THE BURKE LABOR GOVERNMENT

Dr Geoffrey Gallop,

Paper delivered at 1984 APSA Conference, 27-29 August, Melbourne University

I would like to thank the many people who helped in the preparation of this paper. ·.

INTRODUCTION Labor came to power in in February 1983 on the 1 basis of 54.4 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote. This amounted toa swing of 6.5 per cent. The largest swings were recorded in the north west (10.8 per cent) and in the outer metropolitan region (7 per cent). Nine Assembly seats fell to Labor: three in the metropolitan zone, five in the agricultural, mining and pastoral zone and one in the north. The Liberals gained one seat at the expense of the National Country Party. This left Labor with a clear majority in the Legislative Assembly and only three seats with a two-party-preferred vote of below 53 per cent. The Liberal Party has four seats in such a position, including Subiaco whose member, Dr Tom Dadour, has resigned from the party and now sits as an independent. Dadour has indicated that he intends to contest the seat as an independent at the next election. The Liberal Party preserved its clear majority in the Legislative Council - and its belief in the legitimacy of the currently constituted second chamber. On the basis of 52 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote Labor won 7 out of the 17 provinces. The Liberals lost North Metropolitan to Labor but won Lower Central and Central from the National Country Party. Labor would need to win a further five seats to gain a majority in the Council at the next election. On the basis of 1983 figures North Metropolitan would go to Labor. Should it gain a swing of 4 per cent at the next election it is conceivable that a further five seats could fall to Labor: South Central Metropolitan, West and three seats in the south-west corner of the State: South West, Lower West and Lower Central. Not surprisingly the Labor government has been active in the south-west and has set up a South West Development Authority to plan, promote and co-ordinate the region's economic and social development. As it stands, however, the Burke government, like all of its predecessors, 2 faces a conservative controlled upper house. Labor's run-up to the February election effectively began in September 1981 when Brian Burke and Mal Bryce became leader and deputy­ leader and changes were made to the shadow cabinet. The coup was arranged and organised by the younger generation of parliamentarians and extra-parliamentary leaders. Up to that point personal, and to a degree, ideological differences had prevented the party's "Young Turks" from acting as a united force against the "Old Guard". Bryce had been 2

the more senior of the two, having been on the party's national executive since 1973, national vice-president (1976-77), state president (1977-79) and deputy-leader of the opposition (1977-78). Bryce became a member of the shadow cabinet in 1974. Burke, who had entered parliament at a by­ election in 1973 - two years after Bryce - could list few such achievements. At the same time he was recognised as being to the right of centre in a state branch dominated by a "broad left consensus". His father, Tom, had been the federal member for from 1942 to 1955. Considered a Catholic Grouper he was expelled from the party by Joe Chamberlain (WA state secretary 3 from 1949 to 1974) even though he opposed the formation of the DLP. Bryce and his supporters from .the broad left of the party reached the conclusion that Burke had the necessary skills and flair, personal and political, to take the party to power. A key figure in those developments was Michael Beahan, former director of the Trade Union Training Authority in WA, who had become state secretary earlier in the year. Sections of the traditional left expressed misgivings about the coup and the pragmatic and business-like approach adopted by Burke and his shadow cabinet. It quickly became clear, however, that the move had the support of the party 4 overall. Labor's approach to the election was precise and methodical. In the fifteen months following the change of leadership Burke and his parliamentary colleagues made personal contact with wide sections of the local business community. Funds were raised and Labor's policies explained. In the lead up to the election itself detailed policy documents in all areas of concern were released, including special policies for the Bunbury region ("Bunbury 2000 Development Strategy") and for the defence of WA ("Defence: Protecting the West"). Most emphasis was placed on Labor's approach to economic questions. It was argued that the government ought to take a wider view of economic potential, that it ought to encourage a wider view of what constituted a legitimate interest in the economy and that it ought to think more carefully and creatively about the management of the state's assets than had been the case in the Court-O'Connor years. At the same time Labor indicated that it planned to reform the state's health, education and welfare systems as well as the electoral systems for state and local government. Labor appropriated the "West is Best" ideology from the Liberals and argued that the time had arrived for a new approach to the development of the state within the federation. Increasingly, however, it was Burke himself who came to be the central part of Labor's strategy and the slogan "Brian Burke, best new leader in Australia" 3

-v

was coined. Labor pursued its campaign to convince the middle ground of its plausibility with ruthless consistency, a large team of journalists 5 and public relations consultants being employed for the purpose.

THE BURKE CABINET Only two members of the Burke cabinet - Ron Davies and Dave Evans - had been ministers in the Tonkin Labor government (1971-74). Ironically they were the leaders deposed by Burke and Bryce in 1981. The Attorney­ General, , had been the federal member for Perth from 1969 to 1975 and the Minister for the Environment in the last four months of the Whitlam government. He was elected to the Legislative Council in 1980. All ministers, with the exception of Davies, Evans and former locomotive driver Ken McIver, had been elected to the parliament since 1970. All of the ministers were educated in WA: eleven in state schools, three in Catholic schools and one at a local private school. Nine of the fifteen ministers have bachelor's degrees from the University of Western Australia. Before entering parliament five were teachers, four union officials and three lawyers. The remaining three were a locomotive driver, Anglican clergyman and journalist (Brian Burke). On conling to power the average age of the 6 ministry was 45. All are men. In the new government Burke is Premier and Treasurer, ~1inister for economic and social development, and Minister for tourism, women's interests and forests. Mal Bryce took on the wide ranging portfolio of economic development and technology, including resources, industrial, commerical and export development. The inclusion of technology and women's interests represented new initiatives. Mines, fuel and energy were separated from resources development and given to . They had all been allocated to NCP deputy leader Peter Jones in the Court and O'Connor govern­ ments. In other developments Labor created portfolios of intergovernment relations, defence liaison and parliamentary and electoral reform. The Rottnest Island Board was transferred to the tourism portfolio in a move that clearly indicated Burke's intention to upgrade the Island's role in the state's tourist economy. In December 1983 Burke engineered a major cabinet reshuffle. Bryce was relieved of resources development and it was added to mines, fuel and energy to create a new portfolio of minerals and energy. This job was given to the youngest minister, thirty-year old David Parker. At the same time a new budget management portfolio was created and given to Joe Berinson. This allowed Burke to transfer about two-thirds of his 4

