House of Representatives
23 April 1970

27th Parliament · 2nd Session

  1. House of Representatives
  2. 27th Parliament
  3. 1970

Mr SPEAKER (Hon. Sir William Aston) took the chair at 10 a.m., and read prayers.

page 1511

KANGAROOS

Petition

Mr PEACOCK presented from certain residents of the State of Victoria a petition showing that because of uncontrolled shooting for commercial purposes, the population of kangaroos, particularly the red kangaroo is now so low that they may become extinct; there are insufficient wardens in any State of the Commonwealth to detect or apprehend those who break the inadequate laws which exist; as a tourist attraction, the kangaroo is a permanent source of revenue to this country; it is an indisputable fact that no species can withstand hunting on such a scale, when there is no provision being made for its future.

The petitioners pray that the export of kangaroo products be banned immediately, and the Commonwealth Government take the necessary steps to have ail wildlife in Australia brought under its control. Only a complete cessation of killing for commercial purposes can save existing kangaroos.

Petition received and read.

page 1511

QUESTION

PRIMARY INDUSTRY

Dr PATTERSON:
DAWSON, QUEENSLAND

– I direct my question to the Prime Minister and refer to the sudden emergence, after 20 years of silence, of the Liberal Party’s policy on the rural economy and, as this is an official statement, I assume that it has the full backing of the Prime Minister. 1 ask: ls the Prime Minister aware that the federal rural policy in essence condemns the failure of this Government to assume a positive role of leadership in primary industry? ls he aware that this policy is in open conflict with important Government decisions, such as irrigation development, and that it is diametrically opposed to the whole backbone of Country Party policies on subsidies? Finally, does not this document on Liberal Party policy on primary industry provide the stark truth that rural industries in Australia are in a shocking mess due to inept Government leadership and policy?

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! The honourable gentleman cannot make a comment on the matter or give information. He may ask his question.

Dr PATTERSON:

– I ask finally: Does not this document reveal the open conflict within the coalition Government on primary industries and does the Prime Minister intend to break the stranglehold on primary industry policy which has been held by the Country Party for the last 20 years?

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! If the question relates to a matter of policy, it is out of order. Does the Prime Minister wish to answer the question?

Mr GORTON:
Prime Minister · HIGGINS, VICTORIA · LP

– Answering the last question first: This document does not reveal any open conflict between the parties forming the coalition, and indeed, Mr Speaker, it would be extraordinary if it did because no such open or overt or covert conflict exists. Answering another point that the honourable member made on the question of subsidies, I draw his attention to the fact that both I as Prime Minister and the Deputy Leader of the Australian Country Party have publicly pointed out that subsidies, particularly in the case of wool, are merely palliatives and no long term cure for the industry.

I would also indicate that the document itself is prepared by a sub-committee of the Liberal Party reporting to the executive of that organisation, but I think it repays study: but that unlike the honourable member who asked the question we on this side of the House are not directed by such outside bodies as he would be in his case.

page 1511

QUESTION

LIBERAL-COUNTRY PARTY RELATIONS

Dr MACKAY:
EVANS, NEW SOUTH WALES

– Is the Prime Minister aware that when he stated recently that there was no conflict between Liberal Party policy as printed and that of the Government the Deputy Prime Minister gave a loud and resounding ‘Hear! hear’?

Mr GORTON:
LP

– I heard a ‘Hear, hear’ coming from behind me. I did not turn to see from whom it came. But from what I have said it follows as night follows day that naturally since what I have said was true, the Leader of the Country Parly would say ‘Hear, hear!’

page 1512

QUESTION

CANBERRA ARCHITECTURE

Mr McIVOR:
GELLIBRAND, VICTORIA

– Is the Minister representing the Minister for Works aware that the Department of Works square box type architecture is becoming a regular feature of government buildings being erected in Canberra? Will the Minister draw to the attention of Department of Works architects this uninteresting and retrograde type of architecture and request that in keeping with other attractive features of this city they should use a little more imagination in the matter of design? Will he not agree that with a little more imagination in design and perhaps a little more expenditure Australia’s capital city could be made one of the architectural gems of the world?

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

– I shall be pleased to refer the honourable gentleman’s question to my colleague in the Senate and obtain a reply as soon as possible.

page 1512

QUESTION

VIETNAM MORATORIUM CAMPAIGN

Mr WHITTORN:
BALACLAVA, VICTORIA

– I ask the Prime Minister a question. Does the fact that a constant stream of literature is going into Victorian and New South Wales secondary schools seeking support for the Vietnam Moratorium indicate that the honourable member for Lalor and his cohorts are attempting to build up a breed of dissenters who will have no regard for law and order in Australia?

Dr Everingham:

– I rise to order. The question seeks an expression of opinion and I submit that it is out of order.

Mr SPEAKER:

-I uphold the point taken by the honourable member for Capricornia. The honourable member for Balaclava will have to rephrase his question or get to the point and ask it.

Mr WHITTORN:

– Are these students in secondary schools to learn the arts and crafts and professional skills or are they there to be taught to defy the laws and regulations passed by a constitutionally elected Government?

Mr GORTON:
LP

– Students in Australia at secondary schools, whether they be technical or other secondary schools, would primarily be there, as the honourable member suggests, to learn the subjects in the curriculum. They would also, I believe, quite properly be required to spend their time studying political questions which were of moment to the people of this country. But what is essential, of course, in such study is that when a matter is of political moment arguments on both points of view should be impartially placed before the students in such a school and impartially advocated and the student should, as in any other branch of learning, have that right given to him. I think what is disturbing in the matter that has been raised by the honourable member is that there is a stream of partisan literature, of inaccurate literature, in some cases I believe of literature designed against the best interests of Australia, which is poured in by the people to whom the honourable member referred without any attempt whatever to place a question impartially before students, which is what should be done.

page 1512

QUESTION

IMMIGRATION

Mr COPE:
SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

– I ask the Minister for Immigration a question which relates to an answer that I received recently to a question placed on the notice paper. What is the total number of migrants resident in Australia who are eligible for naturalisation but who as yet have not applied for naturalisation? Why do eligible migrants not apply for citizenship? What steps are being taken to encourage aliens to seek Australian citizenship? Finally, what disabilities does an alien face in Australia and what benefits does naturalisation confer?

Mr LYNCH:
Minister Assisting the Treasurer · FLINDERS, VICTORIA · LP

– I recall that, when I last checked the matter to which the honourable member refers, I ascertained that as at 30th June 1969 there were some 208,000 migrants over the age of 16 years and residentially qualified for Australian citizenship who had not made application. The fact that a number of migrants do not make application for Australian citizenship results, I believe, from a fusion of factors which would include indecision at to longterm permanent residence in Australia; the fact that they may be waiting for other members of the family to become eligible before themselves making application; unawareness of the importance of citizenship; or being aware, the fact that they have not come to the point of making application or would prefer to become further established in the Australian community before playing a complete and meaningful part.

As I recollect it, the third part of the honourable member’s question related to disabilities incurred by aliens in the community. Aliens cannot vote at elections or stand as candidates for election. They are not eligible to become permanent members of the Commonwealth or a State Public Service. They cannot obtain an Australian passport to travel overseas and they cannot become magistrates or judges, la addition there are some disabilities, such as in the case of workers’ compensation, relating ro aliens in individual States as a result of State law. It has always been the policy of the Commonwealth Government that migrants should become Australian citizens, not so much for the material benefits which this would confer upon them but rather because citizenship, once conferred, would enable them to play their full part as Australian citizens in the affairs of the community and to have the opportunity of total identification with the people of Australia.

page 1513

QUESTION

POWER ALCOHOL

Mr MAISEY:
MOORE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

– I ask the Minister for Primary Industry whether he has received a request for a study to be made of proposals put last year by a Western Australian firm for the production of alcohol from surplus wheat for use as an additive to motor spirit. If the Minister has received this request, in view of the widespread interest in the proposal as a means of reducing the present unmarketable stockpiles of wheat will he report on the progress of this study and the economic viability of the proposition? Finally, will the study have regard to the very high contingent economic waste should these stockpiles of wheat be destroyed due to the depredations of rodents, insect infestation or weather damage and bin scald?

Mr ANTHONY:
Minister for Primary Industry · RICHMOND, NEW SOUTH WALES · CP

– I recall seeing an article on this matter printed last year and distributed in Western Australia. Later it was referred to me by the Australian Wheatgrowers Federation with the request that my Department investigate the proposition. During the war the Colonial Sugar Refining Co. Ltd was commissioned to build a number of plants to produce power alcohol, or ethyl alcohol, for use as an additive to petrol. Only I such plant was constructed. It operated for a very short time mainly because there was an inadequate supply of material to keep it working. If I correctly recall the reply that I gave to the Federation concerning the findings of my Department - i would be happy to let the honourable member have a copy - it was to the effect that whilst it was technically feasible to produce power alcohol from wheat it was not an economic proposition. The technical position is that when it is added to petrol apparently the efficiency of the fuel declines. In addition there is some price factor in it. The real crux of the matter is that any plan to produce power alcohol calls for a capital intensive project and to make it a success there must be a continuity of raw material at a satisfactory price. The price at which one could obtain wheat apparently forbids this being an economic proposition. This has been the finding in the United States of America where this proposition has also been considered. If alcohol is to be made from grain the prices for alternative types of carbohydrates may make them much more attractive than wheat. In view of this sort of information I had to inform the Australian Wheatgrowers Federation that the advice of my Department was that this proposal was not economically or technically feasible.

page 1513

QUESTION

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE

Mr MORRISON:
ST GEORGE, NEW SOUTH WALES

– My question is directed to the Minister for Defence. Has the Malaysian Government proposed that the Royal Australian Air Force base at Butterworth be used jointly with the Royal Malaysian Air Force? To give effect to this proposal has the Malaysian Government asked the Australian Government to withdraw 1 of its Mirage squadrons? In view of the inadequate facilities at the Mirage base at Williamtown, where does the Government propose to locate the squadron if it is withdrawn from Malaysia?

Mr Malcolm Fraser:
WANNON, VICTORIA · LP

– Since before the honourable member for St George came into this place he has quite consistently sought to read a lack of confidence into the post 1971 arrangements being worked out by the 4 powers in the region, together with the United Kingdom. In doing this he has had no regard to fact or opinion in Singapore and Malaysia and, I believe, has had no regard to the general support in Australia for the policies which were originally announced by the Prime Minister on 25th February 1969. In answer to the honourable member’s question specifically, a number of the facilities at Butterworth will be jointly used, between the Royal Australian Air Force and the Malaysian Air Force. No, the Malaysian Government has not asked that one of our squadrons be withdrawn and the 2 squadrons will be remaining there. Arrangements are far advanced in detailed examination of the questions raised by the joint usership of the Butterworth facilities and I am quite certain that the discussions will continue and a satisfactory conclusion to the matters involved in these arrangements will be reached.

I would like to give an example of the way in which the honourable member for St George has sought to mislead the House and the Australian people regarding the circumstances surrounding the establishment and stationing of our troops in the Malaysia/ Singapore region! He has said, for example, that our troops are in very inadequate and sub-standard temporary accommodation in Singapore at present. On my recent visit to Vietnam I diverted sufficiently long to examine not only the areas in which our troops are now located but also to see the areas which are likely to be the permanent locaton of our forces. There have been no complaints from the Australian servicemen involved. The facilities they are now in are good and the facilities they are probably going to are excellent. There is no complaint on this score from anyone in the Australian Army. This is just another example of the way the honourable member for St George has quite deliberately sought to use his alleged knowledge of the Malaysia-Singapore region to mislead this Parliament and the Australian people in regard to the arrangements made in that area.

page 1514

QUESTION

VIETNAM

Mr BROWN:
DIAMOND VALLEY, VICTORIA

– I ask the Minister for External Affairs whether the United States of America signed either of the Geneva Agreements on Vietnam and whether South Vietnam signed either of those Agreements, as the honourable member for St George said in a recent debate they did? Has Australia aided and abetted South Vietnam in the breach of any agreement relating to Vietnam, as the honourable member for St George has also alleged? If the answers to these questions are no, will the Minister do his best to ensure that in the future officers in his Department are better informed about such obvious facts of international affairs than the honourable member for St George clearly is?

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

– Neither the United States nor the South Vietnamese signed the Geneva Agreement of 1954 or the Accords of 1962. Therefore the statements made by the honourable member for St. George are inaccurate. What did happen was that the United States, consistently with the United Nations Charter, declared that it would abide by the provisions of the United Nations Charter. But it went on to say, consistently with the United Nations Charter, that if there was a breach of the peace or a threat of a breach of the peace it would regard this matter as of great concern.

The second point raised was whether the South Vietnamese Government signed the Agreement. It did not sign the Agreement and therefore the honourable gentleman was again wrong. The South Vietnam Government did make a declaration saying that it would do all in its power to ensure that there was peace throughout the whole of Vietnam. It went on to protest against the Agreement that had been made because it said it was contrary to the long term interests and the wishes of the people of South Vietnam who had a right to independence and freedom and did not want aggression within their own territory. The simple fact is that the Agreement and the Accords of 1962 were violated and flagrantly abused by the North Vietnamese Government and the Vietcong. That is where the responsibility lies. The honourable gentleman asked whether Australia aided and abetted the breach of the Agreement. I repeat that the violation of these Agreements came from the North.

As to the last part of the honourable gentleman’s question, which related to the standard of efficiency of the Department, I want it to be known that I do not regard the honourable member for St. George as reflecting either the standard of efficiency or the integrity of the Department that I have the honour to administer. If he wants one other illustration of his lack of capacity for the truth I will mention what happened when he asked for permission to make a personal explanation. He said that he had written that part of the document which related to aid to Indonesia. He had nothing whatever to do with the collection of the facts or the writing of the document. He happened to be in the information and distribution section where he had the responsibility for distributing and editing it, but he had not part whatever to do with the collection of the information or the presentation of the facts.

page 1515

QUESTION

PHANTOM AIRCRAFT

Mr BARNARD:
BASS, TASMANIA

– My question is directed to the Minister for Defence. Does the American offer of 24 Phantom aircraft on an interim basis include reconnaissance aircraft? What arrangements for the provision of missiles are included in the offer? Is the Minister able to say how much the offer would cost Australia on the basis of a yearly lease?

Mr Malcolm Fraser:
WANNON, VICTORIA · LP

– I am at present finalising a detailed submission to the Cabinet and a report on the mission to the United States of America. Following decisions made by the Cabinet a full statement will be made to the Parliament concerning the need for a strike bomber capability in the Royal Australian Air Force. I believe that when that statement is made the question that the honourable member wishes to have answered will in fact be answered.

page 1515

QUESTION

ELECTORAL

Mr GARLAND:
CURTIN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

– I ask the AttorneyGeneral whether there is any truth in the allegation that a Mr K. Enderby, who I believe is a candidate for Australian Labor Party preselection, told a joint meeting of ALP branches that the AttorneyGeneral’s Department gave orders to a Canberra magistrate in relation to a part heard case on which he had been sitting.

