respect to its relationship with other sources ‘of energy. In addition the Government is advised on some aspects of health and safety from the National Radiation Advisory Council (responsible to the Prime Ministers and the Commonwealth X-ray and Radium : Laboratory (responsible to the Minister for Health).

Outside the Commonwealth’ Public Service the views of the Stales on nuclear power development will be made available- from the newly formed Commonwealth-States Consultative Committee on Nuclear Energy. The Electricity Commissions of the larger States also have had officers attached to nuclear installations overseas and as a result these Commissions are in an informed position on nuclear matters. - .

Finally the Commonwealth has access to the views of State Departments of Health universities, etc., on various aspects of nuclear development.

  1. So far as the Jervis Bay project is concerned it has already been repotted that the Government has engaged the services of the Bechtel Pacific Corporation, lt is not considered necessary however to engage, independent consultants to provide advice on the general question of the development of nuclear power in Australia.

Commonwealth Industrial Court (Question No. 1947)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Are any formal or informal records kept at the industrial registries of each application for a rule nisi under sections 140 and 141 of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act.
  2. If not, why not.
  3. If so, what is the difficulty in supplying the information sought in question No. 848 (Hansard, 22nd September 1970, page 1490).
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

I am advised that:

There are records of each successful application for a rule nisi but no records of unsuccessful applications.

’ and (3) Applications for a ride nisi are made directly to a judge ex parte in his chambers or at his home. If the application is granted the applicant is required to file the rule and supporting affidavit with the Registrar (Regulation 70). If the application is refused there is no rule lo file and there would be no record of the application in the Industrial Registry.

Papua and New Guinea: ILO Conventions (Question No. 1950) Mr Clyde Cameron asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

What is the legal difficulty which prevents the Commonwealth from ratifying- and implementing in the -Northern Territory and in the Territory of

Papua and New Guinea the International Labour Organisation Convention No. 82 relating to discriminatory wage rates on grounds of race or colour.

MrSnedden ; The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: 1LO Convention No. 82 - Social Policy (NonMetropolitan Territories), 1947, relates only to external territories and, therefore, does not have any application in the Northern Territory. The Convention covers a- wide range of matters and prescribes detailed policies and measures which ratifying countries undertake to apply in their non-metropolitan territories. The policies to be followed are directed to the well-being and development of the peoples in such territories and to the promotion of the desire on their part for social progress. In particular, they are directed to the improvement of standards of living as the principal objective in the planning of economic development: to protection of migrant workers: to non-discrimination on grounds of race, colour, sex. belief, tribal association or trade union affiliation; and to education and training.

Compliance with all provisions of the Convention, and not only the particular aspect referred to by the honourable member, is necessary to enable it to be ratified. 1 would refer the honourable member to the reply given by my colleague, the Minister for External Territories, to Question No. 1427 (Hansard. 26th August 1969, page 712) concerning its application in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.

Conciliation and Arbitration (Question No. 1951)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

In view of his answer to question No. 1218 (Hansard, 2nd September 1970. page 906) that 40 per cent of Australian employees are working under Commonwealth awards and that only fiftytwo Commonwealth arbitration inspectors are employed compared with 239 State inspectors who are authorised to inspect under Federal awards in New South Wales. Western Australia and Tasmania alone, wilt he state what financial reimbursement is made to the States in respect of State inspectors carrying out inspection of Federal awards.

Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

I am advised that no financial reimbursement is made to the States in respect of State Inspectors carrying out inspection of Federal Awards. The arrangements for the authorisation of State Inspectors to carry out inspections under Federal Awards are mutual, inasmuch as they also provide for the authorisation of Commonwealth Inspectors to carry out inspections under State laws, awards and determinations. The inspection of Federal awards by State Inspectors and of State prescriptions by Commonwealth Inspectors forms a very small part of the total number of inspections and it was agreed between the Commonwealth and the participating States that no financial reimbursement of either party was called for.

Conciliation and Arbitration: 1 Awards and Agreements (Question No. 12.18.) Mr Clyde Cameron asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. How many employees in Australia am covered by Federal awards or agreements.
  2. What percentage’ does this figure represent of all employees.
  3. What is the number of Commonwealth arbitration inspectors employed in each State.
  4. Can he say what is the number of arbitration inspectors employed by each of the respective Stale governments.
  5. ls it a fact that in some Slates the Commonwealth has authorised Slate inspectors to carry out inspections in relation to Commonwealth awards.
  6. If so. how many of these inspectors are involved and in which States are they authorised to act on behalf of the Commonwealth.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) From information revealed in tho Commonwealth Statistician’s ‘Survey of the Incidence of Industrial Awards, Determinations and Collective Agreements, May 1968’ it is estimated that 40.1 per cent of employees in Australia are affected by Commonwealth awards. In terms of numbers of employees this estimate could bo expressed as 1,740.000. (Excluded from the 1968 survey where all employees in rural industry, in private domestic service, of private employers in hotels, restaurants and other personal services, employees of private employers not subject to’ payroll tax and exployees in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory).

(3)-

  1. It would not be appropriate for me to supply information on the staffing of State authorities.
  2. Yes.
  3. State Inspectors are authorised to inspect under Federal awards in New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania. Althogether, 239 State Inspectors are so authorised.

Conciliation and Arbitration Wage Rates (Question No. 1958)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

Does any provision of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act make it possible to require an employer to employ labour at wage rates fixed by the Arbitration Commission in cases where an employer regards these rates as uneconomic.

Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

If an employer employs labour on work covered by an award of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, he is obliged to observe the terms of that award.

Offences against Commonwealth Law: Hearings (Question No. 1961)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the AttorneyGeneral, upon notice:

  1. What arrangements did the Commonwealth make with (be Government of New South Wales which led to New South Wales Magistrate Rogers being now engaged solely, or almost solely, in dealing with offences against Commonwealth law.
  2. Is it a fact <hat this magistrate is an ordinary magistrate appointed by the Government of New South Wales.
  3. What reimbursement does the Commonwealth make to the Government of New South Wales to compensate the State for the time spent by Mr Rogers in hearing cases affecting Commonwealth laws.
Mr Hughes:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) During the war years arrangements were made with the New South Wales Government for a Court of Petty Sessions constituted by n Stipendiary Magistrate and an office of a Clerk of Petty Sessions to be located in Commonwealth premises for the hearing of ‘ Commonwealth cases. The Court and the Petty Sessions Office are presently located in Phillip Mouse. Mr Rogers is now retired.

    1. The Commonwealth makes no direct cash reimbursement to the State for the services of State magistrates. The State of New South Wales receives payment from the Commonwealth of normal Court fees in respect of matters in which the Commonwealth is applicant or prosecutor.

Carpet - (Question No. 1969) - Mr Grassby asked the Minister for Trade and Industry, upon notice:

  1. How many carpet makers are there in Australia..
  2. Do they use Australian wool
  3. What was the size, texture and composition of the carpet in the main hall of the Australian pavilion at Japan’s Expo ‘70.
Mr Anthony:
CP

– The answer provided by my predecessor (Sir John McEwen) to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. I am informed that there are 29 firms making carpet in Australia.
  2. Australian carpet manufacturers mostly use wool from New Zealand, Britain, India and Pakistan. At times a percentage of specially selected Australian wool is blended with the traditional wools. The high-quality Australian woo) which has achieved great fame throughout the world for making apparel is not suitable for carpel manufacture because of its tendency to felt.
  3. The carpet used on the floor of the exhibition and dispersal halls was made in Australia and covered an approximate area of 750 square yards, lt was an Axminster type carpel wilh a pile composed of wool from New Zealand, Britain, India, Pakistan and Australia.

Chemical Sprays (Question No. 1971)

Mr Grassby:

asked the Minister for Primary’ Industry, upon notice:

  1. ls he able to say whether the prices of chemical spray materials in New Zealand are as much as 50 per cent lower than those in Australia.
  2. If so, does this give New Zealand orchardists a considerable advantage over Australian orchardists.
  3. ls he able lo say whether the difference in price is due lo the Government of New Zealand permitting the entry of spray materials duty free and, in other cases, by paying a subsidy to producers to keep costs down so enabling orchardists to compete on export markets.
  4. Will he order a -review of -he competitiveness of Australian orchardists, giving particular attention to the cost.of chemical sprays.
  5. Will the Government -consider extending assistance to Australian orchardists similar to that enjoyed by the New Zealand orchardists.
Mr Sinclair:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

Information on the price’ of chemical spray materials in New Zealand is “not readily available in Australia. An inquiry’ ls being made in New Zealand and I will be able to answer this question when the information is received.

Victorian Railways (Question No. 1974)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice: On what dates has he

  1. received letters from the Premier of Vic- toria; and
  2. written letters to him- about the acquisition of the Victorian Railways by the Commonwealth.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is: .

  1. 2nd September 1970
  2. an acknowledgement was sent on 1 5th September 1970.

Iron, Steel and Zinc: Exports to Mainland China (Question No. 1975) Mr Whitiam asked the Minister for Trade and Industry, upon notice:

How many ions of (a) iron. (b) steel and (c) zinc were exported to Mainland China in the last 5 financial years’?

Mr Anthony:
CP

– The answer provided by my predecessor (Sir John McEwen) to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

Exports of iron and steel and zinc to Mainland China in the last 5 financial years were as fol lows. As the statistical classifications were changed after 1965-66, this year has been shown separately.