treasury workload to Berinson. Intergovernmental relations was shifted from Berinson's to Burke's office and a director appointed to assist the Premier in the area. Arthur Tonkin, leader of the House, was relieved of the consumer affairs portfolio, apparently as a result of differences betw.eenthe two over how the portfolio ought to be handled. Earlier in the year Burke had criticised Tonkin for the antagonistic public image he was presenting to the business community. Early in 1984 Burke handed the defence of the America's Cup to the party's leader in the Legislative Counci1, Des Dans.

THE MACHINERY OF GOVERNMENT The first,andthe most important administrative initiative of the Labor government, was the creation of the new Department of Premier and Cabinet, replacing the Premier's Department. The duties of the old Premier's Department - the Governorship, overseas representation for the state,and correspondence - are now dealt with by one arm of the new department. Two new secti.ons have been created: the Policy Secretariat which monitors all legislation and parliamentary affairs andliaises with ministers and their advisers, and the Cabinet Secretariat which co-ordinates and timetables all cabinet submissions.? Attached to the department are the Women's Interest Unit and the Media Monitoring Unit. For the first time the government's press secretaries have been grouped to form a press pool in a centralised office. The new government brought with it a team of advisers on special contracts. Some were seconded from tertiary institutions, some from the trade union movement and some from local consultancies. The government has made it clear that it wishes to encourage secondments where it is deemed necessary and staff exchanges with the private sector. The Policy Secretariat is already operating such an exchange system. Ministerial appointments have been of three sorts: ministerial advisers, ministerial officers and research officers. The Premier himself has made nine such appointments. The Civil Service Association and senior public servants have expressed misgivings about the system which is new to Western Australian politics. The opposition parties have also complained about the system on the grounds of the expense to the taxpayer and the downgrading of permanent public servants. 8 Labor has also initiated a massive range of inquiries into various aspects of policy and administration. It argued that there were areas in 5

which Labor's platform needed further refinement in respect of implementa­ tion and areas in which the government needed to re-consider some of its 9 own platform commitments. In some cases the terms "review" and "inquiry" have actually referred to work being done within the bureaucracy itself. In other cases independent inquiries such as that by Paul Seaman into Aboriginal land rights and Commissioner Eric Kelly into retail trading hours, inquiries by committees such as that by Snr into the education system, and inquiries by outside consultants such as that by three businessmen into Western Australian football have been used. After less than half of their term was completed seventy such inquiries had 0 been comp Iete d or were under way.1 Th e use 0 f·····1nqu1r1es 1S 1nd1cat1ve . . of a number of factors: firstly, the inexperience of the cabinet and its uncertainty in respect of some of its commitments; secondly, its need to legitimise new initiatives before it takes them to the parliament whose upper house is controlled by the opposition parties; and, thirdly, its concern to establish itself as a moderate government intent on introducing changes for which there is a clear need and a degree of consensus. 11 In many areas of government administration changes have been made or are on the way. I have already referred to the creation of the new Department of Premier and Cabinet. The Treasury has also been restructured. It is now centred on a budget management division which prepares the budget to cabinet stage and supervises it through the year, an economic and investment policy division to deal with financial auditing and loan raising, and a new economic development division to deal with major projects such as the proposed aluminium smelter and power station for the South-West and the work of the newly created WA Development Corporation. The economic development division will be assisted by a small special projects group who report directly to the Premier. In moves expressive of the government's economic philosophy the Department of Tourism has been converted into a Commission with wide powers to plan, research and develop tourism. It possesses more financial power to support and encourage the private sector than had been the case with the department it replaced. The capture of the America's Cup has intensified even further the government's commitment to tourism as an important sector of the economy. The government has also created the Western Australian Development Corporation. It will be given the task 6

of managing the assets of the state government so that the best possible returns are forthcoming. It is also intended that the government, through the WADC, should acquire a percentage of projects that promised a return to the state. Burke has said: "No one says we should own the entire iron-ore industry but it would be nice to say that the public owns 10 per cent of it".12 Eventually the public would be offered a share in the corporation which would also provide commercial development packages. Seven business people and one public servant have been 13 appointed to the Board. Six other statutory authorities have been created: \VA Science and Technology Council, Technology Development Authority, Technology Directorat:e,·Small Business Development Corporation, Multi-cultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission, South-West Development Authority and the WA Tripartite Labour Consultative Council. The Science and Technology Council and Technology Development Authority are part of a package of developments in the technology area. The Council will include representatives from government, academia, business and unions, and will advise the government on science and technology issues. It replaces the technological review group set up by the previous government. The TDA will establish arid manage a technology park at Bentley and any future technology parks. Also established is a Technology Directorate directly answerable to the Minister, Deputy-Premier Mal Bryce. Staff would be employed on contract rather than as permanent public servants. Bryce has also established a new Department of Computing and Information Technology to advise the government on policy, plan computer and information technology use in the public sector and provide consulting advice generally.14 As Minister for Industrial Development, Bryce has also strengthened his own department through the creation of a new Industries Development Unit to set up an extensive data base, engage in special research studies and monitor overseas developments. In connection with this the govern­ ment is reviewing the Industry Advances Act which governs aid to industry with the view to moving from a system in which the government reacts to requests from ailing companies to one 1n which the government can assist and perhausaps 1nvestd 1n•• 1ndustr1es .W1t . hgrowt hpotent1a. . 1 15 The Small Business Development Corporation (which replaces Small Business Advisory Services Ltd) will advise the government on small business questions and provide education and training for the small 7