Mr HUGHES:
Attorney-General · BEROWRA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

- Mr Speaker, I have seen in the ‘Canberra Times’ this morning the report containing allegations of that charac. ter. I have no hesitation whatsoever in characterising them as unfounded and as reflecting little credit on the person who is reported to have made them. I think that the House ought to know the true facts since an untrue statement has been made.

The true facts, which I put before the House in answer to the question, are these: When Mr Hermes, a gentleman who has given very good service to this community not only as a magistrate but also in connection with other public activities, had it in mind to consider offering himself as a parliamentary candidate or a candidate for pre-selection, he had discussions with the Deputy Secretary of my Department - and very properly had discussions which he sought himself - concerning the procedures which might have to be adopted if he should go ahead with his decision to offer himself as a candidate.

In the course of those discussions, very properly and very naturally, Mr Hermes raised with the Deputy Secretary of my Department the fact that there were certain outstanding cases in which judgment had been reserved. One of those cases involved charges against somebody said to have taken part in a political demonstration directed against the United States Embassy late last year. Mr Hermes, having, as I should tell the House, set 27th April as the date for delivering judgment in that case, had to consider what he would do about this judgment: Would he bring forward the date of giving judgment or would he decide, on the other hand, that in all the circumstances he, having offered himself as a political candidate, should decline to give judgment?

Mr Whitlam:

– There can be no doubt as to the proper course. Did he need to take advice?

Mr SPEAKER:
Mr Hughes:

– That is an interjection that is unworthy, if I may say so, of my honourable and learned friend.

Mr Whitlam:

– Fancy a magistrate asking a public servant as to how he should carry out his job.

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! I would suggest that both honourable gentlemen have been in this chamber long enough to know that they should be addressing the Chair and that interjections across the table are completely out of order.

Mr HUGHES:

– I shall proceed to deal with the substance of the question, disregarding the unseemly interjections of my honourable friend. I state that Mr Hermes sought to have discussions on this position and that he did so himself, there being no initiative from my Department whatsoever. 1 think that it was perfectly proper for him to seek and have a discussion with the Deputy Secretary of my Department because the situation was an unusual one. If my honourable and learned friend, the Leader of the Opposition, would take time to think about it, it can be said that 2 heads are sometimes better than one on any difficult problem.

The position might be looked at, I think, in perspective. Let us suppose that the learned magistrate had decided to bring forward the date of giving judgment and had given it, and that the judgment had gone a certain way. I have no doubt that, if that happened, this person - Mr Enderby - would have denounced the magistrate for having given the decision, assuming it had gone a certain way, from political bias. That would be the sort of allegation that would be made having regard to the character of the allegation - the quite unfounded allegation - that was made or reported to have been made by Mr Enderby.

Those are the relevant circumstances. I repeat that no direction whatsoever, as alleged, was given by anyone in my Department to Mr Hermes. This allegation, if truly reported, is nothing but an unworthy and unfounded effort to smear a gentleman - because there is an imputation against Mr Hermes - a gentleman whom the other side, including Mr Enderby, knows to be a particularly outstanding candidate. That is the substance and the purpose of this allegation.

Mr Uren:

– I rise to order. Mr Speaker, I ask you seriously to consider whether the reply being given by the AttorneyGeneral was not an abuse of question time. The length of the reply and the arguments put in debate clearly show that he was making a statement. Under the Standing Orders, if he asks for leave, he can make a statement immediately after question time. He would have been given leave, but he is abusing question time.

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! There is no substance in the point of order. I have repeatedly said in this chamber that Ministers may answer questions in a manner they think fit provided that the answer is relevant to the question that is being asked. I might say, as I have said before, that many questions are too long and that, most assuredly, many of the answers are far too long. I would also say that interjections on both sides of the House are becoming far too frequent.

I suggest to honourable members that they bear in mind the fact that question time provides them with the opportunity to seek information that is very valuable to all private members on both sides of the House. There has been a lot of time wasting in question time, and I suggest to all honourable members that they keep the length of their questions to a minimum and I suggest to the Ministers that they keep their answers as concise as possible. I ask the Ministers to take notice of what I suggested to them at the end of last year and again earlier this year, namely, when a question is long and involved the Minister may ask for leave to make a statement in answer to the question after question time. Some members apparently think that question time is a time when they can ask questions which are irrelevant under the Standing Orders. Up to this stage, with some of the new members, I have been somewhat understanding. I want to say that when we resume in May the Standing Orders relating to* question time will be strictly adhered to. I have taken the opportunity from time to time to speak to some of the new members and tell them how they can put their questions into order. I now suggest that the House come to order and that in future question time be observed as a time for obtaining information based on fact.

page 1516

QUESTION

CANBERRA MAGISTRATE

Mr WHITLAM:

– I ask the AttorneyGeneral a question supplementary to that which he has just answered. Did the Deputy Secretary of his Department or any other official of his Department know before the conversation between the Deputy Secretary and Mr Hermes to which he has referred that Mr Hermes was a member of the Liberal Party while he was discharging the functions of a magistrate in the Australian Capital Territory? I also ask the

Attorney-General: Does he know of any instance of what might be called a ‘political case’, a Vietnam case, in which the applicants or defendants or their counsel were informed of the fact that Mr Hermes, who was hearing the case, was a member of the Liberal Party?

Mr HUGHES:
LP

– The answer to the first part of the honourable gentleman’s question is that I do not know.

Mr Bryant:

– You were quite knowledgeable earlier.

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! I have already asked honourable members for their co-operation in respect of interjections. I want to tell the House that I intend to uphold the decision I have made.

Mr HUGHES:

– I would answer the second part of the honourable gentleman’s question by saying that if his question is intended to convey an innuendo that Mr Hermes might be biased in his approach to the treatment of a particular case because of his political beliefs, that is, I believe, a thoroughly unworthy and somewhat scurrilous suggestion and it would have been better if it had not been made.

page 1517

QUESTION

WOOL

Mr HALLETT:
CANNING, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

– My question is direced to the Minister for Primary Industry. Since the Australian Woolgrowers and Graziers Council, the Australian Wool and Meat Producers Federation and the Australian Wool Industry Conference have unanimously recommended the establishment of a single wool marketing authority, will the Minister now confer with the industry leaders? Can the Minister inform the House of the steps the Government will take to implement the decision? Finally, can the Minister give any indication as to when the proposed wool marketing authority could be in operation?

Mr ANTHONY:
CP

– I have read in the newspapers a report that 2 major wool growing organisations - the Australian Woolgrowers and Graziers Council and the Australian Wool and Meat Producers Federation - have unanimously supported the proposal that there be a single marketing authority for the handling of the Australian wool clip and that this opinion has been supported unanimously by the

Australian Wool Industry Conference. I have not had any negotiations with or received any direct information from these bodies, but I expect I will do so in the very near future. It is not quite clear what they have in mind as to how this authority might be operated or what might be the functions of the authority. I think it is clearly recognised now throughout the industry that the present auctions system is rather out of date for modern merchandising methods and requirements. What the organisations have in mind is some strengthening of the proposal that was put for the interlocking of one, two and three bales, that there be standards for clip preparation and presentation; that there ought to be some development of other methods of selling wool apart from the auction system; and that there be methods of negotiating sales and contract arrangements under which the user might be assured of continuity of supplies over a period of time at some agreed price. I think this is the sort of proposal they have in mind.

My Department stands ready to aid the wool industry organisations and the Australian Wool Board in the preparation of proposals that might be practicable, workable and sensible. I think that in the course of supplying this information they will come forward with their recommendations whatever they might be. I would like to take this opportunity to say it is very pleasing indeed, and I am sure a great relief to everybody in the wool industry, that for the first time there is agreement between the wool industry organisations. For too many years the industry has been divided. There has been great acrimony and dissension on the question of the marketing of wool, and now for the first time we see them getting together and putting forward a proposal, and I hope it will be acceptable to the Government.

page 1517

QUESTION

PERMANENT BUILDING SOCIETIES

Mr UREN:

– I direct my question to the Treasurer. Does he recall! the permanent building societies making representations that the amount of money required by statute to be placed in a reserve fund should be treated as an allowable deduction for taxation purposes? I might say that this is already the position in the United States of America. Is he aware that since the Reserve

Bank increased interest rates by one-half of 1% the finance available to permanent building societies at 6% is drying up? Is he also aware that unless some special consideration can be given to these societies many thousands of young families throughout Australia will be in a hopeless position in trying to acquire a home?

Mr Buchanan:

– Mr Speaker, I rise to order. You have reminded the House that questions should seek information. The honourable member for Reid is the greatest breaker of the rule.

Mr SPEAKER:

– What is the point of order?

Mr Buchanan:

– The question is not seeking information; it. is trying to get across some propaganda.

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! The question seeks information from the Treasurer. I call the Treasurer.

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

– The representations which were made to me, and to which the honourable member for Reid has referred, concerned particularly the difficult position in which some of the terminating building societies find themselves. I have looked at these representations and they will be taken into consideration. The honourable member might also note that in recent months the permanent building societies for quite a period exceeded the provision of funds by the savings banks for the first time, so they have been flourishing considerably. The general overall position is that with rising money rates it is not possible to get the public to subscribe to these or other institutions except by offering a higher rate of interest.

page 1518

QUESTION

DR H. V. EVATT

Mr McLEAY:
BOOTHBY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

– I address a question to the Attorney-General. Was the Right Honourable Dr H. V. Evatt a member of the Australian Labor Party while sitting on and before leaving the bench to contest a seat in this Parliament on behalf of that Party? Did he later resign from the Labor Party before being appointed by a Labor government to the Supreme Court of an Australian State?

Mr HUGHES:
LP

– In answer to the honourable member’s question, which is really twofold, I would say, as to the first part, that frankly I do not know. I therefore do not offer to state any firm position on that. The answer to the second part is that as I understand the position - I hope I will be corrected by anyone who has a different view - the late Dr Evatt did resign from this Parliament to take up a position as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. That is the fact and, of course, there was nothing wrong with it.

page 1518

QUESTION

VIETNAM MORATORIUM CAMPAIGN

Mr BRYANT:

– My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Earlier in question time the right honourable gentleman regretted that he was unable to get his Party’s view and the Government’s view on the Vietnam Moratorium across to the secondary school children of Australia. If his regrets are sincere, why is it that no member of the parliamentary Liberal Party will accept an invitation to discuss the matter in public - in schools or anywhere else? If discussions can be arranged will the Prime Minister ensure that a member of the parliamentary Liberal Party will attend to put ‘the point of view of the Prime Minister and his Government? Could he arrange, while doing that, for the honourable member for Diamond Valley to attend and explain why he sends other people to wars to which he will not go himself?

Mr SPEAKER:

– Order! The final part of the question is out of order.

Mr GORTON:
LP

– As usual, the honourable member has not quoted correctly. I did not regret that the Liberal Party was unable to get its message across to school children. What I did say, and I believe it to be quite accurate, is that there is a concerted attempt not to present a question for decision but to present a distorted, inaccurate and false case deliberately entered into not for the purpose of instruction but for the purpose of propaganda by the honourable member.

Mr Bryant:

– I rise on a point of order. I refer to standing order 145 which states that an answer shall be relevant to the question. I asked the right honourable gentleman - and I put it again - whether he would ensure that some member of the parliamentary Liberal Party was available to take part in discussions in an open manner on this subject.

Mr SPEAKER:

– Order! There is no substance to the point of order. I have said that the answer shall be relevant. In my view the answer is relevant to the question the honourable member asked.

Mr GORTON:

– I can quite understand why the honourable member thinks it is not relevant, because it is true and he does not like it. It is also relevant -

Dr Everingham:

– I rise to order. My point of order is that the Prime Minister did not have your authority, Mr Speaker, or the leave of the House to make a statement.

Mr SPEAKER:

-Order! The point of order is not upheld. This is bordering on the frivolous.

Mr GORTON:

– It is indeed just as relevant as the attempt by the honourable member - relevant entirely to what he is doing in this matter to try to call school children out into the streets, to take the streets over and prevent their functioning, which is not a matter of instruction but a matter of attempting to use school children as demonstrators for one political party’s purpose. There is opportunity for the Government’s case on Vietnam, for the people of Australia’s case on Vietnam to be known. There is no need for a member of the Liberal Party to go with a member of the Moratorium Committee, and indeed if that were to happen then those members of the Liberal Party who went would, as they always do, be seeking to present arguments for decision by students. Those members of the Moratorium would be seeking to suppress facts and to bring false facts forward, and in that kind of position no proper debate is possible,

page 1519

MIGRANT EDUCATION

Ministerial Statement

Mr LYNCH:
Minister for Immigration · Flinders · LP

– by leave - Mr Speaker, one of the major new immigration initiatives to be taken by the Government in the course of this Parliament is in the area of migrant education - an area vital to the effective integration of migrants into the Australian community. The Government has approved details of a comprehensive programme of migrant education which will strengthen existing provisions and give effect to the policy announced by the Prime Minister (Mr Gorton) on 8th October 1969 of Commonwealth financial support for new, improved and expanded facilities for the instruction of child and adult migrants in the English language. 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.

New areas of need have become evident, and whilst there have been practical reasons in the past to concentrate on speaking and understanding the English language, the comprehensive programme now proposed will provide for more emphasis in the future to be placed on reading and writing English, on meeting the individual needs of migrants and on their citizenship education. In recent years there has been increasing public concern over the extent to which migrant children are handicapped by English language difficulty - particularly in school subjects in which verbal communication between pupil and teacher plays a predominant part. The Government has therefore decided on important new initiatives to enable special help to be given to schools in which there are migrant children with English language problems. The comprehensive programme will provide for: The expansion of existing facilities for the instruction of adult migrants; the provision of intensive full time English language courses for those who must know English so that they can be employed in the occupations and professions for which they have been trained and are qualified; and classes for migrant school children with English language difficulties. I wish to inform the House of the details of the programme.

Adult Programme

Provision of educational services to enable adult migrants to learn the English language began in 1947 - in the opening days of the post war immigration schemes.

The teaching methods then used have over the years been developed into what is now known as the Australian Situational Method. In using this method teachers employ everyday situations to develop in migrant students .the use of sentence patterns in preference to translation of single words and phrases. The programme commences with language instruction in the source country before embarkation, it is continued on ships carrying non-English speaking migrants during the voyage to Australia and is followed by continuation classes, correspondence lessons and radio and television broadcasts for migrants in the Australian community.

The Department of Immigration has the responsiblity for the development, management and cost of the scheme. The Department of Education and Science is responsible for professional and technical advice to the Department of Immigration, and for the development of special teaching methods and materials and for the guidance of teachers in their use. By agreement between the Commonwealth and State Governments in 1951, the State Education Departments have responsibility for enrolling adult students in continuation classes and correspondence courses, for the appointment of teachers, the provision of classroom facilities, correcting correspondence lessons and supervising the day-to-day operations of these courses.

