[Page 1.]

[staple in top left corner.]

[Australian coat of arms.]

[Capitalised, large font:] Prime Minister

[underlined] THE FIRST YEAR

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER

THE HON. E. G. WHITLAM, Q.C., M.P.,

ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE LABOR GOVERNMENT'

FIRST YEAR OF OFFICE

[dividing line.]

(With Summaries and tabulations of legislation, reports, inquiries and decisions.)

[Underlined] 2 December 1973

[Page 2.]

[underlined] THE FIRST YEAR

The first Australian Labor Government in 23 years has been in office for just one year.

I submit this document to mark that anniversary and to bring to the attention of the Australian people the record of that year, to give you the evidence of promises fulfilled and reforms begun.

I include also the evidence of unwarranted obstruction by the non-Labor forces in the Senate; their obstruction of the Government's clear mandate from the people to get things done.

The year has been one of great industry and great purpose. What has already been done stands in striking contrast to the record of sloth and incompetence which characterised the decaying years of the outgoing Government.

The program I presented to the Australian people on 13 November 1972 had three great aims. I restate them. They are:-

To promote equality

To involve the people of Australia in the decision-making processes of our land

To liberate the talents and uplift the horizons of the Australian people.

In pursuit if those aims we have introduced a record number of bills into the Parliament. We have swept away anachronistic and unnecessary relics of the past – selective national service by ballot and the death penalty in Australian territories.

We have withdrawn the last remnants of our unhappy "presence" in Vietnam.

…/2

[Page 3.]

-11-

[underlined] HUMAN RIGHTS:

This Government is committed to taking all possible legislative and administrative action to prevent discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

We have made this commitment clear in regard to our aboriginal citizens. We have eliminated all racial implications from our immigration policies.

We have made it clear to other Governments by our early decision – six days after the election – to exclude racially-selected sporting teams from Australia.

We are pledged to appoint an ombudsman. We have already appointed an ombudsman for the armed services.

In the wider context, we have enshrined these principles in legislation. Two complimentary bills – one on Human Rights and the other on Racial Discrimination – are now before the Parliament.

[underlined] WOMEN

The Australian Government is able, and therefore bound to remove, or reduce many aspects of legal, social, educational, and economic discrimination against women. We are trying to do so.

In June this year the Government ratified a basic ILO Convention on discrimination in employment and occupation which will be of benefit to women. It is also committed to ratify the ILO Convention on equal pay for women.

The Human Rights Bill which has been introduced is a further step in the direction of reducing discrimination.

[Page 4.]

- 12 -

The Government has made a review of employment conditions in the Australian Public Service. As a result all positions in the Service are to be open equally to men and women applicants. Advertisements of vacancies and the placement of staff are to be changed to avoid the possibility of selection on the basis of sex.

The age limits for permanent appointments have been lifted from all but a very few designations.

Further funds were allocated in the Budget for training and retraining schemes for women.

The possibility of creating more permanent part-time employment is being studied and various trial schemes of flexible working hours are being introduced.

Maternity leave provisions for Government employees have been extended to 12 weeks on full pay and a further 40 weeks unpaid without risk to continuity of service or status.

A completely new benefit, the Supporting Mothers's [sic] Benefit, has been introduced. This benefit is payable to unmarried mothers including deserted de facto wives and de facto wives of prisoners, to married women not living with their husbands, and to wives who have been separated for other reasons, provided they have the care if their children. Any women receiving this support is eligible to participate in the training scheme for widow pensioners.

One of the first decisions of the Government was to remove the sales tax on oral contraceptives and place them on the pharmaceutical benefits list. Prompt action has also been taken in the allocation of grants for family planning.

Extensive grants have been made available both for research into child care and for the construction and operation of child care centres.

The Pre-Schools Commission is shortly to recommend measures which the Government should adopt to ensure that child care and pre-school centres be provided for below school age children.

…/13