business sector. Five of the corporation's six members will be appointed for three years and the managing director, who will serve ex officio, 16 will be appointed for a maximum of five years. The Tripartite Labour Consultative Council was set up to consider and report to the government and parliament on legislative and administrative steps needed to improve industrial relations in WA. It contains representatives from both sides of industry. The Multi-cultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission, headed by a full-time Commissioner, has been set up to advise the government on policy in the area and to promote multiculturalism in WA. The South­ West Development Authority, referred to earlier in this paper, was established to enhance the region and the Bunbury 2000 policy released 17 in the run up to the election. Attached to the Authority is a committee representative of the region as a whole to advise it in the exercise of its powers which include the purchase and sale of land, the provision of services and the financing of development projects with loan funds approved by the government. The government has also introduced or is to introduce major changes in the areas of health and community welfare. The departments of Public Health, Hospital and Allied Services, and Mental Health Services have been abolished and replaced by a single Health Department. Advising the ~1inister and permanent head would also be a Health Advisory Group within which there would be room for consumer, professional and voluntary 18 group participation. The First Report of the Welfare and Community Services Review has been accepted by the government as the basis for restructuring of the Community Welfare Department. It will become the Department of Community Services headed by a seven member Community Services Board which would be advised by Professional and Consumer Advisory Councils. Special advisors on aboriginal and women's issues are also to be appointed and placed within the department. The depart­ ment's operations will be decentralised into three metropolitan and three country directorates which would offer all the services of the 19 department. As a result of a report by the Task Force on Land Resource Management three government agencies - the Forests Department, the National Parks Authority and the Wildlife Section of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife - will amalgamate to form a single Department of Natural Land Management. Other agencies are likely to be included in the department at some future date; most importantly the Waterways Commission, the WA 8

Herbarium, and the Kings Park Board. The new department will manage national parks, nature reserves, the state's forest and timber resources, flora and fauna conservation reserves and unvested reserves and vacant crown land. To co-ordinate policy on land use a Land Resource Policy Council consisting of the permanent heads of ten departments will be set up. 20 Other proposals concerning land use planning in rural r.eas , including the creation of a new Department of Urban and Rural Planning based on the existing Town Planning Department, have been referred to an inquiry being made into statutory planning processes in the state. On coming to office Labor created a State Employment Task Force 21 to devise employment and training strategies for the state. It inherited a Department of Employment that had been created by the previous government just seven weeks before the election to manage 22 its Job Bank Programme. The new Employment Task Force completed three reports: An Analysis of Youth Employment and Unemployment (November 1983), A Review of Administrative Arrangements for Industrial Training (December 1983) and Co-operative, Community and Self-Employment Business Ventures (December 1983). As a result of this reporting a new Department of Employment and Training has been created. It contains four divisions: on Employment and Training Policy Unit (in effect the former State Employment Task Force), a Community Employment Initiatives Unit, a Division of Industrial Training, and an Employment Division to implement and administer government job creation initiatives. Labor initiated two major inquiries into education. One, chaired by Professor Barry McGaw from Murdoch University, examined school certification and tertiary admission procedures. The other, chaired by 3 Kim Beazley Snr, reported generally on education in the state.2 As a result of these reports the government is to abolish the Board of Secondary Education and Tertiary Admissions Examination Committee, and replace it with a new Secondary Education Authority to be chaired by the Director­ General of Education and to contain representatives from all sectors of education (20) and from the general public (4). It will issue certificates, run examinations for tertiary admission and devise methods for testing literacy in the schools. Legislation will be introduced to put into effect the proposed changes. There has been criticism of the proposal to place the Director-General of Education at the head of the new authority by the state's tertiary institutions. They argue that 9

there will be a conflict of interest between the Director-General's two positions - as head of the department and of the authority. In respect of higher education the Minister has established an inquiry under Bob Hetherington MLC to examine the effectiveness and public accountability of university senates and councils of other tertiary institutions. It follows concern about investment procedures employed and disagreement between the Minister for Education and the University of Western Australia over tertiary admissions policy and procedures. The government also amended the Western Australian College of Advanced Education Act to provide for the establishment of Campus Committees at each of the college's four campuses. These were amalgamated in 1982 as part of a federal policy of rationalisation. The establishment of these committees is intended to provide for a degree of autonomy for each campus. 24 The goverl~ent has also reconstituted the Council of the WA College. The government has announced its intention to create a single Water Authority for WA in 1985. It will involve a merger of the Metro­ politan Water Authority and the Country Water Supplies Section of the Public Works Department. The government also intends to shift the Harbours and Rivers Section of the PWD to the Marine and Harbours Depart­ ment which at present comes under the transport portfolio. This would leave the PWD comprised only of its architectural division. It is expected that it will become a new buildings department. Its future is being determined by the government's top-level functional review committee which was set up to undertake a two-year review of all functions, activities and services provided by the government. Il ) In other moves the State Energy Commission~s to be~ripped of its policy and planning role and is to concentrate on the provision of electricity and gas to the community. ~he Energy Advisory Council has been included within the departmental structure controlled by the Minister for Minerals and Energy. It will retain a SEC representative. The Police Special Branch has been abolished and all files attached to it destroyed. The government has shifted responsibility for all Acts relating to aborigines to one minister. Previously they had been scattered among different portfolios. The Chief Secretary's Department has been abolished and its functions transferred to other departments. Recommendations by a ministeral working party inquiring into leisure and recreation have not been acted upon. The working party proposed the creation of a new Ministry 10

