The National Archives will release the 1977 Cabinet documents under embargo to journalists:
Date: Tuesday 4 December
Time: 10.30 am
Place: Menzies Room, National Archives
Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes ACT
1977 should have been the middle year of the second Fraser ministry, which had a comfortable majority in both Houses. Instead it ended with an election that Fraser comfortably won, followed by Gough Whitlam’s departure from the ALP leadership.
It saw the emergence of Don Chipp’s Australian Democrats, the resignation of the Attorney-General on an issue of principle, the resignation of the Treasurer over personal financial issues, the elevation of John Howard to Cabinet and the sacking of Senator Glen Sheil from the Ministry before he was sworn in.
Much of Cabinet’s attention focused on money. Inflation was falling but unemployment and the current account deficit were rising and all were uncomfortably high. The budget deficit hovered around the $3 billion mark and, despite the determined efforts of Treasury and Finance, it was difficult to reduce it without cutting into areas that made politicians uneasy.
The Government urged the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission to limit wage increases and also tried to strengthen industrial laws to combat the more militant unions, in both cases with mixed success.
Many issues remain famililar. Cabinet decided to address Indigenous unemployment by introducing community development schemes in remote areas and training schemes for those who wanted to enter the mainstream workforce. Arrivals from Indo-China prompted Cabinet agreed a policy on Australia’s obligations to refugees. Cabinet decided to mine and export uranium and to establish Kakadu National Park. Terrorism became an issue with the theft of Army land mines and attacks on Indian officials attributed to the Ananda Marga.
The Cabinet records are provided on two conditions:
Journalists attending the briefing will receive copies of selected key Cabinet documents, lists of records considered by Cabinet in 1977 and information on the major events of the year. At the briefing historian Dr Jim Stokes will summarise the events of 1977 while special guest Professor Peter Manning who in 1977 was editor of the national satirical weekly Nation Review, will give an insider’s view.
Journalists are reminded that they need to provide media accreditation with photo ID to attend the event and will be required to sign a personal agreement that embargo will be observed.