Tariff Board (Question No. 1991)

Dr J F CAIRNS:
LALOR, VICTORIA · ALP

ns asked the Minister for Trade and Industry, upon notice:

  1. Has the. Chairman of the Tariff- Board stated that the Board is supporting a study project at Monash University on the longer term effects of protection on the Australian economy.
  2. if so, does supporting the project mean supplying information drawn from that given to the Tariff Board by industries and individual firms; if so, on what authority is the Board, supplying this information..
  3. Can he give an assurance that confidential information supplied to the Tariff Board is not being passed on to this outside-body
Mr Anthony:
CP

– The answer provided by my predecessor (Sir John McEwen) to the honourable members question is as follows:

  1. Yes. The Chairman referred to the Tariff Board’s support for the Monash project in an address he gave to the Royal Institute of Public Administration in Canberra on 23rd April 1970.
  2. No. Supporting the Monash project means supplying estimates of the average rales of protection afforded Australian manufacturing industries and assisting in the up-dating of input-output data compiled for 1962-63. Estimates of the average rates of protection for industries are based on the Customs Tariff and data available from the Statistician; and the up-dating of input-output data also is based on information compiled by the Statistician.
  3. Yes. The Tariff Board has always taken great care, and will continue to do so in the future, to ensure that confidential information it receives does not pass to outside bodies. It will continue the practice of aggregating confidential data from individual firms into a non-confidential form, before publication or release.

Air Pollution (Question No. 1994)

Mr Calwell:
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. Does the Government intend to implement recommendations Nos 1 to 8 of the report of the Senate Select Committee on Air Pollution; if so, when.
  2. Has his attention been drawn to recent happenings in (a) Tokyo and New York, when the health and properly of citizens were greatly damaged because of air pollution and (b) the United States, where the smog spread in a 1,000-mile belt across the country; if so, has the possibility of similar occurrences in Australia in future been considered by the Government and, if it has, with what result.
  3. Will the Government promote an understanding of ecologism in Australia so that all Australians can be taught to live in harmony and balance wilh nature and not continue to destroy the natural ecology that gives us life.
  4. How many copies of the Senate Select Committee’s report were printed.
  5. ls it a fact that no copies are now available to the public.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The Government has made no decision yet on the recommendations of the Senate Select Committee on Air Pollution. Air pollution is only one facet of the problems of the total environment and departments with an active interest in environmental problems are studying the reports of the Parliamentary Select Committees on Air Pollution, Water Pollution and Aircraft Noise, with a view to preparing recommendations to the Government.
  2. While my attention has been drawn to the recent occurrences of high levels of air pollution in Tokyo and New York, the Government has not specifically considered these particular events. I would point out to the honourable member that the legislative and administrative provisions for air quality control rest at present wilh the individual States.
  3. The interrelationships between atmospheric pollution and ecological balance are complex and incompletely understood at the present time. Promotion of public understanding of these matters will call for educational programmes that would largely be the responsibility of State Governments to conduct.
  4. 3.330.
  5. I am informed that demand for the report has necessitated 3 separate printings and that copies of the third print were dispatched from the Government Printer to the Australian Government Publishing Service Bookshops on 29th September 1970 and that copies were available for public purchase at the time of the honourable member’s question.

Festivals (Question No. 1995)

Mr Charles Jones:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. Which Commonwealth departments have entered floats in (a) Sydney’s Waratah Festival and (b) Melbourne’s Moomba Festival.
  2. In which years were floats entered.
  3. What was the cost of each float.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honour able member’s question is as follows:

The Departments concerned have provided the information set out in the following tables

War Service Land Settlement (Question No. 2042)

Mr Brown:
DIAMOND VALLEY, VICTORIA

asked the Minister for Primary Industry, upon notice:

  1. What amount has the Commonwealth provided for war service land settlement since 1945.
  2. How many returned servicemen have been settled on farms since 1945.
  3. What was their total indebtedness at 30lh June 1970 in (a) principal and (b) interest.
  4. How many settlers were in arrears in their interest payments at 30th June 1970.
  5. What was the amount of interest outstanding at that date.
Mr Sinclair:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: 1 feel it necessary to preface my answers to these questions by reminding the honourable member that the Commonwealth provided the capital moneys for war service land settlement only in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. In the other three States the Commonwealth shared losses equally and also provided finance for living allowances and the remission of certain charges during the year immediately following the allotment of holdings.

The answers to ‘.he questions asked by the honourable member are:

  1. These sums were paid to Queenland, New South Wales and Victoria as the Commonwealth’s share of costs in those States. Similar costs iri the other Stales amounting to:

tions .. .. 37,019,000 were remitted or written off by the Commonwealth. (2) Nine thousand one hundred and forty-eight farms were provided and allotted to ex-servicemen. Due to surrenders of leases for various reasons and re-allotment tq other qualified ex-servicemen, the number who were settled on farms would be higher than this figure, although statistics have not been maintained to show the ‘ exact number of ex-servicemen who have been assisted by the Scheme.

  1. The following figures relate only io Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania:
  1. This information is not available nom Commonwealth records. The Commonwealth is informed only in the more serious cases of arrears in respect of which some action may be imminent.
  2. See the answer to 3 (b).

Poultry Industry (Question No. 2003)

Dr Everingham:

asked the Minister for Primary Industry, upon notice:

  1. How many poultrymen have been (a) registered and (b) prosecuted for breaches of the Poultry Industry Levy Collection Aci 1965-1966, since the commencement of the Act.
  2. How many prosecutions have been made under each charge laid.
  3. What has been the value of (a) collections under the Aci, (b) uncollected levies written off and (c) fines collected.
  4. What have been the costs of enforcement of the Act, including inspection, court costs and publicity.
Mr Sinclair:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. (a) There is . no requirement under the

Federal poultry industry legislation for egg producers to register. However the number of commercial egg producing farms recorded in accordance with information supplied by owners of hens at approximately the mid point of the 1969-70 season, is set out on page 3 of my Annual Report on the operation of the Poultry Industry Assistance Aci for the year ended 30th June 1970. This Report was tabled in the House of Representatives on 15 th September 1970. (b) At approximately the end of October 1970, 841 producers had been prosecuted for breaches of the provisions of the Poultry Industry Levy Collection Act.

  1. In respect of these 841 producers, 4,058 charges were involved. 1,3) (a) Details of hen levy collection paid into the Poultry Industry Trust Fund up until 30th June 1970 are set out on pages 4 and 5 of the Annual Report to which I have referred above.

    1. $2,968.70.
    2. $25,304.50.

  2. The costs of administering the legislation, including inspection, as paid to the Stales from the Poultry Industry Trust Fund in respect of 1968-69 and 1969-70 are set out on page 7 of the Annual Report. Court costs awarded at approximately the end of October 1970 amounted to $9,777.

With regard to the costs of publicity, no separate costs have been calculated which relate specifically to publicity in respect of the legislation. In the States the State Egg Boards have been made responsible, in accordance with the provisions of the legislation, for the collection of the levy on behalf of the Commonwealth The Boards publicise the provisions of the legislation in industry journals and, where necessary, by circular letters to producers.

Marine Industry (Question No. 2005)

Mr Keogh:

asked the Treasurer, upon notice:

  1. Do statistics reveal that the Australian marine industry is now an important secondary industry providing employment for many persons in both skilled and semi-skilled trades.
  2. Is he able to say whether week-end boating activities and professional fishing requirements are seriously affected by the lack of Commonwealth finance lo the various Slates to provide marine facilities for boat owners.
  3. ls he able to say whether the New Zealand Government allows a rebate of 15 cents per gallon on petrol used for any type of marine activity.
  4. If so. will he give consideration to an alteration of present Government policy so as to make a percentage of the petrol tax available to the Stales for use in the development of suitable marine facilities.
Mr Bury:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: (lj I am aware that there are various important industries, large and small, that collectively could bc regarded as comprising the Australian marine industry.

  1. I. do not wish to comment on the adequacy of marine facilities provided by the States. The Slates have available substantial funds, including assistance provided by the Commonwealth, which they may use for any purpose, including the provision of marine facilities.
  2. lt is understood that a rebate of 14.8 cents per gallon is allowed by the New Zealand Government on motor spirit used by marine vessels engaged in other than commercial activities. For commercial vessels the total duly of 1 8.1 cents per gallon is rebated.
  3. This is a matter of policy. However, as a general rule, the Government does not consider ii appropriate for there to be a link between the proceeds of a tax and expenditure on a particular type of activity or facility. Since 1959 there has been no relationship between petrol tax proceeds and Commonwealth road grams to the States.

Public Library Services (Question No. 2006)

Mr Hayden:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. ls he able to state what amount has been spent, during each of the past 10 years, on public library services in each Stale and Commonwealth Territory by (a) the Commonwealth, (b) the State governments, (c) local authorities and (d) other sources, specifying, in each case, the amount provided for (i) capital purposes and (ii) other specified purposes.
  2. If so, what was the total expenditure involved in question (I) expressed on a per capita basis for (a) each State and Commonwealth Territory and (b) Australia.
  3. Can he state (a) how many book* were available and (b) what was the rate of bon owing, pcT head of the population, through public library services in (a) each State and Commonwealth Territory and (b) Australia during ea:;, of the past 10 years.
  4. ls he able to stale the total number of books available in each of the main public libraries operated by the State governments during the same years.
  5. Can he give, for the most recent year for which figures are available, the number of staff employed on library work in public library services in each State and Commonwealth Territory who (a) hold a degree in addition to the registration certificate of the Library Association of Australia or its equivalent, (b) hold other specified qualifications and (c) are unqualified.
  6. ls he able to supply figures similar lo those requested in question (5) for the main public libraries in each of the States.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

While it would nol be appropriate for me to reply on behalf of Slate and local government authorities, who are responsible for their respective State and municipal public libraries, the Acting Commonwealth Statistician has provided such information as is available on public libraries in the Commonwealth Territories.

The figures in Table 1 refer mainly lo Commonwealth expenditure on the National Library of Australia which conducts the Canberra public library service and assists with the provision of similar services in other Commonwealth Territories. Figures prior to 1962-63 are not readily available.

