PRIME MINISTER

FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, 14 JUNE 1981

ELECTORATE TALK '

The first Parliamentary session for this year ended last  Friday. We began the sitting with a great deal to do and  .we have achieved all our objectives. It has been one of the most  siginificant and constructive legislative sessions for many

years.

118 Bills were passed during the twelve sitting weeks and ,   these Bills demonstrate in the plainest terms the Government's  direction and its determination to act in the interests of  all Australians. Our legislative programme re-affirms our  vision of growth and development for Australia, a vision of  opportunity, security, prosperity stability and concern for  those in need. This legislative programme also underlines  unmistakably our commitment to strong and effective, yet

limited, Government. '

The historic and visionary review of Commonwealth functions  set the overall pattern of the session's legislation based  upon Liberal principles. That review led to some 350 decisions  which were aimed at elimihating duplication between Commonwealth

and state governments, passing to private enterprise activities  which it can handle better than Government, and rationalising  the functions which properly belong to the Commonwealth. Limited Government does not signify mean or ungenerous government.  What it does is establish the conditions under which there

can be increased opportunities for all and better care for those  in need. It must not be forgotton that while the review will  lead to some expenditure cuts, it does not lead to any reduction  in income security arrangements.

The Government's new health policy again expresses our philosophy.  It provides incentives to insurance and encourages people to  look after themselves. But at the same time our health policy  looks after those in need, and indeed it provides for free  health care for about 3 million people. And, it eliminates

the situation where the health costs of the well-to-do  were entirely borne by taxpayers and means that one bureaucracy,  rather than two, will be involved in running each state's  public hospitals.

2

A further major achievement in this session has been the new  financial arrangement between the Commonwealth and the states.  The Commonwealth has legislated to provide a more stable basis  for thegrants which the states receive from the Commonwealth.

Since 1975, the Commonwealth Government has been fundamentally,  concerned to curb its own expenditure, for the Government  believes that taxpayers cannot be required to pay more and  more every year. It is the Government's view that all levels  of Government must share in the task of easing the tax burden.   And while talking of taxes there is for the coming year a  tax cut which will leave $500 million more in taxpayers'  pockets, and the rebate on health insurance is expected to  reduce.the Commonwealth's revenue by a further $500 million  in the following year. In recent years a considerable number  of gross and anti-social tax avoidance schemes have come into  existence, and in this session the Government was able to bring

forward a comprehensive new anti-tax avoidances provision  designed to eliminate these schemes.

On top of these measures, this session has seen legislation  for the new Human Rights Commission, and for freedom of  information. Both these pieces of legislation are important  Liberal initiatives, and the freedom of information legislation

in particular makes an important start in an area in which  Governments have talked for a long time and done nothing. It .was this Liberal Government which acted, where other governments had only talked. .

"  . '  Â·:>/.,Ã¢ÂÂ  ,  Ã¢ÂÂ   .  .  ’  Â·  '  '  '

In addition there were new airline arrangements which  established an independent airfares committee, and which will  convert TAA into a public company and increase competition  in the airline industry. t

It is true that there were pressures during the session,that  is inevitable when such a volume of legislation is presented  for debate and passage through Parliament. But it has been  possible to achieve a most satisfactory result. It has been  an exceptionally productive session, which will have  far-reaching effects of tremendous benefit to all Australians.

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