for Leisure Services which would embrace all primary recreation responsibil­ ities such as the arts, sport; tourism, recreation, parks and natural 25 resource management. All of these developments in the machinery of government have involved a significant re-shuffling of personnel and re-allocation of positions. Many new positions have been created at senior levels within the bureaucracy. Most of these are being advertised outside the service and the conditions attached "suggest that the government is moving towards the establishment of a senior executive service as has been implemented elsewher~,~6 Several ministerial advisers have been appointed to senior public service positions. Dr Michael Wood, a political scientist from the University of Western Australia who assisted in the formation of the new Department of Premier and Cabinet, has become Secretary to the 27 Department of Local Government. Tony Lloyd became director of the Policy Secretariat in the Department of Premier and Cabinet and has more recently become Assistant Under-Treasurer. Lloyd is also on the board of the WADC. Douglas Mitchell, who was the Premier's principal ministerial adviser, is now Director of Inter-Governmental Relations. Dr John Wood, appointed to head State Employment Strategies Task Force, is now a Deputy Executive Director of the new Department of Employment and Training. Michael Naylor, who was the Premier's adviser on policy development, is now company secretary for the WADC. The Burke Government, as one journalist noted when reviewing changes in government administration, "is digging in 28 for a long stay." The government has also indicated its intention to bring the state's many statutory authorities under tighter control. A ministerial review was set up to report to the government on the question. The problem of financial accountability was highlighted when the Auditor-General criticised the dealings of the Grain Pool and the Lamb Marketing Board. Legislation to require annual reporting from all agencies is being prepared. It intends to ensure that agencies have clear objectives and methods to assess whether they are achieving them. The government has also expressed concern about the indefinite terms for some of the appointments to the agencies and the degree to which there is waste and duplication in the system overall. At the same time the Legislative Council's Standing Committee on Government Agencies has tabled a major report on the issue of reporting requirements for government agencies. This Committee has also produced a listing of 11

the 564 boards and committees known to exist in the state. The Standing Committee is composed of three members from each side of the chamber. In responding to the Committee Report on reporting requirements the Premier pointed to what he saw as another problem: the "undemocratic" nature of the Legislative Council itself. The government, he said, would not be prepared to allow the existing Council to take on the job of reviewing and evaluating government agencies. This raises the question 29 of parliamentary and electoral reform.

GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT Since coming to power Labor has been conducting a relentless campaign against the Legislative Council. During the election it proposed to reform the Council on the basis of state-wide proportional representation and to provide for the resolution of deadlocks between the two houses. Its campaigning for this legislation has at the same time been useful as a tactic to place pressure on the opposition controlled Council when it is considering government legislation. For its part the opposition has been keen to establish that it is reasonable and constructive in its utilisation of upper house power. Both sides have sought to establish clear support in the community for any stand they take on legislation. In some cases the opposition has allowed its parliamentary tactics in the upper house to be based on what major interest groups say about particular legislation. In the case of industrial relations this meant rejection of government legislation and, in the case of local government, acceptance. In the first twelve months of Labour rule 87 bills passed through parliament. Of these 9 were amended in the upper house. The Council also amended the government's legislation to ban tobacco advertising but in terms that were unacceptable to the government. Legislation to reform the upper house, provide for the resolution of deadlocks and to requireMPs to publicly disclose their financial interests wer~ all rejected. In the first year of the Tonkin Labor Government 13 out of 69 bills failed to pass and 16 were amended. In the first six months of 1984 a further 43 bills have passed. Of these 8 were amended in the upper house. The Council rejected the government's package of measures for industrial relations and a bill to legalise homosexuality between consenting adults sponsored by Labor MP Bob Hetherington and supported by the ALP in parliament. Overall, then, Labor has passed 130 bills (17 in amended form) 12

and had 6 bills rejected. It should be noted that in the case of the bills dealing with tobacco advertising and homosexuality Liberal parliamentarians were given a free vote. Labor proposed to reform the upper house by establishing a 22 member chamber elected on the basis of state-wide proportional representation. Half the chamber would retire every three years. Such legislation would have been put to the people in a referendum before it became law. The deadlock legislation provided for the abolition of any upper house veto on supply and the provision for two procedures for breaking deadlocks in respect of ordinary legislation: referendum or double dissolution elections. In the case of an election the disputed bills would only need the support of the newly-elected Assembly to become law. 30 The government now proposes to introduce reform measures for both houses. Proportional representation for the upper house would be on the basis of regions.

ELECTORAL SYSTEM PROPOSED BY LABOR

Legislative Legislative Region Assembly Council Northern 3 2{l per election) Agricultural 16 10 (5 per election) North Metropolitan 19 10 (5 per election) South Metropolitan 19 10 \(5 per election) v, 57 32

Electoral Commissioners would distribute the 57 Assembly seats on the basis of equality with an allowance for 10 per cent up or down from the quota. The boundaries between the regions would be built on the basis of the Commissioners' findings and would provide the framework for elections to the upper house. Each MLC would be able to represent up to 20 per cent 31 more or less than the average number of electors per MLC overall. In respect of deadlocks the government is setting up a Royal Commission to report on the question. The government's proposed changes to the industrial relations system did not even get past the second reading stage in the Council. The govern­ ment proposed to restore preferences to unionists, to widen the definition of an employee in a way that would affect many subcontract workers and to give the Industrial Commission power to interfere in contracts and change those considered harsh and unfair. The Masters Builders Association, 13