  1. Figures for Commonwealth expenditure in (3) Details of the number of books available the Territories on a per Capita basis- have not and the rate of borrowing per head of population been calculated because most of the expenditure in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern relating to the National Library is of a national Territory public libraries are shown in the follow- character. ing table.
  1. No.
  2. At 30th June 1970, there were 8 officers employed on library work in the Australian Capital Territory and 2 officers in the Northern Territory who held ‘ a degree in addition to the registration certificate of the Library Association of Australia or its equivalent; 9 officers in the Australian Capital Territory and I in the Northern Territory had other specified qualifications, and 66 officers in the Australian Capital Territory and 14 in the Northern Territory were unqualified.
  3. No.

Arbitration (Question No. 2011)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. Did he slate at the 1970 Annual Conference of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party that the 1970 Budget would be one of the great Budgets of Australia provided that thai which the Government had done to contain inflation was noi damaged by organisations the Government did not control increasing wages throughout Australia without regard to the productivity increase which alone can thoroughly justify an increase in wages and make an increase in wages really valid and really essential.
  2. If so, is the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission one of the organisations which he had in mind when he made the statement.
  3. ls it contrary to the best interests of Australia for the Commission to grant wage increases that are related to increased prices but unrelated to productivity.
  4. What has the Government done to measure and’ record productivity trends in Australia.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: :(l).Yes. f2) Yes.

  1. Yes. When wages increase faster than productivity the effect is to increase prices rather than real wages and this is not .in the best interests of Australia.
  2. Estimates of national productivity (i.e. gross national product at constant prices per person at work) are prepared by the Treasury ou the basis of national accounts, labour force and census data published by the Commonwealth Statistician and are presented by Commonwealth Counsel to the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission in the course of hearings in national wage cases. See, for example, pages 19 to 21 of the Commonwealth’s submission in the 1968 national wage case, pages 48’ to 49 qf the Commonwealth’s submission in the 1969 national wage case and the Commonwealth’s submission on pages 541 to 561 of the transcript of the 1970 case.

Australian Economy (Question .Vo. 2012)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Prime

Minister, upon notice:

  1. Has his attention been drawn to the statement made on 1st October 1970 by the Minister for Labour and National Service that- the Government had made no provision -.for. *a. contemporaneous measurement of productivity in Australia and that it is impossible to devise one.

    1. Did be, at the 1970 New South Wales Liberal Party Conference say that wage increases cannot be thoroughly justified as really valid and essential without paying regard to productivity increase.
    2. If there are no measurements available of productivity in Australia, how is it. possible for the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission to comply with his dictum. …..
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. In his statement la Parliament during the debate on the Appropriation Bill on 1st October the Minister for Labour and National Service was referring to the difficulties of breaking up national productivity trends into their constituent industry elements. This is because of problems of consistency and comparability between the data used to estimate output and those used to estimate labour input. The Minister was also referring to the fact that productivity movements can only be measured in retrospect. However, these difficulties are not greatly relevant when considering overall economic capacity for national wage purposes.
  2. Yes.
  3. See the answer to part 4 of Question No. 2011.

Photograph of Union Meeting (Question No. 2013)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. Has his attention been drawn to the picture published on page 189 of the July 1970 issue of the ‘Seamen’s Journal’.
  2. .If so, is the person appearing in the picture employed by (a) the Commonwealth Police, (b) the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, (c) the Australian News and Information Bureau or (d) any other Commonwealth department or agency.
  3. If the person is so employed, has that person ever been employed to (a) photograph unionists attending or voting at, union meetings or (b) take the car registration numbers of motor cars parked in the vicinity of union meetings or protest rallies.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. No.
  2. and (3) See answer lo (1).

Foreign Judgments: Reciprocal Enforcements (Question No. 2020)

Mr WHITLAM:
WERRIWA, NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

asked the Attorney-General, upon notice:

  1. Did the Standing Committee of Commonwealth and State Attorneys-General agree in February 1968 that steps be taken to provide for the judgments of certain foreign countries to be enforceable on a reciprocal basis.
  2. If so, under what title and on what date did each State and Territory enact the legislation.
  3. With which countries have reciprocal arrangements been made.
Mr Hughes:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. The following legislation was in force when the Standing Committee discussed this subject - in the Australian Capital Territory, Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance 1954; in the Northern Territory, Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance 1955; in Queensland, The Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act of 1959; in Victoria, Foreign Judgments Act 1962; in Tasmania, Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1963; in Western Australia, Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1963. New South Wales and South Australia do not as yet have suitable legislation.
  3. No arrangement has been agreed to as yet wilh any foreign country.

Immigration: New Zealand (Question No. 2021)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

What has been the (a) date, (b) nature and (c) outcome of the representations which the New Zealand Government has made on immigration since be became Prime Minister and which the Acting Prime Minister of New Zealand mentioned in the New Zealand House of Representatives on Sth July 1970 (New Zealand Hansard, page 1627).

Mr Gorton:
LP

– I have been advised by the Minister for Immigration that the answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. 6th August 1969 and 16th September 1970.
  2. The New Zealand Government, as indicated by the Acting Prime Minister of New Zealand, is seeking uniformity of treatment for all New Zealand citizens who wish to enter Australia.
  3. The New Zealand Government has been asked to provide further information to enable proposals lo be further examined.

Papua and New Guinea: Localisation at Professions (Question No. 2025)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for External Territories, upon notice:

  1. When was his attention drawn to the report by the Manpower Planning Unit of the Department of Labour in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea that by 1980 only 19 per cent of the professional manpower in the Territory will be localised and in particular that only 17 per cent of the secondary teachers, 18 per cent of the doctors, 30 per cent of the surveyors, 31 per cent of civil engineers and 33 per cent of the lawyers will be indigenes.
  2. What steps have since been taken to achieve greater localisation of any of the professions in the Territory.
Mr Barnes:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The document referred to ls an internal working paper prepared by the Manpower Planning Unit of the Territory Department of Labour in August 1970, on the demand for and supply of professional manpower during the period 1971- 19S0. lt is as yet only in draft form and does not necessarily represent the assessments or views of the Administration, lt was sent on a confidential basis, to the major Administration Departments and statutory authorities, Commonwealth Departments in the Territory, the University of Papua and New Guinea and the Institute of Technology, with the object of obtaining their views on the validity of the assumptions underlying the projections and of the techniques employed. The findings in the document are at this stage only tentative and are subject to further evaluation.
  2. The Government is giving high priority to accelerating the pace of localisation in all areas of employment in the Territory. The Government will re-examine the present planned levels of intakes into tertiary and vocational training institutions in the Territory in the light of the reports of its manpower advisers, and a manpower expert at present making an investigation in the Territory under the United Nations Development Programme. The Government is also establishing a Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education which will examine the steps to be taken to achieve balanced growth of enrolments in tertiary and vocational training institutions in keeping wilh the availability of school leavers and the projected demands for trained manpower.

Papua and New Guinea: Marketing Hoards (Question No. 2026)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for External Territories, upon notice:

  1. What marketing boards have been established in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.
  2. What are the names, qualifications and positions of the persons who have previously constituted and who now constitute the boards.
  3. How many (a) indigenes and (b) expatriates are (i) employed and (ii) housed by the boards.
  4. What are the (a) highest, (b) lowest and (c) average salaries and allowances paid by the boards to their (i) indigenous and (ii) expatriate employees.
Mr Barnes:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The following marketing boards have been established in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea -

Coffee Marketing Board: Copra Marketing Board.

  1. The names, qualifications and position of the persons who have previously constituted and who now constitute these boards are:

    1. Coffee-Marketing Board -
    1. Former Members -
    1. F. G. Downs (Chairman). Planter

Bono Azanifa, Planter and Businessman H. R. Hagon, Planter and Businessman

  1. Present Members - Chairman -

    1. L. Murrell Planter . Members -
    2. H. D. Middleton, Planter. So’So S’ubi, Planter

Salaen Sakaen, M.B.E., Planter and

Businessman D. F. Falconer, Planter Official Member -

  1. L. Conroy, B.Sc. (Agric), Departmental Head, Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries. B. Copra Marketing Board -

    1. Former Members -
  2. McDonald, O.B.E. (Chairman)
  3. Barrett, Planter
  4. R. Wilson, Planter and Company Director
  5. A. Stanfield, Planter Stahl Salum, Planter

Nansen K.1 isa, Secretary,- Milne Bay Native Societies Association and Member, Board of Federation of Native Societies.

  1. E. P. Dwyer, B.Sc. (Agric.). Director, Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries.
  2. H. Reeve, F.A.S.A., F.R.f.P.A.. Assistant Administrator (Economic Affairs).

  3. C. Henderson, O.B.E., B.Sc. (Agric), Director, Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries.

    1. Present Members -

Chairman -

  1. E. Fairfax-Ross, C.B.E.. Planter Members -
  2. V. Quinton, Planter and Businessman.
  3. A. Thurston, Planter and Businessman.