Since the inception of the programme in 1947 to 1969, an estimated 708,000 migrants have attended the preembarkation, shipboard, continuation or correspondence courses. Regrettably however only a minority of migrants complete the correspondence and continuation courses. At November 1969, 14,840 migrants were enrolled in 1,053 continuation classes throughout Australia, and 7,780 migrants were taking correspondence courses. In recent years the expenditure on the adult migrant programme has been slightly in excess of Sim annually.

The Commonwealth has for some time been concerned about the difficulties being encountered by migrant children and adult migrants in learning the English language. Therefore early in 1968 on the initiative of my predecessor, arrangements were made for the Division of Research and Planning of the New South Wales Education Department, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Department of Education and Science and my Department, to undertake an investigation in New South Wales into the efficacy of the existing provisions for teaching English to migrants and migrant children. The New South Wales survey was complemented by surveys undertaken by the Department of Immigration into the language problems of adolescents and migrant women and into factors causing non-attendance of adult migrants at continuation classes.

The survey reports on adult migrant education indicated a desire among migrants for the provision of more opportunities for developing quickly, conversational skills and for learning more of the Australian way of life. Findings also indicated that adult migrants with inadequate English faced difficulties in finding suitable employment and in establishing and maintaining social relationships with other members of the community. As part of the expansion of the facilities for the instruction of adult migrants, we have initiated a major review of the adult education programme in source countries where pre-embarkation instruction is given, on migrant carrying ships and in the community after the migrant’s arrival.

The Government will extend language instruction to those European source countries where no provision is currently made (in particular to Yugoslavia and the Scandinavian areas) and will increase the number of shipboard education officers. In Australia, special attention will be given to the needs of individual groups of migrants; greater use will be made of advanced teaching techniques; and measures already taken to encourage industry to establish language classes at the work place will be intensified. Facilities for the instruction of migrants in reception centres, in hostels and in the community will be expanded. The estimated additional cost during the full financial year of the above programme will be $420,000, increasing expenditure by the Commonwealth on adult migrant education from the current figure of $1.2m to in excess of $1.6m annually.

Intensive Courses

The first full time intensive course of English language instruction arranged by the Department of Immigration in conjunction with the Department of Education and Science (which involved students in full time intensive study for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week for 8 weeks) was held early in 1969 at the University of New South Wales for a group of professional Czech migrants. The value of the intensive course of language instruction for professional and other well qualified non-English speaking migrants was quickly recognised, and already intensive courses are being conducted on a continuing basis at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the Sydney Technical College. During the calendar year 1970, it is expected that 5 courses will be held at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with 20 students on each course and at Sydney Technical College 3 courses will be arranged with 60 students per course.

Courses have been held during the last University vacation at the universities of New South Wales, Adelaide and Monash, catering for 145 migrants. Initially enrolment in the intensive courses was confined to migrants who have had professional training and who require a competence in English to enable them to continue their studies or to pursue their profession or occupation. Henceforth enrolment will be open to those who require a good knowledge of English to be suitably employed and who would be able to benefit from intensive instruction. Students attending the intensive courses are provided with postcourse guidance in securing suitable employment or in furthering their studies. Living allowances are paid to migrants undertaking an approved intensive course, to assist them in maintaining themselves and their dependants for the duration of the course.

The Commonwealth will provide additional centres for intensive English language courses in Sydney and Melbourne, and these facilities will be extended to other capital cities and to provincial areas of high migrant density. It is expected that Commonwealth expenditure on intensive courses will, subject to budgetary considerations, rise from $127,000 in the current financial year to approximately $1.3m in the financial year 1970-71.

Child Migrant Education

The surveys undertaken by the New South Wales Education Department in collaboration with the Commonwealth authorities in 1968-69 disclosed that approximately 32% of migrant children attending New South Wales government and independent schools at the time of the survey were handicapped in varying degrees by some type of English language difficulty. A large proportion of these children came from homes in which English was never or rarely spoken. Difficulties were experienced by children in reading, writing and speaking. Comprehension also proved to be a major persistent difficulty affecting migrant children, especially in those school subjects where verbal communication between pupil and teacher was most important. With the release late in 1969 of the results of the survey, discussions were held between State and Commonwealth officers on the nature of provisions that would give most help tochild migrants at school. Following these discussions the States submitted statements containing their assessments of needs for the education of migrant children.

Against this background and with a full appreciation of the problems confronting: migrant children and the schools in which they are enrolled the Government has. decided to finance over the next 5 years the following projects in relation to existing Government and independant schools: The salary costs of teachers employed to teach migrant children in special classes, and the necessary supervisory staff; special training courses for teachers in the method of teaching English as a foreign language; the provision of approved capital equipment of the language laboratory type for special classes; and the provision of suitable teaching and learning materials.

So that the programme can proceed as a matter of urgency funds will be available to finance approved projects at Government and independant schools for the remainder of the current financial year and” subject to budgetary considerations it isexpected that expenditure in the financial year 1970-71 will be to the order of $lm. The Commonwealth will be responsible for arranging the special trainingcourses for teachers. It will be responsible also for the production and provision of suitable teaching and learning materials which will be available not only for teachers and migrants in special classes but also ior migrant children and their teachers in schools where special classes have not been formed. The estimated cost of these two items in the remainder of the financial year and for the financial year 1970-71 is $250,000. The expenditure under these 2 items will be administered directly by the Commonwealth.

For the two remaining items under the child migrant education programme - salaries of teachers and of supervisory staff and approved capital equipment - funds will be available to finance approved projects at government and independent schools in the States for the remainder of the current financial year. It is expected that for these two items funds to the order of $800,000 will be required for the financial year 1970-71.

Research

There is need for important research in the fields of both adult and child migrant education. Some surveys have already been conducted and others will be carried out by the two Commonwealth departments concerned in conjunction with research units of the State Education Departments and of appropriate tertiary institutions. The Department of Immigration will assess the need to extend its normal integration services, through the provision of interpreters and welfare officers, to meet the requirements of the child migrant education programme.

Conclusion

In summary, the Government believes that it is a matter of national importance that migrants, both adults and school children, should toe given every opportunity to learn English. Recent experience has shown that language difficulty has resulted in some denial of economic and social opportunity for migrants. The Government intends to reduce, and as far as humanly possible to eliminate, this barrier to the equality of opportunity, so that migrants will fulfil their expectations and share with us the wealth of our land.

The child migrant programme will initially be for a period of 5 years, when it will be subject to review. The funds avail able during the later years of the 5-year period will be determined in the context of government Budgets at the time, but it is expected that expenditure to the order of $1.5m annually will be incurred. The increase in the facilities for the instruction of adult migrants in intensive courses and the provision of language laboratory type equipment for schools in major centres of population will, with the approval of the State Departments of Education, enable adult migrants to obtain accelerated language instruction on a part time basis - inafterschool hours and in the evenings in schoolrooms and at centres of intensive instruction. Married women with families, workers in industry and others with limited time available for study should all benefit from an increased provision in the Australian community of more sophisticated facilities for language instruction.

Legislation

I propose shortly to introduce into the House a Bill to provide legislative authority for the migrant education programme. We are spending some $1.5m on migrant education in the 1969-70 financial year. Consequent upon the development of the programme to which this paper has earlier referred we expect during the financial year 1970-71 to spend, subject to budgetary considerations, funds to the order of $4m. It is expected that funds to the order of $16m will be required over the next 4 financial years. I present the following paper.

Migrant Education - Ministerial Statement, 23 April 1970

Motion (by Mr Killen) proposed:

That the House take note of the paper.

Mr DALY:
Grayndler

– The Minister for Immigration (Mr Lynch) has been good enough to outline to the Parliament proposals dealing with migrant education to which he will give legislative effect in the near future. Therefore at this stage I do not propose to speak at great length on the subject. No doubt I and other honourable members will have the opportunity later to discuss this matter which, I believe, is of vital interest. However at this stage I do wish to make a few broad comments about the Minister’s statement

I thank the Minister for this early advice on a subject which we can now investigate more fully before the proposals come before the Parliament. The Government’s proposal is a forward step in the fulfilment of our ideals and aspirations in the field of immigration. I believe, as does the Minister, that a more comprehensive programme is very necessary at this stage. The programme he has outlined may have some weaknesses which will be shown up in debate or by trial and error but at this stage it appears to have been well planned, both financially and organisationally, in co-operation with the States and those who will be responsible for putting it into effect.

I believe that a lack of knowledge of the language of the country sponsoring a great migration programme is the greatest barrier to the integration of migrants and their social and economic success. This is true not only in Australia but in other countries with immigration programmes. I believe that for social, economic and integration purposes there is a real need in Australia to teach the English language at every level. The Minister’s statement that the Government will enlarge the child education programme and will extend it to include adults, both before and after entry, is something which all honourable members must welcome. I am pleased also to note that evidently the Minister and the Department of Immigration are taking note of submissions made in this Parliament and at immigration conventions, and by interested organisations, about the need for something to be done in the field of education. I hope that his ambitions in this respect will be fulfilled.

The Minister has announced that a number of surveys have been made. At this stage I do not know whether the results of those surveys have been made available to the Parliament, but I think all honourable members would be entitled to study them in detail. Undoubtedly they contain some very vital information. I am reminded particularly of the problem associated with the education of the children of migrants. My colleague the honourable member for Reid (Mr Uren) in whose electorate the Villawood hostel is situated, has told me that there is a big influx of migrant children to the schools in his area. A tremendous problem faces the children concerned. This influx also presents a grave problem for the teachers. That is why the financial arrangements outlined by the Minister in relation to training courses and other aspects of education should be welcomed by all members of the Parliament.

I have had first hand experience of the migration education programme to date, having studied what happens overseas and what is done on shipboard. I have also studied programmes in other countries. I think the programme is commendable as far as it goes but there is room for considerable improvement. At the Australian Citizenship Convention in January 1970 Mr Arvi Parbo, General Manager of the Western Mining Corporation, dealt with this problem of language. He said:

The first, most obvious, and most severe problem area for many migrants is language.

He said there were other problems. He continued:

Learning to communicate in a new language, difficult as it is, is only one of the problems created by language difficulties. An example of others is the loss of understanding that often develops between migrant families and their children.

Further on he said:

The children normally become fluent in English within a short time and, although often retaining a proficiency in their native language, soon come to regard English as their ‘first’ language.

He went on along those lines. I believe that written into this legislation that is to be brought down will be many of the sentiments expressed by that gentleman who speaks from first hand knowledge of the problem. I am reminded also of what was said at that Convention by Miss Olive Nichols, District Inspector of Schools in the Sydney city area for the New South Wales Department of Education. She delivered a paper on this matter in which she said:

These children of foreign origin, proficient in their own tongue and able to communicate in the home situation, have now to adjust themselves to an environment where it becomes necessary to learn a completely new set of speech habits, the sounds, structures and vocabulary of their initial language being of little or no use to them.

That is the child’s problem. But the teacher has just as big a problem in endeavouring to convey his impressions or his knowledge to the child. Evidently these papers delivered at that Convention, as well as other moves, have had a significant effect in respect of the programme that the Minister has outlined. Whilst we deal with the problems of children and teachers and questions relating to the social and economic integration of migrants, at this stage there appears to be a much more lively interest being taken by the Government and organisations in the education of adult migrants. I refer to a paper that was presented to the Citizenship Convention held this year in Canberra by Professor W. F. Connell, head of the Department of Education at Sydney University. He said that a survey by the Department of Immigration indicated that about one-third of foreign born migrants cannot speak English and that departmental English classes assist only a small proportion of them. He also said.

It appears that many past arrivals have remained largely ignorant of the English language and that, so far from catching up with this backlog of students, present classes are not catching the numbers of recent arrivals. It appears that the language programme is steadily slipping backwards.

He went on to say that women and migrants in the age group 30 to 39 years are largely missing from numbers attending English classes. He suggested that more women might be encouraged to attend if there were morning classes and more teachers.

It is significant that he suggested many of the reforms that are proposed in the legislation outlined by the Minister. They include question of subsidy, part time or full time for some of them, and an intensive programme not only for those with professional qualifications but also for others who have ability and knowledge but are debarred from taking advantage of it by reason of their lack of English. It is inevitable that these proposals cannot be implemented without the expenditure of money. One aspect of the migration programme that appears to come under criticism at this stage is that, whilst thousands of migrants are being brought to the country, the States are not being given a commensurate amount of money to provide education, housing and other factors associated with a great migration programme. This has not been forgotten in the legislation the Minister indicated will be introduced. If this programme is fulfilled in the way that the Minister has outlined today and comes to fruition as he has said, it undoubtedly will be a forward step in providing for the education of migrants and their integration into the community.

As I mentioned earlier, I do not wish to speak at greater length at this stage. I see the Leader of the House (Mr Snedden) come to the table. I hope that he will not want to curtail my oration in the debate that will take place on the legislation as he evidently does now. I hope he will give full opportunity to every member of this Parliament who wants to speak on this programme to do so when a debate takes place because I know of no programme which has greater continuity of support from members on all sides of the Parliament. I believe a full scale debate on this programme, whilst some criticism might be levelled at certain aspects of it, would be very fruitful to the Minister, to the Department and to the country. With the assurance of the Minister for Immigration that he will not curtail the debate when it takes place, within reason, I will content myself with saying that we on this side of the House will welcome the legislation. At this stage I see no reason why it should be opposed - we may be able to improve it - and I join with the Minister in expressing the hope that it will allow the thousands of migrants who today suffer from not having a thorough understanding of the English language to integrate socially and economically and in every way take full advantage of the opportunities given to them in this country under the migration programme.

Mr UREN:
Reid

– I promise the Leader of the House that my comments will be brief because I know we have a difficult timetable to keep. As the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Daly) said, we on this side of the House welcome this proposal. Immigration has thrown a great burden on the States and on education in particular. I rise to bring before the Minister for Immigration (Mr Lynch) an immediate problem in regard to the Chester Hill Public School which is adjacent to the Villawood migrant hostel. I have made representations on this subject. A public meeting was held at the school because of the problem that has arisen. The residents of the area want some immediate relief. I hope the Minister, in co-operation with the State Department of Education, can bring some immediate relief to the Chester Hill Public School through these proposals he has placed before the House. There are great numbers of young migrants from the Villawood migrant hostel going to that school. Class loads have risen to over 40 when they should be under 30. We want to bring the best out of these migrant children and I ask the Minister to give the matter his consideration.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

page 1525

REPORT OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE

Mr DOBIE:
Cook

– As Chairman I present the 115 th Report of the Public Accounts Committee. Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Corbett:
MARANOA, QUEENSLAND

-There being no objection, leave is granted.

Mr DOBIE:

– in recent years your Committee has conducted a series of combined inquiries relating to expenditure from the Advance to the Treasurer and expenditure from the Consolidated Revenue Fund but has reported separately on both aspects of these inquiries. The 115th report relates specifically to evidence taken by your Seventh Committee concerning expenditure from the Advance to the Treasurer in 1968-69. Notwithstanding marked improvements that occurred in the quality of submissions tendered by departments, the inquiry conducted last year revealed instances of inadequate submissions having been made. Attention has been drawn to these where they have arisen.