Small Business Association, Housing Industry Association and Chamber of Commerce all opposed the legislation. In a last minute bid to save the legislation Labor offered to refer the controversial sections to an independent arbiter. The opposition rejected this procedure and voted against the bill altogether. In the case of the tobacco legislation the Council passed the sections dealing with the sale of cigarettes to minors but rejected the sections banning advertising. Two non-Labor MLCs - Colin Bell (Liberal) and Tom McNeil (National) - voted with the 32 government on the advertising ban. A Conference of Managers of both houses failed to reach agreement, the government arguing that without the ban on advertising there was little point to passing the bill. The bill to legalise homosexuality was defeated 18-15 in the Council. Two Liberal MLCs voted with the ALP. Despite opposition from the State Executive of the party Labor's caucus proposed to retain 18 years rather than 16 as the age of consent. The State Executive argued that the homosexual and heterosexual age of consent ought to be the same - 16 years. For this reason homosexual pressure groups urged MPs to vote against the legislation. Government legislation requiring MPs to publicly disclose their financial interests modelled along the lines of legislation in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia was also defeated. The opposition argued that it would only support disclosure if it was private and to a committee consisting of the Chief Justice and two others. Labor has managed notable legislative successes. In the first place legislation to establish the eight new statutory authorities discussed in the last section of this paper has been passed. In four of these the legislation was subject to amendment in the Council. In the case of the Tourism Commission and Multi-cultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission sunset clauses were included. Legislation for the former will continue for ten years and for the latter, eight years. In respect of the South West Development Authority the government agreed to review the legislation after four years and to give a stronger role to the fifteen local authorities in the selection of the Authority!s advisory committee. Legislation to establish the WADC was significantly amended. Many of the amendments were agreed to by the government after talks with business and industry pressure groups. A total of 33 amendments were passed in the Council. Burke was led to say: "They cut off the legs and arms - they just missed the head". By the latter he was referring to the Liberal failure to restrict the amount which the 14

corporation might invest. An amendment had restricted the amount the WADC could lend to any single business to $5 million or 50 per cent of paid-up capital, whichever is less. The opposition admitted later that they had made a mistake, thinking that the wording covered investment as well as lendings. A most important government victory was in the area of local government where Labor legislation to establish an adult franchise passed through both houses. Labor attached this measure to proposals for rating reform and more autonomy for local councils. They made rating reform and autonomy conditional upon electoral reform. In response to council opposition to adult franchise the government agreed to preserve votes for non-resident owners and occupiers. However, no one person can vote more than once in any ward or mayoral election or on anyone issue such as a loan poll. The opposition agreed to the changes only after they had been endorsed by a meeting representative of most councils in the state. The conference was organised by the Local Government Association, the Country Urban Councils' Association and the Country Shire Councils' Association. The opposition did attempt to remove the Minister's power to decide ward boundaries within councils and make these subject to parliamentary scrutiny but amended the wrong section of the act. The government was left, then, with its compromise package intact. At a special sitting on 22 March 1983, the government established price control as promised during the election. The opposition proposed three amendments, two of which were accepted - the limitation of the life of the legislation to the period of the wages freeze and the necessity 33 of a report to parliament from the minister or the prices commissioner. Only two prices were declared - petrol and petrol-station leases. Investigations into a wide range of prices failed to produce a case for control. When the legislation expired at the end of 1983 the government confined price control powers to fuel and related matters. Since then it has decided to hand its control over wholesale petrol prices to the Commonwealth. In other legislative steps the government established joint Common­ wealth/State electoral rOlls,34 deleted all references to Aborigines in the Electoral Act and established procedures by which referendums can be conducted. The notorious Section 548 of the Police Act was repealed and new public assembly legislation passed. Section 548 was introduced by 15

the Court government in 1976 and amended in 1979. It made it an offence to hold a public meeting in a public place without the consent of the 35 Police Commissioner or a delegated commissioned officer. Labor's legislation enables people to obtain a permit four days in advance and to appeal to a magistrate if it is refused or to hold a public meeting without approval but with liability for any damages that occur. The government also legalised bingo on licensed premises and passed a Casino Control Bill to set-up structures to control the operation of the casino it has agreed to establish. Six opposition MLCs voted against the legisation at the second-reading stage. The governemnt is considering taking an equity in the casino development in return for the 36 land on which it is to be built. The Indecent Publications and Articles Act was amended to allow the locally appointed advisory committee on publications to prohibit films, videos or publications or change the classifications the Commonwealth puts on them. In effect this allows the state to place its own X-rating. The government said it was not satisfied with all of the film classifications set by the Commonwealth. Since then the government has announced that it intends to ban the sale or hire of X-rated videos from 1 September 1984. At the same time shops will be required to place R-rated 37 videos in areas restricted to people over 18 years of age. The govern­ ment also amended the Child Welfare Act with the intention of preventing children from being exploited for pornographic purposes. Fines of $5000 and three years' gaol are to apply to those found guilty of employing children aged 14 years or less for pornographic purposes. The legislation also provides a licensing framework to protect children working in the entertainment industry. Licenses would specify conditions for the health, welfare, education and safety of the child, with heavy penalties to apply if the conditions are breached. Legislation to allow the State Gover~;~~ Insurance Office to sell home, fire, accident and life insurance in competition with private insurance companies has been passed. In response to opposition fears that the SGIO would have an unfair advantage in the marketplace the govern~ ment agreed to set-up a Standing Committee of Parliament to oversee its operations. Previous Labor governments have tried seven times since 1953 to lift the restrictions on the SGIO's range of services. Legislation to allow sufferers of asbestos-related diseases to apply for damages through 16

the courts even though they may have contacted the disease many years earlier was passed. Previously actions claiming negligence had to be started within six years of contracting the disease. The government.' s acquisition of the Northern Mining Corporation and the amendments to the Ashton Joint Venture Agreement to make this possible were approved in separate bills. Northern Mining was one of the three joint venture partners in the Argyle diamond project. The cost of the acquisition was $42 million. This came from the partial pre-payment of $50 million in royalties by the Ashton Joint Venturers in return for their release from an obligation to build a mine town in association with the project. Recently the government has announced that it will put its 5 per cent stake in the Argyle diamond venture on the market for $65 million. Its holding will be sold to a unit trust. The public will be able to take up a portion of the trust's 65 million one-dollar units. The government is expected to take up a portion of the units itself to keep up a continuing interest in the venture and it will manage the trust through the WADC. Government initiatives in the area of finance provided the basis for much argument within the parliament. In the first place the govern­ ment passed legislation reducing the salary of senior public servants 38 for twelve months from 1 September 1983. This was part of a package of measures announced by the government to deal with budgetary shortages revealed on taking office. In the second place the government introduced a Financial Institutions Duty at a rate of five cents per $100 paid into all financial institutions. Similar duties had already been imposed, but at a lower rate, in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. A few months later the government amended the legislation to exempt accounts operated 39 by charities and local government. In the third place the government has legislated to provide for optional early retirement for police officers and state public servants. Police officers can retire at 55 with full pension entitlements whilst others can retire with part-entitlements. Controversially the governemnt intends to use the surplus earnings from the State Superannuation Fund to help meet the CPI-indexed increases to pensions and the administration costs of the Fund rather than calIon 40 consolidated revenue as has been the practice in the past. This, along with the pay cuts, the adviser system and new appointments to senior public service positions outlined in an earlier part of this paper has antagonised sections of the bureaucracy. 17