Mahuru Rarua Rama. M..B.E., Secretary of Federation of Co-operative Unions and Member of the Development Bank Board. Gram Toubu, Planter. Official Member -

  1. L. Conroy, B.Sc. (Agric.). Departmental Head, Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries. (3) Employment and Housing as at 27th October 1970:
  1. The salaries and allowances paid to staff of the Coffee and Copra Marketing Board; are generally in line with those paid to officers and employees of the Public Service. The total corresponding kinds of work in Australia, plus a remuneration of expatriate officers includes an Territory allowance. Salaries and allowances paid overseas allowance to bring their remuneration to expatriate and indigenous employees as at 27th to a level comparable with that payable for October 1970 were:

Papua and New Guinea: Allegations Against Police (Question No. 2027)

Mr WHITLAM:
WERRIWA, NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

asked the Minister for External Territories, upon notice:

  1. What action has been taken against the police responsible for the mistaken arrest of Mr Tab:trang Marum (Hansard. 2nd September 1970, page 834 and 17th September 1970, page 1262).
  2. What amends have been made to the prisoner assaulted in police custody near Rabaul (Ilansard. 2nd September 1970, page 834, and 17th September 1970, page 1262).
Mr Barnes:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. No criminal prosecution or disciplinary proceedings have been taken against any police officer in connection with the case of Mr Tabarang Marum and his subsequent transfer to Finschhafen for the sittings of the Supreme Court under the mistaken impression that he was a man committed for trial before that Court Mr Tambaron Qwate An inquiry was undertaken and its conclusions were given independent consideration. Whilst this inquiry revealed the necessity of tightening certain procedures to prevent cases of mistaken identity arising in the future it concluded that no one person could be held sufficiently culpable for the somewhat unsual events which occurred so as lo be deserving of prosecution or disciplinary proceedings. Mr Tabarang Marum was admitted to hospital under the name of ‘Tambaran’ Mr Tambaran. Qwate, the, person committed for trial, was also admitted to hospital, tinder the name of ‘Tombalar Narai’. A telegram requested thc police at Lae to arrange the movement of ‘Tambaran’ for the Supreme Court sittings. The police at Lae had no prior information as io the matter. When the police sergeant inquired at the Lae Hospital the superintendent, who knew the identity of the person to be transferred to Finschhafen, was absent. The official at the hospital brought to the police sergeant Mr Tabarang Marum. who was the only person admitted to the hospital under the name of ‘Tambaran’. Mr Tabarang Marum did not ask why he was being taken to Finschhafen. The warrant of commitment was sent by post and ils delayed arrival contributed to the confusion which arose.

The Departmental Head. Department of Law. is taking action with respect to procedures relating to warrants of commitment.

  1. As slated in the Prime- Minister’s answer to the honourable member’s question without notice relating to this matter (Hansard. 17th September 1970, page 1262). the allegations of assault upon the prisoner whilst in police custody have not been proved. No compensation has been offered to the prisoner in respect of the alleged assault and no claim has been made bv him or on his behalf.

Industrial Agreement (Question No. 2031)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice: (!) Has the industrial agreement known as the Melbourne Building Industry Agreement as varied from time to time operated in Victoria since 1956.

  1. ls it a fact thai Commissioner Chambers, as lie then was in 1956 refused to register the agreement because it contained provision for overaward payments and that, as a consequence, the agreement as varied, has remained unregistered and probably unenforceable ever since that date.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The industrial agreement known as the Melbourne Building Industry Agreement io which the honourable member has referred became operative for the first time on 1st January 1957, for a period of twelve months. The signatories to this Agreement were, ‘.he Master Builders Association of Victoria. Ma-ter Plumbers Association of Victoria, Building and Allied Trades Association, Terrazo and Paving Association of Victoria, Victorian Trades Hall Council, Australian Builders Labourers Federation, Building Workers’ Industrial Union. Plumbers and Gasfitters Employees Union. Victorian Operative Bricklayer.’ Society, Victorian Plasterers Society. The Agreement has been re-negotiated for varying periods since that date.
  2. In November 1955 Commissioner Chambers refused to certify a Memorandum of Agreement designated the Melbourne Building Industry Agreement, under section 37 of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. 1904-1.955. Certification was sought by the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners who were a parly to the 1955 Memorandum of Agreement. Mr Chambers’ refusal as recorded in transcript contained the following reasons:

When this agreement was presented J made it very clear that 1 could have no objection to the parties reaching agreement to pay above award rates. The real difficulty .is created when certain of the parties to an industrial dispute seek to have those over-award payments confirmed as award minima.

From the copy of the agreement supplied by the Master Builders’ Association of Victoria, it is clear that the appropriate Tribunal is expected to consent to making the agreement an award provision before it becomes operative and. no doubt, ‘.his is directly influenced by the terms of contract which, in most it not all cases,, require such approval before additional wage costs can be recovered.

Apart from any other factor, it cannot be overlooked that the present proceedings for an award affect many different classes of employers in three States (Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia), such as other master builders, joiner establishments, mixed industries generally and Slate and1 Federal Governmental instrumentalities.

Whilst it is claimed that this agreement between Melbourne and metropolitan master builders and the Union is without prejudice, it cannot be assumed to be without prejudice for very long.’

The Agreement has remained unregistered since that date and therefore does not have the status of an Award of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission.

Industrial Information Bulletin (Question No. 2033)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked th;. Minister for’ Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. What was the backlog in publishing the Industrial Information Bulletin on 21st May 1970 when, in reply to question No. 810 (Hansard pages 2619-20) he stated that action had been taken to reduce (he delays that can occur al each stage of preparation and printing.
  2. What was the backlog on 12th October 1970.
  3. On what dales were the (a) January 1970, (b) February 1970, (c) March 1970 and (d) April 1970 issues of the publication (i) prepared, (ii) printed and (iii) posted out to recipients.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. On 21st May 1970 the issue of the Industrial Information Bulletin covering the month of January 1970 was being printed.
  2. On 12th October 1970 the issue covering the month of June was in preparation for the printer.
  3. The interval between the final preparation of an issue of the Industrial Information Bulletin and the completion of printing varied for the issues referred to ficm 28 days for the January issue to 15 days for the April issue.

The distribution of copies is done through the Central Office of the Department in Melbourne and Regional Offices in each Stale, me actual dates of dispatch varying accordingly.

The January. February, March and April 1970 issues of the Industrial Information Bulletin were primed on 8th June 1970, 3rd July 1970, 24th July 1970 and 21st August 1970, respectively.

Workers Compensation (Question No. 2034)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. ls there any advantage in the Commonwealth and the States conforming to a uniform pattern for recording the (a) period of incapacity, (b) cost of claims, (c) incidence of injuries, (d) location of injuries, (e) cause of injuries, (f) hour and day of injuries and (g) working hours prior to injuries duc lo industrial accident or disease, as an essential first step towards prevention of industrial injury.
  2. Are these statistics available m respect of (a) Commonwealth employees and (b) other employees in Territories of the Commonwealth.
  3. What action has he taken to secure a uniform pattern for recording statistics concerning industrial injuries.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. (a) to (g). The practical use of statistics lo prevent accidents ‘tas most value when related lo a particular indi -trial activity or undertaking National figures have an indirect advantage in providing information on overall patterns and trends.

  2. (a). Statistics are available, for die categories i (a). 1 (c), 1 (d) and 1 (e) above.

    1. Accident statistics are being compiled for non-Commonwealth employees in the Australian Capital Territory.
  3. Steps towards a uniform standard of reporting were first taken in 1958 with iiic adoption of a minimum standard by those States which were producing statistics for the ‘first time. This standard is now used by the majority of stales and for Commonwealth employment. Progress is kept under review by the Commonwealth and Slate Departments of Labour and by the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics.

Tariff (Question No. 2036)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Has his attention been drawn io the reference in the Tariff Board’s annual’ report wherein attention is drawn to the large gap between wage increases and productivity gains in most countries wilh the exception of Japan and Germany and the view is expressed that me latter countries’ success in closing this gap will be an important determinant of the competitive position of each country in world trade in manufactures.
  2. Has his attention also been directed to the statement of the Board that the main countries supplying Australia’s imports experienced larger increases in wages than that which has occurred in Australia during the past 2 years. (.lj Does his attitude coincide with the view expressed in the report and the conclusion reached by the Board in relation to wage and productivity trends in Australia vis-a-vis those operating in Japan and Germany.
  3. Is there any advantage in closing the gap between wage and productivity trends in Australia.
  4. If so, how can the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission close the gap without having statistics that accurately measure and record productivity trends in Australia.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: (l)-(4) Yes.

  1. I suggest that the honourable member refer to the answers to 2 of his earlier questions on notice- Nos. 2011 (pan 4) and 2012 (part 1).

Pastoral Industry (Question No. 2037)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Did the Full Bench of the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission recently refuse to award a 40-hour week to station hands employed under the Pastoral Award on the ground, inter alia, that there was no evidence of any serious unrest among station hands.
  2. Did Mr Justice Gallagher recently grant a 35-hour week to coal miners on the ground, inter alia, that failure to accede to the union’s demand would lead to industrial unrest.
  3. If so, should evidence or lack of evidence of industrial unrest be taken into account when the Commission is determining union claims for improved wages and conditions of employment.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The application of the Australian Workers’ Union to vary the hours of work provisions relating to station hands in the Pastoral Industry Award 1965 was dismissed following a lengthy hearing during which the union had opportunity to fully present its case.

In their reasons for judgment the members of the full bench staled that the merits of the claim were ventilated before then extensively. Their Honours concluded, inter alia, that ‘all in all it is our view that present circumstances do not justify granting the union claim’.

In dealing specifically with the position of station hands who live on properties, the judgment referred to the custom of providing accommodation, meat and some amenities free or at nominal cost and observed that - ‘lt may be thought that this, combined with the hours of work is a somewhat feudal approach to employment, but on the preponderance of the evidence we do not find there is any serious unrest among station hands and we are satisfied they regard it as a benefit to live on the properties’.

In any assessment of the ground upon which the application was dismissed, 1 suggest thai it would bc incorrect to take any of the words used out of their context.