The evidence taken relating to telegram and telephone services, particularly in buildings involving multi-occupancy, justifies further the action taken by the Department of the Treasury in 1968 in requesting departments to analyse their telephone accounts with a view to isolating the factors that have contributed to increase allocations for telephone purposes. Your Committee is also concerned by evidence tendered to the effect that the Department of the Interior is unable to assess the dates on which telephone accounts will be received. In this regard we would invite attention to paragraph 114 of our 84th report- We believe that any department confronted with that difficulty should discuss its problems with the Postmaster- General’s Department with a view to obtaining accounts on a regular basis acceptable to both departments. The evidence also reflects a need for departments that are required to pay electricity accounts to ascertain from the electricity authorities concerned the cyclical arrangements that are applied in the issuing of electricity accounts to assist them with their reviews of expenditure and the formulation of their estimates.

Arising from the evidence relating to the acquisition of a site in north Queensland for the Department of National Development, your Committee has expressed the view that where the Department of the Treasury has approved the inclusion of a project in the acquisition programme pending additional estimates, it should obtain from the Department of the Interior a report on the status of the project for consideration when the additional estimates are being framed. We further believe that the principle involved in this case has a wider application. As in previous inquiries of this type the evidence has shown continued misunderstandings that arise in administrative operations. We believe that departments must at all times be vigilant to ensure that human errors of this type and the consequences that arise from them are kept to a minimum. I commend the report to honourable members and move that it be printed.

Ordered that the report be printed.

page 1525

SPECIAL ADJOURNMENT

Motion (by Mr Wentworth) agreed to:

That the House, at its rising, adjourn until Tuesday, 5 May at 2 p.m.

page 1525

QUESTION

RURAL INDUSTRIES

Mr JEFF BATE:
Macarthur

– I move:

Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a sad day for the Australian rural industries. In 1952 the Government officially announced that the rural industries must be expanded and production targets were arrived at. This followed a big loss in rural production during the war when enlistments from rural industries were very heavy. The rural industries made substantial contributions to the war effort of 1939-45. lt was apparent when this Government came to power at the end of 1949 that something had to be done because the economy depended so tremendously on export income, 90% of which was provided by the rural industries. I do not mean the primary industries only, because I suppose the extractive mining industries could call themselves primary. For the best part of 200 years the rural industries have given Australia its export income and have played a part in the balance of trade. What is the importance of the balance of trade and balance of payments? No country can exist without an export income. No country can develop without it. If there is a deficit in the balance of payments then there will be unemployment in that country. This happened in Great Britain.

In 1952 Australia needed an expansion in rural industry. Everything possible was done, including the giving of taxation concessions and help with fertilisers, to aid the man on the land to produce the export income which Australia so badly needed. As I said before, 90% of the total export income came from rural industry. Rural industries are important because of their contribution to the consumption sector. Some years ago in America it was proved that the farm sector, or the farm bloc, was the principal consuming bloc and gave employment to a tremendous number of American businesses and industries. In this country when we look at the rural sector we tend to forget that the agricultural servicing industries are providing a tremendous amount of employment and wealth in the provision of tractors, cars, petrol, fertiliser and all kinds of services affecting rural industry. Although they may comprise only 10% of the total population, there are people who live in country towns or who work in the big factories in the cities, as well as seamen and waterside workers who are concerned with handling rural products, who depend upon the rural industries.

Today rural exports have fallen from 90% to 51% of the total. The value of rural exports rose from $927m in 1949 to just on $2,000m in 1966-67. I repeat that that was a most important contribution to Australia’s welfare. I repeat again and again that if we fall behind in our balance of trade and balance of payments, which we have done to the extent of 16,000m in the last 10 years, then we will be due for a terrible depression and gross unemployment. 1 am glad that the Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr McEwen) and the Minister for Primary Industry (Mr Anthony) are in the chamber to hear that. What has saved us in the last 10 years in regard to our balance of payments has been capital inflow of more than $6,000m because of opportunities in spheres other than the rural sphere. The character of the people in the rural industries is important. They are men of tremendous courage, men of great strength, who live with their first class wives in very tough conditions. General de Gaulle said that the farmers of France had in their keeping the character of France, the honour of France the defence of France and the glory of France. Unfortunately, due to technological changes, the farmers in the Common Market countries are now going to be depleted just as it seems that farmers in Australia are going to be depleted.

Let us look at the cost price squeeze. People in the wool industry tell me that the cost of shearing has risen in the last 10 years from 4% of the clip to 15%. The cost of shearing is $100m a year. This cost is doubling every 10 years. With the present trend in 20 years from today shearing will cost $400m, which will be 60% of the present value of the clip. That cost is added to by freights. Some people say that the wool industry subsidises the railways. They pay $4 a bale in freight. I am informed that the cost of freight on wool exported to Europe is about $100 a ton. This position ought to be looked at. The cost of handling wool is being looked at, but how can the industry or half of it survive if it is presented with higher costs and, in many cases today, lower returns? That is an example of the cost price squeeze.

In the dairy industry many factories are looking at the day when they will close. The recent wages flow-on cost I little factory $12,000. A previous decision on wages cost them $30,000. Rail freights have increased to $15 a ton for about 200 miles. Costs have become impossible. The only way the factory can keep going is to pay less to the farmer. That cannot happen, because the farmer has already borne too great a blow with the lower prices. The worst blow that the rural industries have suffered has been the effect of the Common Market policy. The House knows that it took the Common Market many years to decide on a common agricultural price policy. When it did, as far as I can find out, the brilliant agricultural economists put up proposals but the council of ministers could not afford to lower the price in any country. So eventually prices in the Common Market countries all rose to the level of the highest priced country, which was probably Germany. In order to hold these prices up the Common Market people, while lauding the idea of breaking down customs barriers inside the six, have put on import levies.

We are told that the Australian beef exports to Italy attract an import levy of 110%. In other words, beef is twice the price in Italy as it would be under free trade. The cost of butter exported to Germany and those countries that used to buy Australian butter and cheese, carries an import levy of 58.17c a pound. Because of the excessively high prices in the Common Market countries and because of the technological advances there has been tremendous production. We now know that there are literally mountains of butter and other products inside the Common Market countries. Whether Britain joins the Common Market or not - I hope that the wool people will remember this - the effect of surpluses is to deaden demand. When there is a huge surplus the buyer says: ‘lt is there. I am not in a hurry to get it, because I can pick it up when I want it’. This slows down demand. In ‘ addition, surpluses have affected world markets. We understand that the people in the Common Market are now dumping rural products such as flour in the Pacific countries. That is traditionally Australia’s market. The French, I understand, have closed Tahiti and Noumea. They are selling flour at $18 a ton over our price. Where they are competing with us, for instance in Fiji and other places, they sell flour at $18 a ton under our price. I understand that very high quality European butter is coming into Singapore, Hong Kong and those markets at about 10c to 13c a pound.

What has been our traditional marketing for over 100 years has been dealt a very serious blow. This is not the fault of the Australian farmer. This is a result of the technological revolution which has hit agricultural production in the highly developed countries. Of course, the Common Market countries will not escape this. Twenty million farmers a few years ago have been reduced to 15 million and soon there will be 5 million farmers left in the Common Market countries. This is what has happened to De Gaulle’s concept of the character of France and the glory of France. The farmers must be assisted to have larger holdings and to increase production. But surpluses are enormous, the markets there are shrinking and room is available for only 5 million farmers whereas there are in fact 20 million farmers.

So, what is the position of the producer in the world? In the highly developed parts of the world his numbers will go down. This change will alter the sociological situation in any nation. 1 think the House will agree that the people who till the soil and who belong to the rural sector of the community are much more patriotic than are intellectuals who can sell their brains and take their brains with them to some other country. The man who lives close to the soil is much more patriotic and more devoted to his country than other people are. I hope that I am not doing anybody an injury by saying that. But I strongly believe that the people who come from and work with the soil are the ones who have the character of the nation in their keeping. I think that this is true in Australia.

One of the matters to which I wish to draw the attention of the Government is the tremendous expansion in the rural indebtedness. In 1939 rural indebtedness was about $570m. It rose to $ 1,000m in 1962. The latest figures available to me show that in 1969 the indebtedness was just short of $2,000m. This is a problem to be faced by farmers in addition to the other costs including the increases in shearing costs and wages that I have mentioned. I am not criticising that element. What I am saying is that these are the problems which the rural producer meets. He cannot pass these costs onto his customers because his customers are getting less and less and are paying less and less.

So, the rural producer must shoulder the whole of the increased costs and he must service this $2,000m of rural debt. He must pay interest on it. He must repay what is owing in respect of drought relief. 1 think that the Commonwealth provided the best part of SI 00m in the last few years by way of drought relief and the State Governments are demanding repayment quickly at 3%. This means that the rural producer carries an enormous debt load. All his costs are rising. If the trend in wool costs continues, more than half of the value of the wool clip will go in paying shearing costs. Added to those costs must be the cost of handling and freight. I speak not only of freight to Europe but also of freight from country centres to the city. Increases in the cost of moving wool and the cost of the sale of the product continue. When costs of one sort and another have been met. the rural producer is left with very little return.

The next point that I wish to make concerns the dairy industry. It was my wish to move this motion some months ago. In the period between giving notice of the motion and making my speech on it, the Minister for Primary Industry has pointed out that the dairy industry is anticipating a production of 220,000 tons of butter and about 70.000 tons of cheese. Australia consumes about one half of this production. I recall a scheme which was known as the Paterson scheme.

Mr Robinson:

– Not the honourable member for Dawson?

Mr JEFF BATE:

– No. Mr Paterson was a former member for Gippsland. Before the war. he worked out a very neat little sum. At that time we exported I lb of butter for every 4 lb produced. In other words, we consumed 3 lb and exported I lb. The price of butter in Australia was ls 4d per lb. Butter cost ls per lb in London. So, this clever Mr Paterson took Id from the price of each 1 !t> consumed in Australia - in other words, he took 3d from each 3 lb consumed in Australia - and added that 3d to the London price of ls per lb. which made the London price per I lb. Is 3d. It was a nice arrangement. At this moment, wc are not exporting 1 lb for every 3 lb of butter consumed here. We are exporting 4 lb for every 3 lb consumed here. This has thrown the whole financial arrangement with regard to butter out of balance. Aggravating this complicated situation in the butter market, the price in London is gradually fall’ing. It now stands at 295s per cwt. For quite a while it was 300s per cwt. It has dropped by 5s a cwt. This decline is attributable to the effect of the European Common Market surpluses as well as the effects of not being able to sell a good deal of butter and the cost price squeeze on the dairy industry.

As the honourable member for Cowper (Mr Robinson), the honourable member for Lyne (Mr Lucock) and I well know, the anticipated closure of some dairy factories will lead to a very difficult situation in country districts. Of course, a parochial problem arises. If a dairy factory closes in a decent sized country town. 20 men lose their employment. If 20 men lose their employment, some of the shops, motor traders and other employers each might put a chap off. So, a town starts to go down hill when it loses its dairy factory. This is the kind of situation that must be faced.

I turn now to another matter related to the cost price squeeze. I have been trying to find out what is the cost to primary industries in Australia of tariff protection. This is a very difficult thing to establish. I understand that a Professor Gruen, of Monash University, is to carry out research involving a systematic analysis of alternative protective policies. This research will be done by Professor Gruen with the full time assistance of one research fellow and 3 research assistants. The study is to be financed by a grant of §27,384 from the Australian Research Grants Committee. When so much power and expense must be devoted to research into the subject of tariff protection, it is pretty difficult for 1 or 2 members of Parliament or for a committee concerned with primary industry to find out the facts in that connection. For many years, a number of committees including CEDA - the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia - has been trying to ascertain the effect of tariff protection or price supports. For instance, if I buy a weedicide called 245D, the position is this: As the result of the tariff on chemicals a few years ago I would pay $4,000 a ton in price support. Difficulties arise in getting this weedicide from other countries or in producing it here. A couple of drums would be purchased for a medium sized property. In buying that weedicide, I would pay per ton a total of $4,000 in price support. If all the tariffs applying to the rural sector were added up they would come to a very large sum indeed. I cite this fact because of the many attacks being made on price supports for farmers. I think that the total value of price supports for farmers would be less than $200m. I say the cost to the farmer of the various charges which are imposed on him would be in the realm of thousands of millions of dollars.

Mr Buchanan:

– That is not really true.

Mr JEFF BATE:

– The honourable member for McMillan says that that is not really true. My point is that we do not know, and $27,384 is to be paid to find the answer. Of course, the rural producer does receive a lot of assistance in various ways. At the same time, he is called upon to finance a lot of things that are happening in the community. The Minister for Social Services (Mr Wentworth) sometimes has been a bit cruel about dairy farmers and

Mr Wentworth:

– No. That is not right. I have tried to be kind. I have tried to help them.

Mr JEFF BATE:

– Since he has been Minister for Social Services, he has become a much more kindly man. He is listening to me now and I appreciate that very much. We are sensitive chaps, and there have been times when we have been terribly hurt by the honourable member for Bradfield (Mr Turner) and by what the Minister for Social Services used to be like. Since he has been a Minister his approach has been so much more kindly and helpful. He is a responsible member of the Government and we appreciate this coming from him.

I do not know how the honourable member for McMillan finds out that we are not paying very large tariff imports on the things we use in primary production. In some export industries there is a complete by-law protection of an import if it is immediately re-exported. This does not apply to the rural industries. If we import something and use it in production we do not get any by-law protection for that. If you make a Holden car and export it and you buy a part for it from overseas that part is imported completely free because it is to be re-exported. The Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr McEwen) might look at this one. Our committees are trying to examine the effect of Government policies, what the State governments do, and what local government authorities do with rates on the survival of the rural industries.

The Minister for Trade and Industry has made a desperate effort - I use the word ‘desperate’ because I think it is the right word - to see that our balance of payments is in surplus. It has been in surplus but not because of exports and imports. It has only been in surplus because we have had an enormous increase in capital inflow during the past 10 years. Our balance of payments, excluding capital inflow, was in deficit by $6,170m in the last year for which figures are available, 1969. Total exports were $14m above imports, but all the invisibles got us into trouble. Transportation came to a debit of $679m. A part of this, of course, was for transportation of wool. Income from transportation was about $390m.

There are a lot of items in Australia’s balance of payments which probably in the long run affect the primary producer and which the Government ought to be looking at. There are some things which should be in the Government’s purview which are much more important than whether we mess about with the 3-mile territorial limit or that kind of thing. The Commonwealth Government has duties to carry out, and some minor things are being done that ought not take up the time of the Government and the time of the House.

Mr Graham:

– What period of time do these figures cover?