In pursuing its legislative programme the government has let no opportunities to attack the Legislative Council pass by. The Council is presented as a 'purely political' chamber without legitimacy. Any concessions to the opposition in respect of legislation have been described as unavoidable given the balance of numbers that prevail. On occasions the government indicated that failure of the Council to pass its legislation could trigger an early election. For its part the opposition has attacked the government for the way it is handling the business of parliament. The Council has set up a Select Committee on Committees to look at the way it can improve its functioning as a second chamber. In its interim report the Committee has recommended the appointment of additional standing commi ttees. The Council has also set up Select Committees into aboriginal poverty, the fruit and vegetable industry, and sport and recreation. However, with one exception onl~ the opposition in the Council has expressed no interest in electoral reform. Graham MacKinnon, one-time Liberal Minister due to retire in 1986, has advocated four zones - two in the metropolitan and two in the non-metropolitan area - each to return four members every three years. MLC's would be elected for a six-year 41 term. As has been seen the government is utilising a similar idea but with proportionality between seats and population.

ECONOMIC DEVELOP~ffiNT Brian Burke was catapulted to power by a parliamentary party hungry for government. Labor had been in the wilderness in WA for all but three years since 1959. In the latter half of the era of conservative rule the person and politics of Sir dominated the political stage. Labor became a haven for many of those disaffected by Court's approach to the development of the state. The party developed a comprehensive list of alternative policies, some in considerable detail. The new government has, in some cases, initiated a process by which the policies can be amended to slot in with the "realities" of government and the "experience" of other states. The use of government inquiries to advise in major areas of activity has been part of such a process. Aboriginal land rights is a case in point; the government making it clear that it was no longer sure that the Northern Territory model was the best available for the state. A state conference due in September will be the first occasion in which the wider party will give a clear indication of its perception of the government's ideas regarding policy and implementation. 18 ! .i'

Burke himself has been careful not to entangle hi.s own government in the national debates over uranium and visits by American nuclear­ powered and armed vessels. In both cases he deferred to national decisions without publicly using the weight of his own government to support either side. Local party attitudes on both of these issues are on the side of anti-uranium and anti-nuclear groups. In respect of uranium this resulted in opposition criticism of the Premier's failure to defend the Yeelirrie project. The government has been willing, however, to confront the federal governemnt in other areas considered the preserve of the states. The proposed resources-rent tax and the federal sacred sites legislation have been examples. Burke has written that "one of the compulsive truths of Australian politics" is that "elections fought about centralism see national governments defeated".42 Consensus has been interpreted by the WA government to include inter-government relations as well as relations between the government and interest groups. The government has been particularly keen to establish itself as a responsible keeper of the public purse. On coming to government the salaries of MPs and senior public servants were cut and a 50 per cent non-replacement policy established. A functional review committee was established to review all of the functions, activities and services provided by the government. The review is expected to take a full two years. An inventory assessment is being made of all government and statutory authorities to find if there is any "lazy money" available for more productive uses. The newly formed WADC is expected to playa role in the management of government assets. It will be able to provide venture capital for industry and enter into joint venture arrangements with the private sector. It is hoped that this will bring additional 43 revenue to the government. The government has said that it is working on the assumption that. state taxes and charges have reached maximum levels. Burke has also pointed to the pressures that are being placed on WA by the Commonwealth and the larger states of Victoria and New South Wales: ... representatives of the political and economic elites of the larger states predominate in the Commonwealth and there is no doubt that the Common­ wealth government is coming under increasing pressure to intervene in the regional economies and equalise benefits across the continent.44 &~ r""·'"j'->- )~~ 19

-' To protect its financial base and preserve its autonomy in the federal system, Burke argued, WA will need to find new sources of revenue from equity participation, leasing provisions, conditional guarantees and profit-sharing arrangements. An early example of the government's approach was its acquisition of the 5 per cent share of the Argyle diamond project. The government has also bought into Westintech, a new technology financier which has gained a Federal management and investment company license. Such initiatives have also been justified in terms of the new government's determination to ensure that Western Australia earns as much as possible from its human and non-human capital. A constant criticism of Libera1-NCP practice was that it sold the state short. Speaking rather boldly to a reporter, he said: "Eventually it will be of passing and quaint interest to us what the other State and Federal governments do economically and financially, if not po1ltlca·. 11y. 45 The government's regional chauvinism is not interpreted in simple inter-government terms. It has expressed its support for local capital wishing to increase its status and power in the national and international context. The WADC is seen as an instrument capable of supporting local business, particularly through the provision of equity capital. The government has also indicated that it will facilitate development, particularly in the tourism area, by speeding up the approval process. Planning procedures are being looked at by a special inquiry into statutory planning. Burke has also floated the idea that the private sector take up a share in the State Government Insurance Office. Legislation to allow the SGIO to expand its field of operations passed through Parliament in 1983. He has commissioned five consultants to report on a corporate strategy for the SGIO. According to Burke the floating of a share of a state asset may be necessary to improve profits overall. The creation of greater wealth overall is said to be more important than direct government involvement in wealth creation as the former allows for greater returns to both state and capital. Labor claims that it possesses a broader view of the state's productive potential. It points to tourism, manufacturing and new technology as under-exploited areas as a result of the over-concentration on resource development and agriculture in the Court years. The state infrastructure backing up these areas has been significantly strengthened 20