  1. The decision of the Tribunal does not indicate that the prospect of industrial unrest was a ground upon which Mr Justice Gallagher granted a 35-hour week to coal miners, lt is noteworthy that in his decision, Mr Justice Gallagher said that the Tribunal instituted the proceedings ‘on its own motion when it became apparent that direct action in the form of strikes and threats of strikes rather than resort to arbitration was being used as the method for obtaining reduced ordinary hours for mine workers’.
  2. 1 would refer the honourable member lo sections 39 and 40(1) (a), (b) and lc) of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

Pastoral Industry (Question No. 2038)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Does the International Labour Organisation’s Convention No. 47 provide that a country ratifying that Convention shall declare its approval of the principle of the 40-hour week.
  2. If so, does the Commonwealth approve of that principle.
  3. Does the Commonwealth propose te ratify this Convention.
  4. If so, will the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission be asked to reconsider its recent rejection df the 40-hour week for station hands employed under the Federal Pastoral Award.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. ILO Convention No. 47 - Forty-hour Week, 1935, provides, inter alia: ‘Each Member of the International Labour Organisation which ratifies this Convention declares its approval of -

    1. the principle of a 40-hour week applied in such a manner that the standard of living is not reduced in consequence.’
  2. and (3) The Convention was ratified on 22 October 1970 by Australia which became only the fifth of the ILO’s 121 member countries to do so.
  3. Discussions with the International Labour Office indicated that Australia could ratify the Convention on the basis of ils existing law and practice. Ratification does not impose an obligation to apply the 40-hour week immediately to all workers, including such groups as rural workers.

As I have indicated, only 5 countries have ratified this Convention even though it is worded very flexibly. This illustrates that there are relatively few countries with a standard working week of 40 hours.

Overtime (Question No. 2039)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice: ls he able to stale what has been the average weekly overtime worked by each Australian employee, who works overtime, in each industry group in each of the last 3 years.

Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

Comprehensive statistics are not available of overtime worked by each employee in Australia. However, my Department collects data on overtime worked during a selected week each month by employees in a sample of some 2,600 larger private factories throughout Australia, employing in total over 550.000 persons. The statistics relating to i he years 1967, 1968, 1969 and the 10 months to October 1970 are shown below in eight industry groups:

Annual Leave (Question No. 2040)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked Hie Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice: ls he able to state how many employees not engaged in continuous shift work in Australia receive at least 4 weeks annual leave.

Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

No.

Conciliation and Arbitration (Question No. 2041)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Does the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission still adhere to the doctrine of comparable wage justice when determining wage claims.
  2. If not, what is the doctrine which currently guides the Commission in wage fixation.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) In determining wage claims the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission considers all relevant factors placed before it by the parties and interveners, if any. Comparative wage justice, if relevant, is one of the factors. Other factors taken into account by the Commission ate referred to in the Commis- sions general observations on the principles of wage fixation set out in ils decision in the

National Wage Case, 1969. (Print No. B4537, at pages 10 to 13.)

Conciliation and Arbitration (Question No. 2043)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the AttorneyGeneral, upon notice:

What was the total annual cost to the Australian taxpayer of maintaining (a) the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, (b) the Commonwealth Industrial Court and (c) all facilities and services associated with (i) the Commission and (ii) the Court in each year since 1957.

Mr Hughes:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The Department does not keep records that make it possible to supply the information.

Local Government: Treasury Survey (Question No. 2049)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

What was the date of his reply to the letter which the Local Government and Shires Associations of New South Wales wrote to him on 8th July 1970 (Hansard, 4th September 1970, page 1039 and 13th October 1970, page 2068).

Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: 23rd September 1970.

Wool (Question No. 2053)

Mr Grassby:

asked the Minister for Primary Industry, upon notice:

How many wool buyers operated at Australian wool auction sales during each of the years 1960 to 1970 and from which countries did they come.

Mr Sinclair:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The following tabulation for the years 19S9-60 to 1968-69 shows the number of woolbuyiug firms which purchased 5,000 bales or more in any year during this period at wool auction in Australia.

Because of inadequate data, similar statistics are not available on the number of firms which purchased less than 5,000 bales a year during the period in question. Their aggregate purchases, however, represented only a small percentage of the total wool sold at auction.

Figures for 1969-70 are not yet available.

Australian and foreign-owned wool buying houses routinely purchase wool for clients in more than one country. Information on whose behalf they are operating is treated as confidential by these firms.

Visits lo Mainland China (Question No. 2067)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. Which employees of the Commonwealth and of Commonwealth statutory authorities have made visits to China since Prime Minister Menzies’ answer lo me on 17th August 1965 (Hansard, page 147).
  2. When did they make the visits.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question, based on advice from Ministers, is as follows:

Since 17th August 1965 employees ot the Commonwealth and its statutory authorities have made the following official visits to mainland China:

Mr L. H. Dorman. O.B.E., General Manager of the Australian Wheat Board.

January-February 1968

August 1968

Dr A. R. Callaghan, C.M.G., Chairman of the Australian Wheat Board August 1968

Mr J. H. Williams, Assistant General Manager of the Australian Wheat Board

January 1969

November-December 1969.

Australian Minerals Council (Question No. 2070)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice.

  1. Where and when have there been meetings of (a) the Australian Minerals Council and (b) its Advisory Committee. ..
  2. Where and when will the council and committee next meet.
  3. What progress has the council made with its study of Australian mining legislation (Hansard, 13th May 1969, page 1737).
  4. In what respects has uniform legislation in the Territories (a) already been and (b) yet to be brought into operation.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The Advisory Committee to the Australian Minerals Council is a Committee of the Heads of the departments whose Ministers are members of the Council, lt is not practice to release publicly information dealing with the. operation of this Committee.

The following answers are, therefore, :n relation to the Australian Minerals Council: ‘

The Australian Minerals Council has met on four occasions - 8th November 1968- Canberra 3rd March 1969- Canberra 26th September 1969- Canberra 9th June 1970- Adelaide Members of the Council, together with AttorneysGeneral of the Commonwealth and of the States, met in Melbourne on 26th March 1970, but not as the Australian Minerals Council.

1 expect the Australian Minerals Council will meet in the first half of 1971.-

and (4) As announced by the former Minister for National Development, the Honourable D. E. Fairbairn, in a press statement which he issued as President of the Australian Minerals Council on 3rd March 1969, following the meeting of the Council held on that day,” the Council resolved to initiate a study of Australian’ mineral legislation to establish the magnitude of the task of achieving parallel legislation, the problems involved and how these problems might be solved. The Minerals Council has not yet received a report on this matter.

River Murray Commission Meetings (Question No. 2071)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the . Minister for National Development, upon notice:

When and where have there been meetings of the River Murray Commission since October 1963.

Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The place and date of the meetings of the River Murray Commission since October 1963, are set out below -

River. Murray: Salinity (Question No. 2072)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

Has the River Murray Commission approved the distribution of the remaining reports on the Murray Valley salinity investigations (Hansard, 5th May 1970, page 1635).

Mr SWARTZ:
DARLING DOWNS, QUEENSLAND · LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

The release of the final report on the’ Murray Valley salinity investigations has been approved by the 4 governments which are party to the River Murray Waters Agreement, and the distribution is being handled by the’ River Murray Commission.

Wheat (Question No. 2077)

Mr Foster:
STURT, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

asked the Minister foi Primary Industry, upon notice:

  1. Have any shipments of wheat to overseas countries been rejected over the last 12 months because of infestation.
  2. If so, what are the details of those shipments, including the tonnage, value and grade of wheat rejected, the precise reasons for rejection and the countries which refused the shipments.
  3. What action is taken by export authorities regarding pest infestation and the possibility of damage to health as a result of it, including the action taken to ensure that the carrying vessels are clean.
Mr Sinclair:
CP

– The answer to the hon ourable member’s question is as fellows:

  1. and (2) My Department has no knowledge of the rejection of any shipments of wheat from Australia on arrival overseas during the past 12 months.
  2. All wheat exported from Australia is subject to inspection under the Exports (Grain) Regulations prior to loading. Export permits are not granted if the wheat is found on inspection to be infested with insect pests or otherwise in a condition that renders it unfit for export.

The Regulations also require the cargo spaces in the export vessel to be inspected and for the master of the vessel to be in possession of a grain loading permit before loading commences. Such permits arc not issued unless the cargo spaces and other parts of the ship will not infest the wheat with insect pests or contaminate it. Where insect pests or other conditions likely to contaminate the wheat are found during the inspection of the ship treatment orders are issued requiring appropriate action to be taken to clean, fumigate or treat the cargo spaces to :he extent necessary to eradicate the infestation or to remove the conditions likely to cause the wheat to become contaminated.

Australian Agricultural Council (Question No. 2081)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for Primary Industry, upon notice:

What requests or suggestions were made by the Australian Agricultural Council at its meeting in Canberra on 19th October 1970 for legislative or administrative action by (a) the Commonwealth, (b) the Territories and (c) the States.

Mr Sinclair:
CP

– The answer to the hon ourable member’s question is as follows: The following matters requiring legislative or administrative action were considered by the Australian Agricultural Council on 19th October 1970:

Australian Wool Commission - Commonwealth and Stale action

Apples and Pears Proposed StabilisationScheme - Commonwealth action

Dried . Vine Fruits Stabilisation Plan - Commonwealth action

Cotton Marketing - State action

Decentralisation (Question No. 2086)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

Will he bring up-to-date his answer of 9th September 1969 (Hansard, page 1014) on the work of the Commonwealth-State Officials Committee on Decentralisation.

Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

A report has been completed on the New South Wales study of the costs involved for firms and individuals in locating in various areas. This report was publicly released in May this year under the title ‘Report on Industry Location Survey’.

The forward estimates part of the New South Wales study on comparative costs of providing public services in various locations has been completed. The New South Wales Department of Decentralisation and Development has advised, however, that the report on the study on public costs, which was carried out under its auspices, will be confined to the forward estimates part of the study since, as a result of technical difficulties, the Department has found that few valid conclusions could be drawn from the historical costs part which was completed some time ago.

The study of the estimated cost of water in the Greater Sydney region to the year 2001 has been completed.

Detailed work has continued on the Victorian Study on comparative (historical) costs of providing public services in various locations and on .the traffic congestion costs study.

Papua and New Guinea: Indigines on Appeal Bodies (Question No. 2090) Mr Whitlam asked the Minister for External Territories, upon notice:

In which instances do indigenes sit on the boards, tribunals, committees and courts to which appeals lie from the decisions of departments and instrumentalities in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.