Mr JEFF BATE:

– They relate to the last decade. We were $6,000m down in our balance of payments. Trade is different. The balance of payments includes everything. In trade - that is exports over imports - we were $14m to the good. We were saved by over $6,000m coming in for investment in Australia. This is because we came good with our minerals. Who started the development of our minerals? The farmers started this because they have always wanted to increase production and income for Australia. The graziers in the north west were promoting the iron province.

The Food and Agriculture Committee went to the Ord River and almost fell over the iron ore, but it took 3 years for our mining committee to get the export embargo on that mineral lifted. It is the rural people, the people in the outback, who have helped the mineral production, which will bring fantastic amounts because mineral markets and prices are increasing.

Because we have a good income from minerals, that does not mean that we should turn dog on the people who for 200 years have been supporting Australia and giving it its export income. This is what has happened in this country. The Press are as much to blame as anybody. We see headlines such as ‘Can We Afford the Farmer?’ This is a very nice situation to happen after the farmers have nourished Australia for all these years. They had a drop in production during the Second World War. Now the brilliant and clever chaps of the Press, who I can see looking at me, have turned around and have started to attack everything we try to do to increase production or to get more income for Australia.

Obviously a tremendous amount of attention has to be paid to the handling of the product, but the most important job is the presentation and marketing. It is not good enough to stick butter or cheese in a container and send it away. It has to be something that the buyer wants. Too long we have had this attitude of making 100 tons of butter, sticking it on a ship and saying: ‘We will get the money back’. Those days have passed. We must pay attention to marketing. 1 am very grateful to the Minister for Trade and Industry and the Minister for Primary Industry for being here. The marketing of this stuff is the important thing. We should give attention to the preparation of the wool clip and to finding the correct way to handle dairy produce and where to sell wheat. Meat, of course, has been the bonanza. I defy those people who say that there will be over-production of beef. I do not believe it. I moved that the Government take note of the plight of the rural industries, and I thank the House for bearing with me for 29 minutes.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Corbett)Is the motion seconded?

Mr Buchanan:

– I second the motion.

Mr WENTWORTH:
Minister for Social Services · Mackellar · LP

f wish to make a personal explanation.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:

-Does the Minister claim to have been misrepresented?

Mr WENTWORTH:

– I have been misrepresented. I feel that I must put on record the truth about my attitude to the dairy industry 6 or 7 years ago when I was on the back bench. At that time I felt that it was no kindness to the dairy industry to encourage it to increase production and I said that in the interests of the dairy farmers at that stage we should help the dairy farmers get onto other forms of production and get out of dairying. This is now virtually the policy of the Government.

Mr McEwen:

– That is the policy I advocated in 1952.

Mr WENTWORTH:

– At least I am not alone.

Mr BUCHANAN:
McMillan

– The exchanges that have just gone on between the Minister for Social Services (Mr Wentworth) and the Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr McEwen) really show that the thinking of the Government on this subject of the cost-price squeeze has all along been very-

Dr Mackay:

– Forward thinking?

Mr BUCHANAN:

– Yes. I thank the honourable member. It has been very forward thinking. For many years now many of us have been advocating that it is no good going on with production that cannot be sold. The dairying industry committee of inquiry in 1961 brought this out. There is a lot of evidence of this. Today the honourable member for Macarthur (Mr Jeff Bate) has brought forward a motion and ample time should have been given for it to be debated by this House, but because of the peculiar circumstances in which we are placed today there just is not time to do justice to any section of it or even to make a broad statement of the fact that the Government is very conscious of what is going on and what is being done.

I want to try to condense into about 3 minutes a few thoughts on the change that has come over the industry itself, not over the Government. The Government has been very conscious of the plight of the rural industries for a very long time. The Minister for Primary Industry (Mr Anthony) is doing a very courageous job at the moment in bringing home to the various industries that it is up to them now to make some of the changes that they were told a long time ago would have to be made. They are now taking notice of this and there is a very b:g improvement in the unity between organisations. I hope that in the next couple of months we will see the amalgamation of the various organisations that are concerned with so many primary industries. I am particularly interested to see that the Australian Farmers Federation at long last has come to realise that the rank and file - that is, the farmers who are out on the job - who are feeling the cost-price squeeze, are all in favour of the type of action that the Government is proposing at the present time.

Under the peculiar circumstances that we have here today, I am not able to go on and elaborate on this point. There is only one other comment I would like to make in relation to the effect that these proposals have had, and that is that we have this week had confirmation from the wool industry that it is at very long last beginning to realise that it has to do something positive. As a result of this, there was a significant rise in the price trends at the wool auctions yesterday. I am quite certain that this cost-price squeeze has two ends. The honourable member for Macarthur mentioned these in his remarks. It is true that costs are rising. I would like to have time to bring into true perspective the influences of tariffs. If we look at the total tariff collections we see that they do not run into the amount that the honourable member for Macarthur mentioned. So tariffs do not all operate against rural industries. If the debate is widened to include supports of all kinds, we will get into another field of discussion altogether.

It is not only costs that we have to worry about; we also have to worry about prices. If the workers of Australia continue to demand more and more money, not only prices to farmers will be increased but prices generally will increase. I understand that the price of cigarettes will be increased this week. If the price of beer is increased people are prepared to pay the higher price. However, when the price of butter is increased nobody is prepared to pay it. In deference to the timetable, I will conclude. However, an honourable member has now asked by way of interjection whether I recommend an increase in prices. Of course there should be an increase in prices. I could speak for quite a long time yet, but I know the Minister wants to take part in the debate, so I will curtail my time.

Dr PATTERSON:
Dawson

– I will be brief because 1 understand that arrangements have been made to allow honourable members on both sides of the Parliament to take part in welcoming the Queen on her arrival at the airport. As far as the spirit of the debate is concerned, I think it is essential that some points ought to be put forward from this side of the House. We have listened to two honourable members from the Liberal Party speak on a problem which is of importance to primary industry. I remind both honourable members that they are also members of a Government which has been in power for over 20 years. It seems to be the common practice of many honourable members on the Government side to criticise Government policies implicitly, and often explicitly, outside of the Parliament and then they do nothing in the Parliament to show their disapproval when it comes to a vote. This practice is becoming more and more evident as more primary industries experience trouble. It is also becoming more obvious that something critical has to be done. If the honourable member for Macarthur (Mr Jeff Bate) feels so strongly about some of the problems that he has mentioned, I would suggest that he take more constructive action and show what he feels in the House when votes are taken.

I also remind the Government of the pledge given by the Australian Country Party at its meeting here just prior to the start of this session of the Parliament. I would like to read portion of the report which came from that meeting. This was not denied, so I assume it is correct. The report states:

The Australian Country Party will adopt a ‘get tough’ attitude in an attempt to get governmental approval for policies designed to ameliorate the plight of primary producers. In the parliamentary session to begin on March 3, it will apply ‘a new measure of determination and boldness in following measures of support’ for primary producers.

This is the statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr McEwen), at the pre-election meeting of the Country Party.

Dr Mackay:

– Is this a Press statement he made?

Dr PATTERSON:

– lt was a statementstatement’ being in inverted commas. The important point about it is this: What will the Government do about it? Where is the evidence of this tough attitude that the Country Party is supposed to adopt? There has been no evidence of it so far. All we. hear is the honourable members on the Government side complaining about the plight of primary industries. Why do those honourable members not do something about it? In a manifesto supplied to all rural industries, the Liberal Party has said that it will take positive action to show leadership. The lack of action by the Liberal and Country Parties is a direct condemnation of their leadership. This statement about showing positive leadership is in black and white if anybody wants to read it. Why does the Government not fulfil its role and show some positive leadership, if that is the policy of the Liberal Party? This is the first Liberal Party policy on primary industries that I have seen. As I said in a question 1 asked, it is a condemnation of policy in regard to irrigation. But the policies have been decided by Cabinet and voted upon by the people who are now condemning the Government.

I would like to make a couple of comments regarding the cost-price squeeze which was mentioned by the honourable member for Macarthur. We on this side of the House recognise the importance, and the seriousness of the cost-price squeeze to the major primary industries, particularly the wool industry. What action does the Government intend to lake in this regard? All of the evidence shows quite clearly that the woo) industry is fully entitled to fi nan,cial assistance in one way or another, lt is entitled to it on the ground of equity. The honourable member for Macarthur mentioned the cost of tariffs. However, nobody has accurate figures. The only professional attempt to evaluate the cost of tariffs in relation to primary industries in Australia was clone by the Vernon Committee.

The Vernon Comittee showed quite clearly on the best estimates it could make that the total amount of subsidies paid to primary industries was a mere drop in the ocean compared to the value of the tariff protection given to major secondary industries. lt showed clearly in the estimates it made that the total value of the effective tariffs for the motor vehicle industry and the capital goods construction industries of Australia is about double the total value of subsidies paid to primary industries of Australia. We could take into account the benefits to primary industry from the embargo on sugar, for example and admittedly the industry received a major benefit. All the evidence shows that the wool industry is entitled to financial assistance. It does not matter whether it is called a compensation scheme, a cost compensation scheme, a tariff compensation scheme, or a compensation scheme for growth and inflation, the point that stands out is that the wool industry is entitled to financial assistance.

One argument put forward is that minerals will be the biggest earner of export income for Australia. This is right, but let it be made very clear, as the honouarble member for Melbourne Ports (Mr Crean) said recently, that we should nol talk in gross figures all the time. Over 90% of . the wool produced in Australia is exported andpractically every dollar earned is net income to the nation. What is the figure when one takes into account the value of dividends or the actual outgoings of gross income earned from minerals? This is the real figure, lt shows one thing, namely, the great” value of primary industry to our export income which aids the growth of Australia. To put it starkly, if anything further happens in respect of prices or loss of production in the wool industry, the balance of payments position will be precarious.

The more quickly the Government realises 2 facts about wool the better it will be. First, there is a demand for wool which is in quite a different category from wheat or foods. The elasticity coefficients of all the studies show that there is a demand for wool. However the problem is related to prices. Are we gelling the true price for our wool? Are prices being affected by buying pies or cartels, for example, from Japan? This is the question that has to be ironed out. Nobody in this Parliament can prove that the Australian wool industry is not entitled to financial assistance. If it is good enough to give indirectly, tremendous benefits to the motor car industry, the capital goods industry and practically every other construction industry in Australia, it is important -

Dr Mackay:

– No-one says it is not important.

Dr PATTERSON:

– Then why does the Government not do something about it? It has been in office for 20 years but what has the Government done about the wool industry except talk? lt is important that this point be noted. The honourable member for Macarthur spoke about the dairy industry. He did not make any concrete proposals or suggest that producers should get out or remain in the industry. The Minister for Social Services (Mr Wentworth) claims that he advised dairy producers 5 years ago to get out of dairy production. He said he did this; apparently he did. By way of interjection the Minister for Trade and Industry, who is the Deputy Prime Minister, said that he advised dairy producers in 1952 to get out of dairy production. I am not too certain about the force of those points of view but what does concern me, and must concern everybody else, is that dairy production is increasing and an increasing proportion of dairy products must be sold on the export market. That is a most unsatisfactory market, and it will get worse and not better. This will reduce, through equalisation, the average price to Australian dairy producers. What is the proprietary of dairy producers continuing to increase production? Surely the Government has to grasp this nettle firmly. There will bc a calamity before long because, as I said before, unlike wool we just cannot sell dairy produce. We can sell wool and if we doubled our production of wool we could still sell every bale, certainly at a price, in competition with synthetics.

In conclusion I point out I matter related to the cost-price squeeze. In the last 15 years the prices paid for farm materials and labour have increased by over 40%. At the same time the average price received by the rural sector has declined. Beef prices have risen, but the average for the rural sector has declined. The primary industries have responded magnificently in terms of production in that period. Production has increased by 50%. But when we take the gross national product of the primary industries and relate that to real prices and take into account costs, we find that the average rate of growth in the primary industries is less than 1% per annum. Let us compare that with the industries which are heavily protected by tariffs. The average rate of increase in those industries has been about 40% over 5 years, or 8% per annum. These are the figures that show the dangerous imbalance between primary industry and secondary industry and. the need for positive action to stimulate primary producers, particularly those in the wool industry, into further increased production so that we can earn greater export income.

Mr ANTHONY:
Minister lor Primary Industry · Richmond · CP

[12.51 - 1 thank the honourable member for Dawson (Dr Patterson) and the honourable member for McMillan (Mr Buchanan for providing me with the opportunity to say a few words in this debate, particularly in relation to the dairying industry. Wc all are conscious of the very serious and worrying situation that many of our rural industries find themselves in. particularly the dairying industry. So I should like to give some facts and figures in support of what 1 said in the House a week or so ago about the increased production of- dairy produce in Australia and the problem that that poses for our dairying industry. 1 hope that 1 will not transgress the understanding that has- been reached that this -sitting will not proceed past 12.15 p.m.

During the II -year period 1959-60 to 1969-70 there has been considerable variation in butter production in Australia, ranging from 170,000 tons in 1960-61 lo the record high of 220,000 tons in 1969-70. The previous peak was 218,000 tons in 1966-67. For the 5 years prior to 1966-67 production had been - constant at around 200,000 tons, so that the 1966-67 figure seemed to be exceptional as good seasons were . experienced in all States. Then followed 2 years in which drought in certain States reduced production to 193,000 tons and 196,000 tons respectively. The significant factor is that over the period Victoria has been continually improving its relative position. This year production will amount to 140,000 tons in that State- 64% of the total - compared with 89,000 tons or 46% in 1959-60. New dairy farms are being developed and the number of dairy cattle per farm is increasing, which would point to further, production increases. Queensland production in 1969-70 is some 5,000 to 6,000 tons below the level that might normally be expected, so that some increase in production must be anticipated in 1970-71. Given the situation in Victoria, a production figure of at least 230,000 tons must be reckoned on for the forthcoming season unless some form of production disincentive is put into effect. This figure is supported by officials of the Commonwealth Dairy Produce Equalisation Committee Ltd.

For some years the per capita consumption of butter in Australia has been declining, but because of the population increase the total consumption figure has held fairly constant at around 115,000 tons. One factor is that an increasing proportion of this amount has been sold for manufacturing purposes. However, increased competition from substitutes is having its effect and this year the Australian figure could fall to 113,000 tons. Australia has always had to depend on export outlets for a high proportion of total butter production - usually about 40% when production has been around the 200,000 ton level. Because of the difference between the domestic price, which is 47.3c per lb, and the average export price, which is 20.5c per lb, the proportion exported has a marked effect on the equalised return to the producer. This is illustrated by the following estimates which are based on current prices and include bounty payments. With production at 200,000 tons the estimated return to the producer would be 33.6c per lb commercial butter basis. For each additional 10,000 tons exported his return would be reduced by 1.2c per lb. On 230,000 tons his estimated return would be 30c per lb commercial butter. This figure would naturally be even worse if the export of that total amount could not be expected.