with the creation of the Tourism Commission, the upgrading of the Department of Industrial Development, the creation of the new Department of Computing and the creation of the new advisory and management author­ ities in the area of technology. The government is also drafting legislation to establish a South East Asian Marketing Corporation which will promote trade with the region and introduce Asian capital to local ventures. It has cut its London office staff by half and indicated that it will 46 expand its presence in South-East Asia. Tourism has been given a high profile and is included in the portfolio of the Premier. The government is also play~ng a significant role in preparation for the America's Cup and has agreed to provide financial assistance for the construction of two new ocean marinas. Belief in the importance of large resource projects for the state continues. Efforts to secure an aluminium smelter for the south-west of the state - and in the process soak up some of the surplus capacity from the North-West Shelf Gas Project - have been perservered with. The government has indicated that it would like to take up some equity in the project. Claims have been made that the government is offering electricity at ridiculously low prices to ensure that the project goes ahead. These claims, based on documents leaked from the government's Aluminium Task Force, have been dismissed by the government which has also said that before any agreement was signed a full cost-benefit analysis and audit will be released for public perusal. Should it go ahead the smelter will involve a $1200 million investment; $700 million for the smelter itself and $500 million for a new 600 megawatt power station at Collie. It is expected to produce 220,000 tonnes of aluminium annually from about a tenth of the 4 million tonnes of alumina currently 47 exported. In making its case for continued resource development the government has said that it wishes to increase the level of local equity participation and distribute the benefits more equitably throughout the state. As indicated earlier it has also expressed a desire to see more returns for the government. In co-operation with the federal government the state government has succeeded in gaining union agreement for the setting up of an iron-ore consultative council consisting of representatives of government, the iron-ore companies and unions. This followed two lengthy disputes in the Pilbara over working hours and the employment of apprentices. 22

Aboriginal pressure groups have expressed concern at what they see as government back-peddling in the face of a white backlash. The trade union movement has also indicated occasional dissatisfaction with the government's definition of consensus. In particular it is concerned about job losses in the public sector as the quest for efficiency gathers pace and about hints that parts of the state public sector may be sold to private business. The unions have also expressed the view that the government has been too keen to establish good relations with employers at the expense of its connections with the union movement. For its part the government will introduce legislation to the current session of parliament to establish a Commission of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare,SO to bring portahility of long service leave into the building and construction industry and to strenghen regulations controlling the use and handling of absestos. An amended version of the Industrial Relations Bill will also be re-presented to parliament. After an early honeymoon the Burke government nOw finds itself in conflict with the state's conservation movement not without influence in the ALP. They have expressed concern over the proposed pricing arrangements and over the environmental impact of the proposed aluminium smelter. The government's proposed Department of Natural Land Management has been opposed because it amalgamates "production" and "conservation" functions within a single department. The Conservation Council argue for the creation of a National Parks and Wildlife Service and a Forests Commission rather than a new "mega-department".Sl The government seeks support from conservationists on the grounds of its reservation of the Shannon River Basin (strongly opposed by the local Shire Council), its cessation of clearing of native hardwoods for pine plantations and its creation of a significant Jarrah Reserve. It disputes claims concerning the smelter and the new department. The government's pursuit of rapid economic growth, particularly in areas related to tourism, has also met with a degree of opposition from conservationists and environmentalists. Highrise developments on the beachfront at Cottesloe and Scarborough have been allowed to proceed. In the case of Scarborough the government has since placed a 12 metre height limit on beachfront development but it will not prevent the project already approved. A development plan for Rottnest Island commissioned 21

,"

The state government has supported the national prices and incomes accord and urged workers in the north to consider the threat from overseas, particularly from Brazil. The attempt to devise a "consensus" approach to resources development is also illustrated in the area of aboriginal land rights. In the first place the government initiated an inquiry on the grounds that the Northern Territory model could no longer be seen as a perfect model. In more recent days Bill Thomas, senior vice-president of the ALP and an adviser to the Minister for Minerals and Energy, has recommended that land given to aborigines, except for sacred sites and living areas, should be open for exploration or mining. In arguing this Thomas stressed the importance of the principle of state ownership of minerals: "The State Government receives in excess of $100 million per annum from mining royalties. If this was not available to the Government programs and services would need to be reduced substantially or State Government taxes and charges increased accordingly". Thomas summarised his position as follows: In summary when our commitment to Aboriginal land rights is implemented it should grant to Aboriginal people rights to land equivalent to that enjoyed by most members of the wider community. When this occurs substantial tracts of undeveloped land in the remote areas of the State will, inter alia, be involved and for this reason, because of the principle of wider community ownership of minerals, areas which are not actually living areas or sites of particular significance should remain open for exploration or mining. These activities will need to be regulated under a "permit to enter" system which protects the autonomy, privacy and social integrity of the Aboriginal communities. All of this would involve some restriction and regulation of mining and exploration including, interalia, uranium mining if we were to permit that for other reasons. However, such restrictions would not extend to a right of veto of exploration and mining on all Aboriginal land. 48 This differs from the position put by Paul Seaman (head of the Aboriginal Land Inquiry) in a discussion paper released in January 1984. Seaman pointed to the Northern Territory: "In the legislative scheme which I propose, I would therefore give Aboriginal holders of inalienable free­ hold title the power to veto a mine development, subject to a national interest provision, along the lines of Section 40 (1) (b) of the Northern Territory legislation".49 Seaman is expected to complete his final report before the end of the year. 23