Mr Barnes:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

Indigenes sit on boards, tribunals, committees and courts constituted under the following Ordinances:

Apprenticeship Ordinance 1967 Section 35

Associations Incorporation Ordinance 1966- 1968 Section 7 (1)

Child Welfare Ordinance 1961-1968

Section 36(l)(c) Coffee Industry Ordinance 1960-1967

Section 14(7) Copra Ordinance 1952

Section 9

Firearms Regulation Ordinance 1963-1969 Section 36

Pearl, Pearl Shell and Beche-de-Mer Ordinance 19U-1934 Section 42 Personal Tax Ordinance 1957-1965

Section 14 (4)

Port Moresby Water Supply Ordinance 1941-1951 Section 51

Public Service (Papua and New Guinea) Ordinance 1963-1969 , Section 43 Section 67

Public Services (Conciliation and Arbitration) Ordinance 1969 Section 6

Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary Ordinance 1965-1969

Section 48

Section 50 Valuation Ordinance 1967-1968

Section 33.

In addition, the establishment of ad hoc boards on which indigenes may sit is provided under the following Ordinances:

Public Service (Papua and N;w Guinea) Ordinance 1963-1969 Section 70

Public Services (Conciliation and Arbitration) Ordinance 1969 Section 2.

Farm Income (Question No. 2117)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Does he know the annual percentage increases in (a) non-farm productivity at constant prices, (b) number of non-farm employees, and (c) real product per non-farm employee.
  2. If so, what were they in each ot the years 1958-59 to 1968-69.
  3. ls he able to make a forecast of these particulars for each of the years 1969-70 and 1970- 71.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. to (3) As indicated in -answers io recent questions on notice dealing with the availability of estimates of productivity in Australia - in particular, questions Nos 524 (Hansard, 5th May 1970, page 1644), 1821 (Hansard, 27th October 1970, page 2830) and 2028 (Hansard, 30th October 1970, page 3168), asked of the Treasurer - there are no regularly published official estimates of labour productivity. Some of these answers have indicated the Statistician’s intention to examine during 1971 the desirability of compiling and publishing measures of change in product per unit of labour force despite their significant conceptual limitations. This examination will consider measures at the level of major industries, groups of industries, and gross national product.

Arbitration (Question No. 2120)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Did he tell a Committee for Economic Development of Australia audience on 8th October 1970 that if would not be relevant for the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission to award wage . increases in a particular industry on the basis of trends in productivity or profitability in that industry.
  2. Is it a fact that at. that time the Commission had not given its decision on the Australian Council of Trade Unions’ oil industry case in which a claim for increased wages was based upon profitability.
  3. Will he now give an assurance that he will not in future make public statements on issues that are before the Commission or awaiting decisio.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows: (1), (2) and (3) In an address 1 gave on 8th October 1970 to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia I reiterated the essence of a submission about the relevance to wage increases of productivity or profitability in an industry which had already been made by the Commonwealth before the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission during the hearing of the Oil Industry Case.

Arbitration (Question No. 2121)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

How many different definitions has the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission given to the term public interest on the various occasions when such term was at issue.

Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

I refer the honourable member to my answer to his Question No. 379. (See Hansard of 22nd April 1970.) I have nothing to add to that answer.

Nuclear power (Question No. 2125)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. ls he able to say whether the Bolsa Island dual purpose nuclear power plant was ‘ejected by the Californian participants because the charge for water had increased from 22c lo -37c per 1,000 gallons.
  2. Is it a fact that in South Australia the cost of water per 1,000 gallons is 44c in Adelaide, 92c in Whyalla, $1.30 in Port Augusta, $1.45 in Port Pirie and $1.92 in Eyre Peninsula.
  3. If so, in view of these relatively high costs, will he initiate a detailed investigation with the object of establishing a dual purpose nuclear power plant in South Australia, instead of proceeding with the costly Jervis Bay project, which appears to be uneconomic in terms of the cost power.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Consideration was given to the construction of a dual purpose nuclear power/desalination plant at Bolsa Island, United States of America, but the project was abandoned because of poor economics, lt was estimated that the cost of water from the proposed plant would be in the range of 91c per 1,000 gallons for a 50 million gallons per day plant down to 56c per 1,000 gallons for a plant producing 150 million gallons per day.
  2. [ cannot confirm the figures stated by the honourable member but to my general knowledge I would say that they appear to be of the right order.
  3. No. There would appear little advantage in considering the installation of a duplex plant of the type proposed until the construction of such plants has been shown to be feasible by those countries with advanced nuclear power programmes.

Containerisation (Question No. 2129)

Mr Charles Jones:

asked the Minister for Trade and Industry, upon notice:

  1. What (a) imports and (b) exports were carried by container ships in 1969-70.
  2. What percentage of non-bulk (a) imports and (b) exports did this represent.
  3. Has the Government carried out any cost/benefit analysis since the introduction of container ships; if so, what was the result of this survey, and how does it compare with overseas results.
  4. If such a survey has not been undertaken, is one under consideration; if not, why cot.
Mr Anthony:
CP

– The answer provided by my predecessor (Sir John McEwen) to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

With respect to questions (1) and (2), in 1969- 70 container vessels were periodically being phased into both the Australia lo United KingdomEurope and the Australia to Japan trades. They are nol yet operative in any other overseas trade. Information is not yet available as to the precise quantities of cargoes carried by container vessels in that year. However, operators anticipate that as their container services become more established a larger percentage of cargoes within the trades concerned will be carried in container ships.

As to questions (3) and (4) the Government, of course, maintains a detailed scrutiny of its own container and vehicle deck ship operations. Consequently, in broad terms it is informed on operational costs and the benefits connected with these new type services.

I made a statement in the House on 19th October in which I. expressed my belief that the expected benefits and economies of container shipping would in fact be realised.

I believe the Government’s views are adequately set out in that statement.

Australian National Line (Question No. 2130)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. ls it. a fact that the Australian National Line had negotiated an industrial agreement with the Waterside Workers Federation concerning work at roll-on, roll-off shipping terminals in which the parties had agreed to what virtually amounted to a 35-hour week.
  2. ls it a fact that, as a consequence of his intervention, the Government has taken action to prevent the agreement from being signed or ratified.
  3. Is it also a fact thai 3 of the loll-on, rolloff terminals built by the ANL are idle because of industrial disputes and that the Government’s interference in the affairs of the ANL is causing deep concern to senior officials of the ANL.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. and (2) I would refer the honourable member to the answer 1 gave to his question without notice on 21st October 1970 (Hansard, Page 2540).
  2. I presume the honourable member is referring to the ANL Terminals at Port Kembla, Adelaide and Geelong which have not commenced operating at this stage, in which case the answer is no.

Commonwealth Public Service (Question No. 2137)

Mr Stewart:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. How many officers from the Commonwealth Public Service have been sent overseas at Commonwealth expense for training or experience in each of the last 5 years.
  2. In each case what was the (a) type of training, (b) period spent overseas, (c) overseas country in which the training took place and (d) department in which the officer served.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The number of officers sent overseas at Commonwealth expense for training under the Commonwealth Public Service Post-graduate Scholarship Scheme and similar schemes operated by the Public Service Board in each of the last 5 years is as follows:

Officers sponsored by external organisations proceeding overseas on full salary -

  1. The information requested in part (2) of the honourable members question is set out in Table 1 and Table 2 below.

Diplomatic Service (Question No. 2142)

Mr Grassby:

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice:

  1. Is Australia at present represented overseas by officers of his Department, who are not Australian citizens by either registration or naturalisation.
  2. If so, how many officers are involved and what is the citizenship of each.
Mr McMahon:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

As at 31st October 1970 all Australia-based officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs serving overseas were Australian citizens by birth, residence, registration or naturalisation, with the exception of eight, two of whom were citizens of New Zealand and six citizens of the United Kingdom.

Local Government: Commonwealth Grants (Question No. 2145) Mr Whitlam asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. Has he received a letter from the Premier of New South Wales asking the Commonwealth to provide matching grants for State government contributions to the Local Government Assistance Fund of New South Wales.
  2. If so, on what date was the Premier’s letter received.
  3. Has be answered the Premier’s letter.
  4. If so, did he agree to the Premier’s request.
  5. If not, when does he expect to answer the letter.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. 2nd October 1970.
  3. An acknowledgement was sent on 12th October .1970.
  4. Sec (3) above.
  5. As soon as possible.

Papua and New Guinea: Ordinances (Question No. 2157) Mr Whitlam asked the Minister for External Territories, upon notice:

  1. What ordinances have been passed by the present House of Assembly of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.
  2. In respect of each ordinance, on what date (a) did the House pass it, (b) did th: Administrator assent or withhold assent to it, or reserve it for the Governor-General’s pleasure, (c) did the Governor-General disallow it or pail ot it, or assent or withhold assent to it or part of it or return it to the Administrator with amendments that he recommends and (d) did the Minister table it or table reasons for withholding assent or reasons tor disallowance.
Mr Barnes:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

Public Service (Question No. 2167)

Mr Enderby:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. Did he and the Public Service Board receive written submissions this year from the Council of Commonwealth Public Service Organisations expressing concern at the extent and the scope of restrictions placed upon the freedom of expression of members of the Public Service by the Public Service Act and Regulations and the Commonwealth Crimes Act and putting forward a number of proposals for reform by the Public Service Board and the Government.
  2. if so, when were the submissions received.
  3. Have they yet been considered by the appropriate bodies.
  4. What stage has been reached in considering them.
  5. When will consideration of the proposals be complete and a detailed answer available.
  6. When the proposals have been considered and a detailed answer or report prepared, will he make it available.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. to (6) On 7th August 1970 I received a letter from the Federal Secretary of the Council of Commonwealth Public Service Organisations requesting that I receive a deputation to discuss a document, enclosed with the Federal Secretary’s letter, which set out in considerable detail the views of the Council on the effects it saw arising from provisions in the Public Service Regulations and the Crimes Act 1914-1966 relating to the disclosure of official information and Public Service Regulation 34 (b) relating to public comment by public servants.