In view of the present world market situation for dairy products the industry is pursuing a senseless policy in increasing production as it can only lead to further sales at unecomonic prices and consequential reductions in producers’ returns. This is bad enough in itself, but the situation has now been reached where markets are not available to dispose of the whole of the production. Already the industry is faced this season with a 5,000-ton surplus carryover and on the basis of the current market situation the indications are that there could be a further build-up in stocks of some 15,000 tons during 1970-71 . This could leave the industry with a surplus figure of 20,000 tons by the end of June 1971, which would be an intolerable situation.

The world market situation is overshadowed by the European Economic Community with its huge butter surpluses which now amount to 300,000 tons and which are being sold at subsidised prices on the markets of traditional suppliers. In addition, production in other competing countries, such as New Zealand and Ireland, is on the upswing. In the main world market, the United Kingdom, the position of supplying countries is governed by the level of the import quotas. They have been maintained at a level to hold prices down and, with United Kingdom production increasing and total consumption more or less static, there is little scope for worthwhile increases in individual country quotas. In the United States market all the action in recent years has been designed to further restrict imports, even though there has been quite a substantial decline in dairy production. The domestic industry has a powerful lobby which is acutely sensitive to imports and it has been very successful in securing higher domestic .price supports over the last 4 years and a tightening of the restrictions on imports. Apart from domestic political considerations, the huge surplus of dairy, products in Europe is a substantial factor inhibiting any relaxation in the United States import restrictions and in securing a constructive approach to the world wide trade situation for dairy produce.

Outside the 2 main areas mentioned above there are numerous but small markets which, on present indications, do not seem to present any substantial opportunity for expansion in the short term. Most of these markets are in developing countries, and dietary habits and lack of purchasing power are significant factors affecting demand.

Moreover, butter sales are under constant pressure from subsidised butter oilfrom the EEC, which is being used for reconstitution purposes. This is a developing trend which is undermining butter prices in these markets. The other main outlet is for the sale of butter oil to milk reconstitution plants and the price for this product is governed mainly by competing products. Here again the market is under heavy pressure from EEC supplies and the returns are not relative to those received for butter. Given the present circumstances, it is difficult to see any improvement in the demand and price for butter in the world market. In effect there is a world overproduction of butter and Australia is contributing to it.

Since devaluation there has been a deterioration in the world market situation. Whereas initially 79% of Australian butter exports received maximum compensation, the figure has now reached 95%. This, coupled with increased population, has lifted the devaluation compensation for butter from $4.6m in 1967-68 to $8.3m in 1968-69 and an estimated $ll.6m in 1969-70. In J 969-70 it will represent about 2.32c per lb commercial butter to the producer and, coupled with the last increase in the local price, should be sufficient to ensure that the Government’s underwriting commitment of 34c does not involve any financial commitment. With production at 230,000 tons however, devaluation compensation in 1970-71 would amount to an estimated $ 1 2.7m, but this would fall short of the $20.5m which would be required to maintain the 34c underwriting. Thus,$7.8m would be required in addition to devaluation compensation.

In the circumstances, all the indications are that a production figure of 230,000 tons in 1970-71 will have 3 serious consequences: (1) it willlead to a further reduction in producer returns because of the higher proportion of output which has to be sold on the export market; (2) it could involve the Government in a financial commitment, an additional commitment over the bounty of $20.5m to maintain the level of underwriting at 34c; and (3) it could add a further 15,000 tons to the estimated carryover this year of 5,000 tons, and lead the industry into a serious surplus problem. Clearly the position has now been reached, as with wheat, where production restraints are required. It is just not logical or realistic to allow the position to drift further. To do otherwise would lead to the industry being placed in an impossible situation.

This conclusion does not even take account of the problems that will be posed by Britain’s entry into the European Economic Community, which could require the industry to take very drastic measures to meet the situation within quite a short period. From the Government’s point of view a case for 34c underwriting is difficult to sustain in the circumstances unless the industry leaders, as in the case of wheat, are prepared to face up to the situation and come up with some logical proposals in the long-term interests of the industry to curtail production to known market levels. In order to assist industry in its thinking on this question. I am willing to make officers of my Department available, and should they bring forward recommendations that would involve the State governments, 1 am happy to act as convenor and coordinator to help resolve this question.

Mr Grassby:

– I hope and expect that the debate on this motion will be resumed as a matter of urgency before long.

Debate (on motion by Mr Grassby) adjourned.

page 1535

ADJOURNMENT

The Parliament

Mr SNEDDEN:
Minister for Labour and National Service · Bruce · LP

– I move:

In doing so, I express appreciation to all honourable members on both sides of the House who have co-operated extremely well this morning in order that the House may adjourn now and enable all honourable members to go out to meet Her Majesty at the airport.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

House adjourned at 12.19 p.m. until Tuesday, 5 May, at 2 p.m.

page 1536

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS UPON NOTICE

The following answers to questions upon notice were circulated:

Compulsory Education (Question No. 94)

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

– The reply to the honourable member’s question is as follows: “ (1) In four States, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, children are required to attend school between the ages of 6 and 15 years. In Western Australia, the relevant legislation requires the student to attend from the age of 6 to the end of the year in which he reaches 15. In Tasmania students must attend between 6 and 16 years of age. The ages between which children in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory must attend school are 6 to 15 years. Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory Ordinances follow the States of New South Wales and South Australia respectively on the required age for attendance at school. Reasons for exemption from attendance between the prescribed ages vary slightly from State to State. Commonly the following reasons are accepted at the appropriate Minister’s discretion.

  1. The child is receiving regular and efficient instruction at home or elsewhere.
  2. The child is prevented from attending by sickness, reasonable fear of infection, temporary or permanent infirmity or any other unavoidable cause.
  3. The child resides outside the prescribed distance to the nearest school or suitable transport’ route.

  4. Some other condition exists which makes it desirable or necessary that an exemption certificate be granted.

    1. Legislation in the States and Territories covering compulsory attendance at school was last varied as follows:

New South Wales- 1943.

Victoria - 1964.

Queensland- 1964.

South Australia- 1963.

Western Australia - 1966.

Tasmania - 1946.

Australia Capital Territory- As for New South Wales.

Northern Territory- As for South Australia.

Australia. No information is available for boys and girls separately for these States. The information for the latest available years is as follows:

Information for the latest available years in the Territories is as follows:

Education: Non-English Speaking Children (Question No. 95)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for Edu cation and Science, upon notice:

What percentage of the students at (a) government, (b) Catholic and (c) other non-government schools in each State and Territory do not speak English as their mother tongue.

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

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

Statistics are not kept of the numbers of children in schools who do not speak English as their mother tongue. However, the following figures from a recent survey conducted in N.S.W. and the A.C.T. may be of value. This survey concerned school children of migrant origin, not including those from English-speaking countries or Asians. Figures given in this survey indicated that in August 1968 just over 5% of all children enrolled in N.S.W. schools were of migrant origin. The corresponding figure for the A.C.T. was a little under 7%. Figures for government and nongovernment schools were not available for N.S.W. and the A.C.T. separately. However, for the 2 areas combined, the percentage of migrants in government schools was approximately 5, while in non-government schools it was approximately 6. No separate figure for Catholic schools is known.

Independent Schools: Education Needs (Question No. 98)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for

Education and Science, upon notice:

  1. Which Catholic and independent school authorities have been invited to conduct their own survey of educational needs on similar lines to the survey decided upon by the State Ministers of Education at their meeting in Adelaide in March 1969.
  2. When did each State Minister issue this invitation to the authorities.
Mr N H Bowen:
PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

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

  1. and (2). Invitations by State Ministers were extended to the following Catholic and other independent school authorities on the dates shown.

Education Needs: Inquiry (Question No. 193)

Mr Hayden:
OXLEY, QUEENSLAND

asked the Minister for Education and Science upon notice: (!) Since his predecessor’s answer to me on 24 September 1968 (Hansard, page 1427) has the Government reviewed any aspects of its education at pre-school, primary, secondary and technical levels and the setting up of a commission on the lines of the Universities Commission.

  1. If so, what aspects were reviewed and what decisions were made.
Mr N H Bowen:
PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

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

The Government has not changed its attitude to the setting up of a commission since my predecessor’s reply to Question No. 438 of 24 September 1968 (Hansard, page 1427).

The State Ministers are al present sponsoring a nation-wide survey of educational needs covering both the Government and non-Government sectors and teacher training. As already indicated, the Commonwealth Government is co-operating fully in this survey.

Commonwealth Scholarships (Question No. 245)

Mr Scholes:
CORIO, VICTORIA

asked the Minister for Educa tion and Science upon notice: ls he able lo say how many persons in each

State failed to obtain Commonwealth scholarships for

  1. universities,
  2. advanced technical colleges and
  3. secondary schools
Mr N H Bowen:
PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

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

The competition for Commonwealth University scholarships depends upon the number of awards available, the size of the competing group and the distribution of marks in the selection examinations. There is no means of giving a comparable statement of the position in each State” since there are variations between the States in the number of subjects on which selection is based, in the number of candidates competing for awards and the number of awards available. For the same reasons a meaningful statement of this type sought by the honourable member cannot be made about Commonwealth Advanced Education and Commonwealth Secondary scholarships.

Education: Research (Question No. 322)

Mr Reynolds:
BARTON, NEW SOUTH WALES

asked the Minister for Education and Science, upon notice:

What (a) Commonwealth and (b) State funds have been made available for educational research in each of the last 5 years for which figures are available.

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

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

The total amount of Commonwealth and State funds made available for educational research in each of the past S years is not available. In many significant areas of educational expenditure no dissection has been available of funds allocated specifically to research. My Department is, however, currently engaged in a survey of expenditure on research and development throughout Australia, in both the -natural and social sciences. This project, known as ‘Project SCORE’ is directed towards obtaining the type of information sought by the honourable member. However, because of the scope and complexity of the survey which is now in progress, results will not be available for some. time.

Teacher Education (Question No. 323)

Mr Reynolds:

asked the Minister for Education and Science, upon notice:

How many (a) government sponsored and (b) privately sponsored students in teacher education were admitted to each (i) teachers college (ii) college of advanced education and (iii) university in Australia for each of the years 1969 and 1970.

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

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

This information is not available. However, details of the total numbers in categories (a) and (b) for 1968 are contained in statistical bulletin Colleges of Advanced Education and Teachers Colleges’ published recently by the Commonwealth Statistician.

Scientific Research (Question No. 392)

Dr Everingham:

asked the Minister for

Education and Science, upon notice:

  1. Has he any estimates of the annual economic benefits to Australia from scientific research financed by the Commonwealth.
  2. What is the Commonwealth’s annual expenditure on research.
  3. What comparable figures has he for comparable countries.
Mr N H Bowen:
PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

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

  1. I am not aware of any estimates of the annual economic benefits to Australia from scientific research financed by the Commonwealth. lt is extremely difficult to quantify such benefits because it is only rarely that sufficient information is available to permit a cost-benefit analysis of even a single project to be undertaken. This is because the results of research may take many years to make an economic impact, the benefits are likely to be diffused throughout the economy, and the full economic impact of a given discovery can be related to the extent to which this is exploited in the process of commercial innovation.

    1. At present there are no comprehensive figures available for the Commonwealth’s annual expenditure on research. My Department is, however, in the process of undertaking a comprehensive survey (Project SCORE) of research and development expenditures and sources of funds. This survey will cover all sectors of the economy. I outlined the current status of Project SCORE in my reply to a question without notice asked in the House on 11th March 1970 which is given on page 272 of the Hansard of that date. It is expected that the analysis of the data for the Commonwealth sector will commence later in the year. When this analysis has been completed figures will be available for, inter alia, the Commonwealth’s expenditure in the 1968-69 financial year on research and development conducted by its own departments and instrumentalities, and in support of research conducted by other institutions.
    2. For the purpose of making international comparisons, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has developed standard conventions for compiling details of national research expenditures. Under these conventions the government’ sector includes both Central and State Government organisations but excludes nationalised industries and government-owned business enterprises. It will, therefore, not bc possible to make valid comparisons of research expenditure in the government sector in Australia with that in countries which have published figures based on the O.E.C.D. conventions until such time as figures are available for both the Commonwealth and the States, and appropriate adjustments are made in accordance with international practice.

Teacher Training (Question No. 476)

Mr Scholes:

asked the Minister for Education and Science, upon notice:

  1. Have Commonwealth funds been made available to the Stale of Victoria for teacher training.

    1. What terms apply to these grants.
    2. Does the Commonwealth request any minimum standard of buildings and facilities.
    3. ls it a fact that female students at the

Geelong Teachers College are prevented, for obvious reasons, from attending some classes which are conducted in men’s toilet areas.

  1. If so, is there any action which the Commonwealth can take to relieve this disgraceful situation.
Mr N H Bowen:
PARRAMATTA, NEW SOUTH WALES · LP

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

  1. Commonwealth funds were made available to Victoria under the States Grunts (Teachers’ Colleges) Act 1967 amounting to $5.35 million. The approved projects were:

Secondary Teachers’ College - Extensions

Coburg Teachers’ College - Extensions

Burwood Teachers’ College - Extensions

Technical Teachers’ College - Extensions

The honourable member will recall that on 19 March 1970I introduced the Slates Grants (Teachers’ Colleges) Bill 1970 proposing a further $9.5 million for teachers’ colleges projects in Victoria for thetriennium 1970-1973.

  1. The conditions applying to these grants are set out in detail in the States Grant (Teachers’ Colleges) Act 1967 and similar conditions are proposed in the States Grants (Teachers’ Colleges) Bill 1970. Briefly they are:

    1. The money allocated by the Commonwealth must be spent on Teachers’ Colleges.
    2. The particular projects must be approved by mc.
    3. 10% of student places which become available as a result of Commonwealth expenditure should be open to students not bonded to the State Education Department.
  2. The Commonwealth employs a consultant to ensure that buildings and facilities proposed by the States teachers’ colleges are of an appropriate standard. All projects are carefully examined by the consultant who then makes a recommendation to me.
  3. and (5) I do not have the information requested about Geelong Teachers’ College and suggest that the honourable member take the points up with the Victorian Government. In determining the projects to which Commonwealth funds will be allocated I am guided by the priorities proposed by the States.

Soil Pollution by Herbicides (Question No. 497)

Dr Everingham:

asked the Minister for Primary Industry, upon notice:

  1. Has his attention been drawn to a report in The Australian of 17 March 1970 that Australian scientists recommend that (a) research funds should be given especially by herbicide manufacturers and by governments to help academic institutions to assess soil pollution by herbicides, (b) manufacturers should print on containers the minimum amount of herbicides needed for various soils and their sale and use should be controlled by law and (c) soil weight testing should bc provided for farmers.
  2. If so, what action has the Government taken towards these aims.
Mr Anthony:
CP

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

  1. The report has been thoroughly investigated and there arc no grounds for supporting the proposals because (a) Manufacturers of soilincorporated herbicides are already required to establish the safety, persistence and performance of their product under typical conditions of use in each State before seeking clearance for registration for sale, (b) Under State legislation every word on the label of a herbicide must be approved by registration authorities on the recommendations of Slate weed agronomists. The rate of use under differing conditions of soil must be specified where appropriate. A product may not be sold for a purpose which has not been approved and registered. (c) Farmers are usually aware whethertheir soil is ‘heavy’ (clayey) or ‘light’ (sandy) and they adjust their herbicide rates accordingly. Should they require advice, an excellent service is available from district agronomists in all States.
  2. Effective legislation has been in operation in all Slates for many years. To ensure uniformity and to co-ordinate all available information the Australian Agricultural Council has agreed that no new chemicals will be registered by State Authorities until the use has been evaluated and clearance has been issued by the Technical Committee on Agricultural Chemicals comprising all State authorities under the chairmanship of the Department of Primary Industry.