This document had been sent to the Public Service Board by the Council on 2,5th March 1970 and discussed at a meeting between the Board and the Council on 1st April 1970. I have been advised by the Board that the meeting concluded with the deputation from the Council undertaking to provide for the Board’s consideration additional material on certain aspects relating to regulation 34 (b). Although that material has yet to be received, the Board has advised me that it is continuing its examination of those aspects of the Council’s submission which relate lo the Public Service Regulations.

The Council’s submission raised questions about the availability of information in particular areas and 1 have asked for a report on these questions as well as on the rest of the Council’s submission. 1 have been advised that all the information necessary for this report has not as yet been collected, but as soon as I have the results of these inquiries and advice from the Public Service Board on the results of its examination, I will consider the question of receiving a deputation from the Council. Once a decision has been reached the Council will be informed.

Atomic Energy (Question No 2171)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Was the Australian Atomic Energy Commission established in 1953 becaues of (a) the increasing demand for industrial and domestic power, (b) Australia’s then limited resources and (c) the contention that nuclear power could provide a significant economic advantage over conventional power.
  2. Is it a fact that oil and coal deposits discovered since 1953 have extended the guaranteed projected industrial energy supply by at least 100 years, while the economic promises of nuclear power have not eventuated.
  3. If so. do these factors make the proposed Jervis Bay project premature.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

  1. The Atomic Energy Commission was established in 1953 to carry out the functions prescribed in the Atomic Energy Act. In brief these are:

    1. to promote the search for and mining and treatment of uranium in Australia, with power to buy and sell uranium on behalf of the Commonwealth.
    2. to develop the practical uses of atomic energy by carrying out and assisting research, constructing plant and equipment and employing and training staff.
    3. to collect and distribute information relating to uranium and atomic energy.

Neither the Act nor the Second Reading Speech associated with it contain the reasons suggested by the honourable member for the establishment of the Commission.

  1. Discoveries in Australia of oil and coal deposits since 1953 have certainly extended the guaranteed projected industrial energy supply - although 1 would not hazard a guess on the number of years of such an extension.

Promises of nuclear power have in fact eventuated and nuclear power is at present making a major contribution to the energy needs of highly industrialised areas such as the United Stales, Europe and Japan.

  1. No. As has been stated on other occasions the Commonwealth’3 interest in nuclear matters and the proposed Jervis Bay project is based on the following reasons:

    1. To enable Commonwealth and State Departments and Authorities involved to gain experience in ordering, constructing, commissioning and operating a nuclear power station.
    2. To assist in establishing a nuclear industrial! potential in Australia by encouraging Australian industry to develop the new skills and techniques to the exacting standards required in nuclear installations; and
    3. To put us in a better position to adopt fast breeders rapidly when they become commercially available.

Atomic Energy (Question No. 2172)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Is it a fact that the cost of electricity produced by coal fired stations has not increased since 1953, despite a 43 per cent increase in the cost of living since that time
  2. What was the average cost per kilo-watt hour of electricity in (a) 1953 and (b) 1969.
  3. Do these figures illustrate the efficiency of State electricity authorities.
  4. If so, why is the Commonwealth entering this field of power production which is the responsibility of the Slate Governments.
  5. Is it a fact that two-thirds of the cost of nuclear power arises from fixed charges such as capital cost and interest.
  6. Do the costs of these factors move com.mensurately with rising costs.
  7. If so, how can the price of nuclear power become competitive with conventional power which has been shown to have remained constant since 1953.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows-

  1. and (2) The actual cost of production of electricity from all Australian coal fired power stations is not available in any published form. The best information I can give the honourable member relates to the average selling prices per unit of electricity. These average selling prices to a great extent reflect variations in cost of production at power stations; in addition however they include costs of transmission and reticulation and the running costs of the electricity instrumentalities. As has been noted by the honourable member the average cost per unit of electricity to consumers has been remarkably stable as shown by the following table:

  2. 1 believe that such stability of average selling prices in the face of rising general costs could not have been achieved except in circumstances where the responsible authorities were highly efficient. Without detracting from this statement however I think it necessary to point out three factors which tend to lower electricity charges. These factors are common to electricity systems undergoing major expansion in many other parts of the world. The factors are:

    1. economies of scale accrue from the use of larger generating units in respect of capital cost, efficiency and use of the heat content of fuel and operation and maintenance costs. The maximum size of the generator unit is related to the size of the system and therefore in a growing system costs should improve provided the expansion rate is sufficiently high to counteract inflation.
    2. Usage of electricity per consumer is increasing. However revenue tends _ to increase at a greater rate than expenditure as the cost of reticulation systems and overhead costs remain relatively stable despite a greater throughput of electricity. I might add that the statistics quoted above conceal the fact that most electricity tariff schedules have risen; but as a significant part of the total sales is made under tariffs which have a sliding scale according to the quantity used the average selling price does not increase as much as increases in the rales in the tariff schedules.
    3. Technological advances have been made in the design of plant and in high voltage transmission. The first has resulted in cheaper and/or more efficient plant additional to those benefits arising from increased size; the second has permitted the location of stations adjacent to coal fields and has reduced fuel costs.
  3. It is acknowledged that power production is primarily the responsibility of State Governments. In special circumstances however where major national interests are involved, such as the Snowy Scheme and the proposed Jervis Bay project, the entry of the Commonwealth into this field is warranted.
  4. The capital and interest components of the total cost of production of electricity from a nuclear plant depends on the type of reactor involved. In the case of natural uranium fuelled reactors the component could exceed 2/ 3 ids of the total cost.
  5. In the long term capital and interest costs move commensurate with other costs but in the short term labour .costs move much faster. Labour costs represent a fairly small component of generation costs in conventional stations and a smaller, component still in nuclear stations.

  6. Conventional power stations in Australia’s Eastern States are very advantageously placed for fuel, water and proximity to load centres. Accordingly 1 think it will be some time before nuclear stations are competitive with conventional stations in this area. Such a competitive position however might well be reached in Australia before the endof the century. Nuclear power is already competitive in major industrial countries overseas which have passed through the stage of the favourable circumstances we at present enjoy. My reasons for this view are:

    1. as shown above the rapidly increasing size of our electricity systems will enable the size of generation unite to increase: cost reductions with increasing size occur far more rapidly in nuclear units than in conventional units.
    2. Conventional stations have been developing over a long period and the scope for further technological development is becoming limited: nuclear power is a relatively new field still possessing considerable room for further technological advances.
    3. Some increases in the costs of coal into generating stations may be expected as less advantageously placed deposits have to be resorted to.

Atomic Energy (Question No. 2173)

Mr Jacobi:

asked the Minister for National Development, upon notice:

  1. Has Australia, since 1953, become increasingly aware that its natural water resources are limited and that within the next 30 years the south-east of the continent will face a severe water shortage.
  2. Is it a fact that the population of Australia in the last census was 12 million and by the year 2000 it will be approximately 23 million when the average water consumption ner head of population will reach 150 gallons per day.
  3. If so, should nuclear power installations be designed not only for electricity production but also for the production of- additional fresh water.
  4. Are there any reasons why it would not be better to invest in an experimental dual purpose reactor for the desalination of water as well as the production of electricity instead of the Jervis Bay plant designed only for industrial and domestic power production.
Mr Swartz:
LP

– The answer to the honour able member’s question is as follows:

  1. I am not aware that concern in Australia regarding water resources can be related to any particular date. Nor have I seen’ any authoritative evidence to indicate that there will be a severe water shortage in the south-east of Australia within the next 30 years. There is no doubt that increasing care will be required in the management of our resources but this is not the same thing as facing a severe shortage.
  2. I would not think that any prediction of Australian population by the year 200J could be regarded as a fact, but the suggested figures seem reasonable.
  3. On the basis of present estimates of costs of water from nuclear desalination plants and from conventional sources, .there does not appear to be any economic justification for use of such plants in Australia for desalination put poses in the immediate future.
  4. There is little merit in the -proposal for Australia’s first nuclear power station to be a prototype nuclear power/desalination complex. No desalination plants have yet been constructed anywhere, which would be of sufficient size to contribute to large-scale water needs. When desalination technology has developed overseas, the Government will Be anxious to ensure that advantage is taken in such technologies where appropriate.

Overseas Investment in Australia (Question No. 2203)

Mr Keogh:

asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

  1. Was his attention ever drawn to a press report of 14th October 1968 wherein the French Government, in a case where it had no power in law to prevent a share transaction, by an expression of disapproval effectively stopped a plan for the Fiat company of Italy to buy Michelin’s controlled shares in Citroen and so preserved the independence of the French firm.
  2. If so. will the Government act >‘n a similar manner with the object of preventing any more takeovers of Australian companies by foreign companies and investors, whether they be British, American, Canadian or Japanese and thereby stop selling a bit of the farm each year to pay the rent’, a remark made some years ago by the Deputy Prime Minister.
Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. I have seen a copy of a press report of 14th October 1968 concerning an agreement to keep the Citroen company of France under national control.
  2. The Government’s policy with regard to foreign takeovers of Austraiian companies was explained in the course of the statement 1 made in the Mouse on 16th September 1969 on overseas investment in Australia. In that statement 1 said that, whilst our general experience over the years has shown that almost all overseas investment in Australia accords with our country’s interests, it has also shown that there remains a need for the Government to be ready to guard against the transfer from Australian control of established companies in particular areas of activity. 1 went on to say that, although we expect the need to arise only on rare occasions, as a Government we reserve the right to do all in our power to prevent particular takeovers when, in the circumstances of the case, we would consider it to be bad in the national interest.