Post Office Employees: Wage Increases (Question No. 657)

Dr Klugman:
PROSPECT, NEW SOUTH WALES

asked the PostmasterGeneral, upon notice:

  1. Is it a fact that wage increases granted to some personnel of his Department on 1st January 1970 will not be paid for another 4-6 weeks because of administrative difficulties in the pay section.
  2. Why have the same difficulties not prevented pay deductions in respect of employees who took part in a strike in March 1970.
Mr Hulme:
Postmaster-General · PETRIE, QUEENSLAND · LP

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

  1. It is a fact that in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland the increases have not yet been paid to all staff; approximately 9,000 (23%) remain to be paid in New South Wales, 6,400 (23%) in Victoria and 5,300 (36%) in Queensland and these are expected to be processed within six weeks. In Western Australia and Tasmania payments have been completed and all payments will be effected in South Australia on pay-day 23rd April. The increases, details of which were advised by the Public Service Board on 16lh February, 1970, affect the annual salary/wage entitlement of all staff employed in the Department; this involves some 40,000 in New South Wales alone. The associated superannuation contribution payable by the majority of permanent staff is also subject to variation. Apart from problems arising from the complexity of the adjustments and their volume particularly in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, the lime available for processing the normal fortnightly pay has been reduced by public holidays which in turn has restricted processing of the increases during this period. Every effort is being made to process the remaining entitlements as quickly as possible. The pay section staff has been supplemented by staff from other areas and extensive overtime is being worked.
  2. Adjustments for time off duty without pay is a regular action in the normal fortnightly pay preparation procedure and does nol involve variation to annual salary/wages or rate of superannuation contribution. Employees involved in a workstoppage during February approximated 14% of total staff and normally the necessary deductions would be effected within 2 pay periods. However, due to the additional work load existing at this time deductions have not been completed in the usual time. In New South Wales they will not be finished until mid-May.

Royal Australian Navy: Pay Rates (Question No. 387)

Mr Barnard:

asked the Minister for the Navy upon not ce

  1. What allowances are payable to members of the Royal Australian Navy.
  2. In what circumstances is each allowance payable.
  3. What was the amount of each allowance in (a) 1945, (b) 1951, (c) 1961 and (d) 1970.
Mr Killen:
Minister for the Navy · MORETON, QUEENSLAND · LP

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

Set out below are the most common allowances payable to members of the RAN, the circumstances under which they are payable and the amounts payable in the years 1945, 1951, 1961 and 1970.

There are other allowances which are payable from time to time. The allowances are related to the nature of the member’s duty and or the additional responsibility or skill involved in the performance of a particular task and are varied from time to time.

AREA ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

Allowances are paid to compensate climatic disadvantages, cost of living and isolation of the areas.

Territory Allowances:

Allowances introduced 4th November 1963 1970

  1. Rate payable to an unmarried member is $50 per year
  2. Rate payable to a married unaccompanied member is $210 per year
  3. Rate payable to a married accompanied member residing in a Service married quarter or other Government residence is a rate per year equal to the sum of $70 and an amount equal to the annual rent payable by the member for the premises in the New Guinea area occupied by him as his residence or if that rate is higher than the rate ascertained in accordance with the formula specified below, the rate per year so ascertained.

Formula 70 + 219 (A + B + C + D) dollars where

  1. ls an amount equal to rate per day at which active pay is payable under these Instructions to a member upon being promoted to the like rank as the member holds;
  2. is an amount equal to rate per day at which Marriage Allowance is payable to the member;
  3. is an amount equal to -the rate per day at which Provision Allowance is payable to the member; and
  4. is an amount equal to the rate per day at which Uniform Allowance is payable to the member.

Note - Territory Allowance is payable in addition to District Allowance in Papua and New Guinea.

page 1541

CHILD EDUCATION ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

Allowance is paid to members posted overseas on long term duly with an entitlement to be accompanied by their families at Departmental expense and in respect of children who have attained the age of 9 years but not 20 years.

page 1541

DISTURBANCE ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

The allowance is payable as compensation for accelerated depreciation and extra wear and tear on the member’s furniture and effects and the cost of necessary replacements and alterations to carpets, linoleum, curtains, etc.

Comparative Rates

Allowance introduced 1948 Married Member

page 1542

EDUCATION ALLOWANCE IN AUSTRALIA

Circumstances of Payment

The annual parental contribution was increased from 1 April 1969 as below:

page 1542

FLYING PAY

Circumstances of Payment Flying Pay is payable to Pilots and Observers on Flying duties and those who might be required for flying billets and who keep in flying practice.

page 1542

EDUCATION EXPENSES ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

Paid to members serving overseas in respect of children who accompanied the member and in respect of whom the member is in receipt of Child Allowance. Education costs include tuition, registration and entrance fees, government tax, heating, book rental, stationary and sport fees, cost of meals taken compulsorily at school and cost of transport to and from school by compulsory school bus.

Comparative Rates

The allowance was first introduced on 31 March 1961 and the rate payable in each case is the amount by which the education costs actually incurred per year in respect of the child exceeds SA40 or the amount by which the education costs which would have been incurred for the year in respect of that child if educated at the ‘approved school’ for the area exceeds $A40, whichever is the lesser. Approved schools are advised for each oversea post.

page 1542

HARD LYING MONEY

Circumstances of Payment

Hard-lying money is payable to all sailors in sea-going ships. The allowance is payable to Officers serving in certain classes of ships and also when an Officer’s living conditions are markedly inferior to those experienced in a destroyer on normal service or when the accommodation provided is not superior to that provided for a Petty Officer or Chief Petty Officer in the ship.

page 1543

LINGUIST BOUNTY

Circumstances of Payment

A Linguist Bounty is payable to a member who has passed the prescribed test of proficiency in a foreign language at the RAAF School of Languages. Continued payment of the bounty is dependent upon the retention by the member of the necessary standard of proficiency.

page 1543

LIVING OUT ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

This allowance is paid to all unmarried members who are not victualled and accommodated al Departmental expense.

page 1543

LIVING OUT AWAY FROM HOME ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

This allowance is payable to a married member who is required to live out at a new posting and whose family is unable to join him at his locality of posting because: accommodation is not available illness in the family reasons associated with secondary or tertiary education or children serving apprenticeships.

b.

MARRIAGE ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

This allowance is paid to a member who: a. who is married, is not separated from his wife and maintains his wife; who is widowed, or deserted by his wife and voluntarily maintains his children; or who is separated or divorced from his wife, or whose marriage has been annulled and who has the custody of, and voluntarily maintains, his children.

OVERSEA ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

Oversea Allowances are paid to members posted for service overseas and are aligned with the Public Service.

Rates and types of allowances payable (which, are numerous) are different for each oversea country and vary frequently as a result of inspections made by officers of the Public Service Board.

An example of Oversea Living Out Allowance payable to a member of the RAN posted for long term duty to and living out in permanent accommodation is given in the following tables. These rales are for the years 1945, 1951, 1961 and 1970 and ure applicable to the United Kingdom.

page 1545

MILEAGE ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

This allowance is paid to a member when he is given approval to use a private motor vehicle for travel on duty, in lieu of public transport or where public transport is either unavailable or not suitable.

Comparative Rates

Where a member is given approval to use his private motor vehicle for removal he may be paid Mileage Allowance at the rates shown in Table B.

A member authorised to use his private motor vehicle whilst travelling to and from a leave destination may be paid the rates of Mileage Allowance shown in Table B or the cost of travel by the normal means whichever is the lesser.

SEPARATION ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

This allowance is paid to a member to whom the full rate of Marriage Allowance is payable in respect of any period for which the member lives in. The allowance is not payable to a member who is a widower or is deserted by, or separated or divorced from his wife or whose marriage has been annulled unless the member has children and maintains a home for them.

OUTFIT ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

This allowance is designed to cover additional expenses involved to purchase necessary travelling equipment and clothes required by reason of overseas duty.

page 1547

SHIPBOARD ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

This allowance is paid to meet additional expenses incurred when taking passage under normal civilian conditions.

page 1547

SUBMAKINE PAY

Circumstances of Payment

Submarine Pay is payable to an officer who is a qualified submarine officer and is posted as part of a crew or spare crew of a submarine or is posted for duty with submarines or as a submarine staff officer.

The allowance is payable to a sailor who is qualified for service in submarines belongs to the Submarine Branch and is posted as part crew or spare crew of a submarine or to an appropriation in which he is required as part of his normal duties to go to sea in submarines from time to time.

Submarine Pay is also payable to any officer or sailor who proceeds to sea in a submarine for specific duty or training.

page 1547

TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

This allowance is paid to a member granted a removal and -

The maximum amount of Temporary Accommodation Allowance that may be paid will be that by which the cost of board and lodging exceeds, in respect of the period for which the allowance is claimed, the total of the member’s rent norm, i.e., 15% of pay and allowances plus an amount which represents the ordinary expenditure of the member and his family for food. Normally the amount of the allowance will not exceed half the cost of the board and lodging of the member and his family.

TEMPORARY RENTAL ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

This allowance is payable where the member is posted for a period expected to be of at least twelve months’ duration and on a removal being granted, where the member is unable to obtain unfurnished premises on arrival at the new locality and he occupies reasonable furnished premises. The allowance will nol be paid in any case where the member would nol occupy unfurnished premises if they were available.

The amount of the allowance payable will be the excess of the amount which the Naval Board considers to be fair and reasonable rent for the furnished premises over the member’s rent norm.

TRAVELLING ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

Travelling Allowance is payable lo a member who visits a place within Australia other than his normal place of duty for the purpose of performing duty at that other place and the visit involves his absence overnight from his normal place of residence. Hie amounts payable vary according lo:

Comparative Rates

Comparative tables for the rales payable since 1945 for the first 21 days are as follows:

The rates payable after 21 days are generally based on actual costs plus other small elements which vary according to marital status.

TROPICAL ALLOWANCE

Circumstances of Payment

Tropical Allowance is payable to certain sailors employed in specific compartments in ships because of the presence of heat producing equipment in the compartment or’ the close proximity of such a source of generated heat.

Bauxite (Question No. 483)

Mr Wallis:
GREY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

asked the Minister for the Interior, upon notice;

  1. What arrangements have been made regarding the payment of royalties in respect of operations at Gove in the Northern Territory.
  2. To whom will theroyalties be paid.
  3. What arrangements have been made for the distribution of the royalties; to whom will they be paid.
Mr Nixon:
Minister for the Interior · GIPPSLAND, VICTORIA · CP

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

  1. Royalties are payable on all bauxite mined in accordance with the arrangements set out in Clause 3 of the Special Mineral Lease appended to the Agreement which was approved by the Northern Territory Mining (Gove Peninsula Nabalco Agreement) Ordinance 1968 and which is published as a schedule to that Ordinance. Mining of bauxite is expected to commence in 1971.
  2. The Aborigines Benefits Trust Fund - see section 21 of the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910-1969.

  3. Moneys standing to the credit of the Aborigines Benefits Trust Fund may be expended:

    1. for any purpose that (he Minister for the Interior considers to be for the benefit of - I’D Aborigines in general;
    1. a particular class of Aboriginal; or

    2. a particular Aboriginal; and

    3. to meet the expenses of administering the Fund. (see section 21, Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910-1969).

In approving grants or loans from the Fund, the Minister has the advice of a Committee, which includes live Aboriginal members. The intentions for the use of the Fund were explained in the House of Representatives on 16th September 1969, see Hansard page 1408.

Local Authorities: for Sewerage Services (Question No. 726)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Treasurer, upon notice:

On what occasion and tor what city council did the Loan Council, under the Gentlemen’s Agreement approve a special borrowing allocation for sewerage services (Hansard, 9th April 1970, page 1023).

Mr Bury:
LP

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

The Loan Council comprises representatives of each Stale Government and the Commonwealth Government and its proceedings are confidential. It would not be proper for any one Government to release information concerning the decisions of the Council. Although the Loan Council has agreedto release certain information concerning total borrowings by semi-governmental bodies under ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’, the borrowings of individual authorities are not available for publication other than by the State or the authority concerned.

Army Establishments: Watching Service (Question No. 334)

Mr Daly:

asked the Minister for the Army, upon notice:

  1. Is the Australian Watching Co (N.S.W.) Pty Ltd, Sydney, under contract to protect the Marrickville Military Depot at certain hours.
  2. If so, what are the details of the contract, including hours of coverage, cost, length of contract, date of commencement, etc.
  3. Does this same company provide, or do other organisations provide, similar services at other Army establishments; if so, will he provide (a) the name or names of the organisations, (b) the establishments protected and (c) full details of the terms of contracts entered into, including costs, etc.
Mr Peacock:
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister · KOOYONG, VICTORIA · LP

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

  1. The Australian Watching Co. held a contract for this purpose which expired on 31st March last.
  2. The contract, which commenced on 3 1st July 1968, provided for nightly inspections plus daily inspections at week-ends and public holidays. The cost was $6.50 per week. The rates were variable in that provision existed for increase or decrease in accordance with approved Commonwealth/State awards for the trades employed.
  3. Yes. Details at 20th March 1970, are as follows:

In addition to the above the Australian Watching Co. in Victoria monitors burglar alarm systems at two units at a cost of $7.20 and $9.00 respectively, and patrols four units on an ‘as required’ basis at a cost of $6.00 per week for each establishment.

Papua and New Guinea: Films

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for External Territories, upon notice:

  1. What are the grounds upon which (a) the importation of Alms into the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, (b) the making of films in the Territory and (c) the exhibition of films in the Territory can be (i) prohibited or (ii) restricted.
  2. Who are the officials and the members of the boards or tribunals empowered to censor films in the Territory.
  3. Since he became Minister, which films (a) made in Australia or (b) admitted into Australia have been banned in the Territory.
  4. Since he became Minister, which films (a) made in Australia or (b) admitted into Australia have been more severely censored in the Territory than in Australia.
Mr Barnes:
Minister for External Territories · MCPHERSON, QUEENSLAND · CP

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

  1. Under the Customs (Cinematograph Films) Proclamation 1962 a film, including advertising material associated with a film, may not be imported into the Territory or registered for distribution if, in the opinion of the Chief Censor, or on appeal, in the opinion of the Appeal Censor, the film is -

    1. blasphemous, indecent or obscene;
    2. likely to be injurious to morality or to encourage or incite crime;
    3. likely to be offensive to the people of a friendly nation or to the people of a part of the Queen’s dominions; and
    4. depicts any matter the exhibition of which is undesirable in the public interest.