The Government’s policy continues to be as explained in the abovementioned statement.

The honourable member will also be aware that to assist in retaining and expanding Australian ownership of industry and resources, the Government recently established the Australian Industry Development Corporation.

Commonwealth Employment Service (Question No. 223S)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National ‘ Service, upon notice:

  1. Has his attention been drawn to an advertisement appearing in the Geelong Advertiser .of 3rd October 1970 under the name of NSK Manu facturing (Australia) Pty Ltd calling for applications to be forwarded to the Commonwealth Employment Office in Geelong for certain classes of tradesmen stipulating maximum age limits ranging from 30 years in the case of electricians to. SO years of age in the case of process workers.
  2. Does the Government approve of the action of this employer in using a Government agency to recruit labour with such severe age limits.
  3. Did the Commonwealth Employment Office pay for the cost of the advertisement..
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes. The advertisement, indicated that for some trades specified age groups were preferred.
  2. The Commonwealth Employment Service consistently pursues a policy of advising employers that ability and capacity to do the job should be a prime consideration in selection, and that only in exceptional circumstances or where the individual’s welfare is affected should age be a factor. The Commonwealth Employment Service therefore brings to the attention of employers seeking to engage labour the most. suitable of the persons seeking its assistance to obtain employ-, ment irrespective of any age limits that may be specified, but with due regard to -the duties of the position to be filled. When an advertisement is. placed and paid for by an employer, as was the” case on (his occasion, responsibility for its content rests with the employer who has the right of decision as to who shall be engaged. The Commonwealth Employment Service, irrespective of any age preferences indicated, will refer to employers persons beyond those age limits if it is satisfied that they ate capable of performing tha’ duties, required. It did so in this instance.
  3. No.

Commonwealth Conciliation and 1 Arbitration Commission (Question No. 2237)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour ‘ and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Is there a constitutional requirement which specifies that a Presidential member of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission shall be a life appointed Judge.
  2. If not, and in view of his public statement that the Commission must take responsibility for the economic consequences of its decisions, and” that wage increases should not exceed increased productivity, will he state why he has opposed the proposition to take the steps necessary to appoint an economist as a Presidential member of the Commission.
  3. In view of the Prime Ministers reply to question No. 1532 (Hansard, 13th October 1970, page 2065), justifying the fixed-term appointment of Commonwealth statutory officers such as the Public Service Arbitrator, the Commissioner and Second Commissioner of Taxation and the Chair-‘ man of the Tariff Board, will he state why (a) Presidential members of the Commission must be appointed for life and (b) Commissioners and Conciliators must be appointed until they reach 65 years of age.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. No.
  2. This proposal has been considered on several occasions, but the Government has not seen fit to adopt it.

  3. The Conciliation and Arbitration Act provides that, subject to the power of removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity which applies to Commissioners and Conciliators as well as presidential members of the Commission:

    1. a presidential member shall hold office until he resigns or attains the age of seventy years; or in the case of such a member who is a Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, until he resigns or dies;
    2. a Commissioner or a Conciliator shall hold office until he attains the age of 65 years.

Arbitration (Question No. 2238)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Is it a fact that the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission has frequently fixed wage rales that were below the (a) market rate or (b) premium rate.
  2. If so, what reasons can be advanced for the use of the penal provisions of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act to prevent the sellers of labour from resorting to strike action as a means of securing market or premium rales for their labour.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. The Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission fixes minimum wage rates in its awards,
  2. My predecessors and 1 have many times indicated the Government’s view that the so-called penal clauses’ of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act should only be used as a’ last resort when all other reasonable steps have been taken to resolve disputes.

This policy is reflected in the amendments made to the Act in June of this year. They provide, inter alia, for the processes of conciliation and, if needs be, arbitration, to be availed of before the so-called ‘penal clause’, section 119, can be invoked. Moreover, a’ presidential member of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission must have issued a certificate before action can be taken under that section to have the Commonwealth Industrial Court impose a penalty because of an award breach by a union. And before it can be held that there is such a breach by a union because of its part in a ban or strike the Commission constituted by a presidential member must first have been satisfied that a so-called ‘bans clause’ should be inserted in the award.

It will be seen from this that before the ‘penal clause’ of the Act can have been invoked every opportunity will have been given the parties to a dispute to settle their differences. If, despite that, the union resorts to direct industrial action or continues to resort to such action contrary to the award provision, therein lies the justification for the use of the sanctions provisions of the Act. Union not only have the right to seek to better the industrial lot of their members. They also have obligations to abide by the awards made to protect their members.

Arbitration (Question No. £240)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. What are the names of the 19 unsuccessful applicants for financial assistance under Conciliation and Arbitration Regulation 138 referred to in his reply to question No. 849 (Hansard, 30th September 1970, page 1966).
  2. Which of these applicants had been granted a rule nisi by a Judge of the Commonwealth Industrial Court for the action at the date of his application for financial assistance.
  3. What were the Registrar’s reasons for refusing each of the 19 unsuccessful application;.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the hon ourable member’s question is as follows: Upon inquiry I am informed:

  1. In order to protect the interests of the persons concerned the Industrial Registrar has adopted the practice of not divulging the names of unsuccessful applicants for financial assistance. I agree with this practice,
  2. Six of the applicants.
  3. In 13 of the applications no reasons were given for refusal. In the remaining 6 the refusal was expressed to be the absence of reasonable ground for taking the proposed proceedings.

Arbitration (Question No. 849)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

  1. Which Government was responsible for making Regulation 138 of the Conciliation and Arbitration Regulations, under which the Registrar is authorised to grant financial assistance to a member of a registered organisation desiring to lest the validity of a rule of an organisation or to enforce performance and observance of a rule of an organisation.
  2. On how many occasions have applications been made for such assistance.
  3. On how many occasions have such applications been (a) approved and (b) rejected.
Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

Upon inquiry I am informed

Regulation 138 (then regulation 130a) was made in 1949 during the administration of the Chifley Labour Government. Sub-regulation (3) was added in 1956.

(a) 198. (b) 19.

Arbitration (Question No. 2241)

Mr CLYDE CAMERON:
HINDMARSH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · ALP

asked the Minister for Labour and National Service, upon notice:

What are the names of those persons who have received financial assistance in excess of the minimum prescribed by Conciliation and Arbitration Regulation 138.

Mr Snedden:
LP

– The answer io the honourable member’s question is as follows:

Regulation 138 of the Conciliation and Arbitration Regulations gives the Industrial Registrar or a Deputy Industrial Registrar a discretion to direct in certain circumstances that such financial assistance as he determines be given by the Commonwealth to a member of an organisation registered at his Registry in respect of proceedings that member proposes to lake under section 140 or 141 of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The regulation does not prescribe any minimum.

South Africa (Question No. 2244)

Dr Everingham:

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice:

  1. Has his attention been drawn to an Australian Associated Press report of 14th October of a speech by the South African Prime Minister in which he claimed that he needed arms lo withstand a planned Communist terrorist onslaught as well as to keep sea lanes open.
  2. Has his attention also been drawn to the claim of a former South African naval gunner in the South Africa Defence and Aid Fund’s Sydney Newsletter for October 1970 that an officer instructed him and others that their chief function was to oppose all Africa, except Rhodesia and Portuguese colonies, to prevent persons escaping and terrorist landing in southern Africa and to act as marines to defend white civilisation in Africa in the case of a black uprising.
  3. If his attention has been drawn >.o these reports, will he. in view of their importance, make a statement indicating the attitude of the Australian Government to the British policy of supplying naval arms to South Africa.
Mr McMahon:
LP

– The answers to the honourable member’s question are as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. Yes.
  3. The Australian Government regards the proposed sale of arms as a mailer to be decided by the British Government. If the British Government should conclude that the protection of her sea routes requires the provision of maritime arms to South Africa then the Australian Government has no intention of expressing opposition.

Nitrogen (Question No. 2250)

Mr Grassby:

asked the Minister for Primary- Industry, upon notice:

  1. ls he able to say whether the annual conference of the Western Australian Farmers’ Union adopted a motion requesting the removal of the nitrogen subsidy.
  2. If so, has this resolution been conveyed to him.
  3. If he has received the resolution has he replied to it.
  4. If so, what were the terms of ‘.he reply.
Mr Anthony:
CP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

  1. Yes.
  2. No.

Security (Question No. 2252)

Br J. F. Cairns asked the Prime Minister, upon notice:

How many persons are employed in the public and armed services, part or full-time, in carrying out investigations or inquiries or in making observations of persons who are members of the Australian community.

How many such persons were employed for this purpose 5 years ago.

Mr Gorton:
LP

– The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

As expressed, the honourable member’s question covers a wide field. For example, inquiries may be made of persons who make applications for social service benefits or in connection with the requirement that wireless and television receivers be licenced, and so on. lt would clearly involve very substantial time and expense to research and assemble the data on this basis and ( suggest therefore that the honourable member might reconsider the terms of his question, in the meantime, I ‘refer the honourable member to my answers lo Question No. 1 101 which appeared on page 1961 of Hansard of 1st October 1970, and Question No. 62 which appeared on page 607 of Hansard of 27th August 1968.

Electoral (Question No. 2263)

Mr Daly:

asked the Attorney-General, upon notice:

Will he arrange for the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918-1966 to be brought up-to-date by reprinting wilh all amendments-

Mr Hughes:
LP

– The answer to the honourable members question is as follows:

A reprint of the Commonwealth Electoral Act as amended to date is in hand and should be published shortly.

Cite as: Australia, House of Representatives, Debates, 16 February 1971, viewed 22 October 2017, <http://historichansard.net/hofreps/1971/19710216_reps_27_hor71/>.

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