The Proclamation also establishes a Censorship Advisory Panel to advise the Chief Censor. Where registration is refused application may be made by the importer for permission to reconstruct the film along specified lines so as to meet the objections and the Chief Censor may approve registration of the film as altered or amended.

  1. The Chief Censor is the Comptroller of Customs. Members of the Advisory Panel are -

Mr C. Kirke

Dr J. T. Gunther

Mrs Evertius Romney and

Mr Sinake Goava

There is one vacancy.

The Appeal Censor is Mr B. Fairfax-Ross.

  1. (a) Since November 1963 no films made in Australia have been banned in the Territory. (b) The following films admitted into Australia have been banned in the Territory during the period in question -

Batase

Tamango

The Young One

La Ronde

The Mercenaries, and

The Comedians. (4)The censorship certification in Australia of thefilm ‘Safari’ asnot suitable for children’ was retained in the Territory but some minor excisions were made for Territory exhibition purposes.This is the only case since November 1963 of censorship in the Territory additional to that in Australia.

Papua and New Guinea: Printers and Newspapers Ordinance (Question No. 573)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for External Territories, upon notice:

  1. What restrictions apply to the printing and production of books, periodicals and pamphlets in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.
  2. Who are the officials and the members ot boards or tribunals empowered to censor or license books, periodicals and pamphlets printed or produced in the Territory.
Mr Barnes:
CP

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

  1. Under the Printers and Newspapers Ordinance a person who prints a paper, book or newspaper is required to register details of his undertaking with the Registrar-General, to keep copies for a period of six months and to print on the paper, book or newspaper the name and address of the printer and that of the person who employed him to print it. Under the Discriminatory Practices Ordinance it is an offence to publish or distribute written matter which is threatening, abusive, insulting, provocative or offensive with intent to stir up hatred, ridicule or contempt against any section of the public distinguished by colour, race or ethnic, tribal or national origin. Under the Territory Criminal Code it is an offence to sell, display or advertise any printed matter which is obscene or tends to corrupt morals. The same applies to the carrying on of a business dealing with such matters or assisting in the carrying out of such activities. The Defamation Ordinance provides that a person shall not unlawfully publish defamatory matter concerning another. The Commonwealth Crimes Act which places certain restrictions on publishing extends to the Territory. Under the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Ordinance it is an offence, unless the House of Assembly so directs, to print or publish outside the House any words or matter published in the House.It is also an offence to publish any words or any cartoon which tends to bring the House into haired or contempt. The Postal Regulations provide for the registration of certain publications and periodicals. The Director of Posts and Telegraphs may remove from the Register any such material which in his opinion is profane, blasphemous, indecent, obscene, immoral or seditious and may refuse to accept for transmission through the post, or confiscate parcels, containing any such material.

    1. Under the Printers and Newspapers Ordinance printing presses and newspapers are registered with the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The Director of Posts and Telegraphs carries out the functions under the Postal Regulations mentioned in the last paragraph of (I) above. There are no other officials, members of boards or tribunals specifically empoweredto censor or license books, periodicals or pamphlets printed or produced in the Territory.

Hospitals (Question No. S)

Mr Webb:
STIRLING, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

asked the Minister for Health, upon notice:

  1. When was the Commonwealth benefit of$2 per day in respect of qualified patients accommodated at C class hospitals introduced.
  2. What has been the percentage increase in the cost of living since the benefit was increased to$2 per day.
  3. To what extent have hospital costs increased since the benefit was increased to $2 per day.
  4. Will he give consideration to increasing the benefit.
Dr Forbes:
Minister for Health · BARKER, SOUTH AUSTRALIA · LP

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

  1. On 1st January 1958, Comomnwealth additional hospital benefit was increased to $1.20 per day in respect of hospital charges incurred by persons insured for fund benefit of at least $1.60 per day. This Commonwealth additional hospital benefit, together wilh Commonwealth ordinary hospital benefit of 80 cents per day, a total of $2.00 per day, was payable to insured persons accommodated in hospitals. At that time, for the payment of benefits, hospitals included ‘unrecognised’ hospitals. However, as from 1st January 1963, ‘unrecognised’ hospitals were approved as nursing homes.

Commonwealth benefit of $2.00 per day in respect of qualified patients accommodated in premises approved as nursing homes under the provisions of the National Health Act, without the need for the patients to be insured, was introduced on 1st January 1963. It is unusual for ‘C class hospitals to be approved as nursing homes.

  1. There has been an increase of approximately 31% in the Consumer Price Index since 1st January 1958.
  2. In previous years the figures available to my Department on hospital costs were those published in the Commonwealth Year Book in relation to public hospitals and public nursing homes. Statistics have now become available following surveys conducted by my Department of both public hospital costs and nursing home costs. The latter costs are. of course, more applicable to the question. During 1967-68 the average bed day cost for public hospitals was calculated al $17.81 whilst the latest figures for public and private nursing homes show that in 1966-67 the average bed day cost was $5.10. Comparison of this latter figure with costs which applied when the $2.00 per day was introduced is not possible as relevant earlier cost figures are not available.
  3. On 1st January 1969, the Commonwealth introduced a Supplementary benefit of $3.00 per day payable, in addition to the existing $2.00 per day benefit, lo patients accommodated in approved nursing homes who need and receive intensive nursing home care. This benefit is currently being received by approximately 43 per cent of all patients accommodated in approved nursing homes. Due mainly to this new benefit, Commonwealth expenditure on nursing home benefits has increased from an actual $24.5m in 1967-68 to an estimated $44. 3m in 1969-70 being an increase of 80 per cent. Expenditure in 1969-70 on Commo nursing home benefits to 28th February 1970 is $18. 8m ordinary benefits, and $ 12.2m Supplementary benefits.

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (Question No. 29)

Mr Hayden:

asked the Minister for Health, upon notice:

Can he supply details for each year since the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme has been in operation of payments to pharmacists for the (a) unit cost and (b) total cost of (i) ready prepared items and (ii) extemporaneous items.

Dr Forbes:
LP

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

Details of payments under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme commencing the financial year 1960-61 for the (a) unit cost and (b) total cost of (i) ready prepared items and (ii) extemporaneous items are:

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (Question No. 30)

Mr Hayden:

asked the Minister for Health, upon notice:

  1. What payments have been made to chemists under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme each year since the scheme commenced for (a) dispensing fees, (b) containers, etc., and (c) drugs supplied.
  2. What was the total payment to chemists under the scheme each year.
Dr Forbes:
LP

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

Details of payments under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme since 1960-61 are:

Aboriginals (Question No. 31)

Mr HAYDEN:
OXLEY, QUEENSLAND · ALP

asked the Minister for Health, upon notice:

Do the members of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s sub-committee (in medical research in Aboriginals include (a) a physical anthropologist, (b) a dental scientist and (c) a pediatrician.

Dr Forbes:
LP

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

  1. No.
  2. No.
  3. No.

The Medical Research in Aborigines (Reference) Sub-committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council considers proposals for medical research projects, involving Aboriginals, referred to it by the Chairman of Council or the Medical Research Advisory Committee of Council. The Sub-committee makes recommendations to the Medical Research Advisory Committee on the research value and medical ethics of the project under consideration, and its effects on the people being studied.

Hospitals: Treatment of Pensioners (Question No.111)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for Health, upon notice:

Since his answer to me on 10th September 1968 (Hansard, page 874) (a) what changes have been made in the conditions under which pensioners are granted free out-patient and in-patient treatment in hospitals in each State and Territory and (b) what have been the date, nature and result of any consultations between the Commonwealth and States on the effect which relaxations of the means test have on the use and cost of State hospital facilities.

Dr Forbes:
LP

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

  1. No changes have been made inthe conditions under which pensioners are granted outpatient and in-patient treatment in hospitals in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. Insofar as the conditions and circumstances in which free hospital treatment is made available for pensioners by public hospitals in the various States are concerned, the position is as 1 stated in my reply on 10th September 1968 that these are matters for the government authority in each State.
  2. The effect which relaxations of the means test have on the use and cost of State hospital facilities was discussed at the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference held in Adelaide on 1 8th- 20th June 1969.

At that stage it was considered that the question of increasing benefits for hospitalisation of pensioners was a matter which could be more appropriately dealt with in conjunction with the relevant proposals of the Commonwealth Committee of Enquiry into Health Insurance (Nimmo Committee).

The question was again discussed at the Australian Health Minister’s Conference held in Hobart on 4th-6th March 1970. It was agreed that the Commonwealth Government’s plans to reconstruct the medical benefit schedule cleared the way for closer consideration of other aspects of health insurance in which the Nimmo Committee had made recommendations, including the matter of Commonwealth payment to State hospitals for treatment of pensioners.

It was agreed that early discussions would be held between Commonwealth and State officials to consider this aspect, along with other recommendations of the Nimmo Committee dealing with hospital financing and insurance.

These discussions have already commenced, and will continue.

Medical Benefits Oganisations: Expenses (Question No. 112)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for Health, upon notice:

  1. What have been the operating expenses of the medical benefits organisations in each year since they were first registered under the National Health Act.
  2. What percentage of contributions did these expenses represent.
Dr Forbes:
LP

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

The operating expenses, including Special Account, of the medical benefits organisations in each year since they were first registered under the National Health Act are detailed hereunder, together with the percentage of contributions these expenses represented:

Medical Benefits Organisations: Reserves (Question No. 114)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for Health, upon notice:

  1. What have been the aggregate reserves of the medical benefits organisations at the end of each year since they were first registered under the National Health Act.
  2. What percentage of contributions did the increase in reserves in each year represent.
Dr Forbes:
LP

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

The aggregate reserves, including the Outstanding claims Provision, of the medical benefits organisations at the end of each year since they were first registered under the National Health Act are detailed hereunder, together with the percentage of contributions which the increase in these reserves each year represented:

Medical and Hospital Benefits Organisation: Winding-up Procedures (Question No. 119)

Mr Whitlam:

asked the Minister for

Health, upon notice:

What rules has his Department required medical and hospital benefits organisations to have for the disposition of their assets and reserves in the event of winding-up.

Dr Forbes:
LP

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

Medical and hospital benefit organisations registered under the National Health Act are not required to have a specific rule dealing with the disposition of their assets and reserves in the event of winding-up. The position is that one of the conditions subject to which organisations are registered is that contributions to medical or hospital funds must only be applied to the payment of medical or hospital benefits to its contributors, and towards meeting reasonable management costs. In the event of a registered organisation seeking cancellation of its registration, it is required to submit proposals for the disbursement of surplus funds. The proposals are examined in the light of the individual circumstances and having regard to the wishes of contributors.

Cigarette Smoking (Question No. 199)

Mr Stewart:
LANG, NEW SOUTH WALES

asked the Minister for Health upon notice:

  1. Can he say whether the medical profession generally accept the proposition that cigarette smoking is associated with the illnesses of lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema and gastric and duodenal ulcers.
  2. Is there evidence to indicate that the consumption of cigarettes is increasing.
  3. What action has been taken, or is proposed, by his Department to curb the habit of cigarette smoking.
Dr Forbes:
LP

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

  1. Yes.
  2. Recent evidence published by the Victorian Cancer Society stated that between 1966 and 1969 cigarette smokers among adult males in the population decreased from 54% to 45% and among adult females from 34% to 28%.

There are no figures relating to adolescents suitable for comparison. The per capita consumption of tobacco as a whole had fallen from 7.9 lb per adult in 1960 to 7 lb per adult in 1967, but rose again to 7.3 lb per adult in 1968.

  1. The National Health and Medical Research Council has stated that health education is probably the most effective way to attack the smoking problem, and my Department has co-operated in the provision of this education to school children within the Commonwealth internal Territories.

Other action is under consideration by the Government at the presenttime.

Cigarette Smoking (Question No. 200)

Mr Stewart:

asked the Minister for Health, upon novice: (J.) Did the National Health and Medical Research Council recommend to Commonwealth and State Ministers for Health (a) that all cigarette packets should carry a warning of the danger of smoking and a statement indicating the tar and nicotine content of the cigarette and (b) the restriction on all forms of advertising of cigarettes.

  1. What action has been taken in the Commonwealth and the States on these recommendations.
  2. Does the Commonwealth intend to ban cigarette advertising on radio and television.
Dr Forbes:
LP

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

  1. (a) Yes. (b) Yes.
  2. The Governments of all States except New South Wales have indicated their intention of taking action in respect of 1 (a) for warning labels, and Victoria has passed an amendment to its Health Act to enable the making of labelling provisions by Regulation.

A sub-committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council has been set up, at the request of the Health Ministers’ Conference, to consider standard analytical methods for determining the ‘tar’ and nicotine content of tobacco smoke.

  1. and (3) In respect of the Commonwealth, the matters are under consideration by the Government at the present time.

Aboriginal Health (Question No. 444)

Dr Everingham:

asked the Minister for Health, upon notice:

Do the members of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s sub-committee on Aboriginal health include an ethnopsychiatrist and a social worker.

Dr Forbes:
LP

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

No. The Medical Research in Aborigines (Reference) Sub-committee of the Natonal Health and Medical Research Council considers proposals for medical research projects, involving Aborigines, referred to it by the Chairman of Council or the Medical Research Advisory Committee of Council. The Sub-committee makes recommendations to the Medical Research Advisory Com mittee on the research value and medical ethics of the project under consideration, and its effects on the people being studied.

Royal Military College: Pay of Cadets (Question No. 478)

Mr Lionel Bowen:
KINGSFORD-SMITH, NEW SOUTH WALES · ALP

asked the Minister for the Army, upon notice:

  1. What methods are used to assess and implement rales of pay for cadets at the Royal Military College at Duntroon.
  2. What are the present rates of pay for cadets of the College, and when were they brought into effect.
Mr Peacock:
LP

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

  1. The basis of assessing pay for Stall’ cadets at the RMC Duntroon was laid down by an InterDepartmental Conference of Service Departments and the Treasury in 1948.

Traditionally cadets have been regarded as students and the rates set were related to the then recruit rates of pay for the Australian Regular Army. These rales have been updated by cost of living type of adjustments since.

The present basis of pay for Staff cadets will be re-examined at an early date by the same machinery as is used for examination and determination of the rates of pay of other members of the Australian Services.

  1. The existing pay rates for cadets, effective from 9th December 1969 (3% National Wage Adjustment) are:

In addition to the rales of pay shown cadets receive a living out allowance in appropriate circumstances plus a clothing maintenance allowance of 28 cents per day.

Cite as: Australia, House of Representatives, Debates, 23 April 1970, viewed 22 October 2017, <http://historichansard.net/hofreps/1970/19700423_reps_27_hor67/>.

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