by the government has met with strong opposition on the grounds that it would change the character of the island from a retreat for locals to an over-priced and over-developed centre for interstate and overseas tourists. Similarly some of the developments planned for the America's Cup defence - particularly a 1000 berth marina at Sorrento - have been the object of criticism. The government has made it clear that it wishes to capitalise on the America's Cup by facilitating the develop­ ments required for its proper conduct. More than anything else it is \ economic growth and extra employment which it hopes to encourage. At the same time efforts have been made to appease urban planners and environmentalists dissatisfied with planning associated with the Court years. The Perth to railway line has been re-opened, the Whitford Nodes are to be purchased and reserved for public use, the State Housing Commission has begun a programme of buying homes in established areas for low-income families, and the Arthur's Head area in Fremantle has been declared an 'A' class reserve. The government has also indicated that it wishes to take a stronger line on office develop­ ment in the metropolitan area so that the sub-regional centres recognised by the Metropolitan Region Planning Authority can be encouraged rather than disadvantaged by haphazard development overall. There is no indication, however, that a fundamental re-appraisal of urban development in all its aspects - outher suburban sprawl, private and public transport and environmental planning - is high on the list of government priorities. Reform of the government's major areas of activity - health, education and welfare - has begun. In the case of health and welfare the structural changes outlined earlier in the paper have been at the heart of the matter. In the case of education major policy initiatives have been launched as a result of the McGaw and Beazley inquiries. They are aimed at tackling the problems posed by the numbers of children staying on in the state's high schools and at looseni~g the connection between high school education and tertiary admission. All of the initiatives in health, education and welfare carry enormous budgetary implications. In the area of health a three-year anti-smoking campaign costing $2 million is intended to preface a more intensive and widely based health promotion and education campaign. In the area of welfare the new Department of Community Services which will offer a more decentralised service will require extra funding to achieve its objective of community-based welfare. In the area of education the first stage of changes for 1985 are estimated to cost about $110 million. 24

Claims for extra revenue will also be made by the government's new Department of Employment and Training attached to which is a Community Employment Initiatives Unit. This unit exists to promote and assist community-based employment projects and co-operatives. The government has also established a WA Institute of Sport to complement the National Institute which·will be relying on government funds in its initial years. Through its new initiatives and administrative changes, then, the govern­ ment has created enormous demands. That the expectations of all seeking extra resources from the Treasury will not be realised is indicated by the government's decision, already made, to allow the major state govern­ ment charges to fall in real terms in 1984-85. In announcing the taxes and charges for 1984-85 Burke said: There has been strong economic growth in the last 12-18 months, but there are still some uncertainties in areas in the economy and surveys still indicate some business and consumer hesitation. Re-establish­ ing confidence and the maintenance of restraint through the accord are essential to economic well­ being ... In the preparation of the budget, there will have to be cutbacks in government programmes and expenditure. 52 In the longer-term, Burke wrote, the situation would improve as the government began to diversify and supplement its sources of revenue. It follows that short-run changes in the public sector will have to come from greater efficiency overall or internal re-organisation of priorities. The pursuit of greater efficiency has been manifested most clearly in the areas of traditional blue-collar employment: the Public Works Depart­ ment, the Metropolitan Water Authority, Westrail and the Metropolitan Trans­ port Trust. Conflicts with the unions involved in these sectors have resulted. Most increases desired for the public sector are in areas of white-collar employment. The government has devoted much time and energy to re-organising departments and agencies in an effort to "modernise" relations between state and society. The changes will involve extra expenditure on knowledge-based labour. Some of the misgivings in the trade-union movement about the Burke government relate to these priorities. The Burke government does appear to have a reasonably well developed sense of its own political priorities. It does possess a co-ordinating centre in the office of the Premier and a Ministry committed to the notion that political strategy is all-important. There is little evidence that individual ministers are at odds with the general approach of the government 25

which, at important points, leaves them with less than they would have hoped for. The adviser system also operates to impose a significant degree of political discipline on decision-making. It has offered enough to each of the major sectors of the community not to offend any to the point of rebellion. Nevertheless tensions have emerged now that all expectations have not been realised. The ability of the government to manage them will be complicated by the emergence of formalised factions in the Labor Party in Western Australia. 1. For the facts and figures of the election see the study of the Commonwealth Parliament's Legislative Research Service, Western Australian Elections 1983: Basic Paper No. 5 1984 (Commonwealth Government Printer, 1984). For an analysis of the election see , Labor to Power: the Western Australian State Election 1983 (Murdoch University Discussion Papers in Public Policy, No.3, 1983) or "The Western Australian Election 1983", Politics, XIX (1), 1984: 93-6.

2. Since attaining office Labor has held the seat of Mundaring at a by-election in October 1983. Labor had won the seat from the Liberals at the general election on the basis of 56.9 per cent of Australian Democrat Preferences - but only by 16 votes. The Court of Disputed Returns ordered a re-election when it was discovered that mistakes had been made before, during and after the poll. At the by-election Labor gained 50.3 per cent of the first preference vote, an increase of 2 per cent from February.

3. On the background to Labor pOlitics in Western Australia see Ralph Pervan and Douglas Mitchell, "The Changing Nature of the ", in Ralph Pervan and Campbell Sharman (eds), Essays on Western Australian Politics (UWA Press, 1979): 129-58 and Douglas Mitchell, "Western Australia: the struggle to adapt" in Andrew Parkin and John Warhurst (eds), Machine Politics in the Australian Labor Party (Allen and Unwin, 1983): 165-85.

4. On the change of leadership see Adele Horin, "Coup in the West", National Times, 13 to 19 September 1981: 3. Horin has also written a useful article on Burke's background, politics and approach to the premiership. See "How Brian Burke has won the West", National Times, 11 to 17 November 1983: 8-9.

5. On Labor's approach to the campaign see P. Murray, "How the seeds were sown" and S. Perkin, "A new leader in the making", Western Mail, 26 February 1983: 22-3.

6. It should be noted that of Labor's 13 new members, 5 are women. Labor now has 6 women in the state legislature, 2 in the Council and 4 in the Assembly. As yet none have joined the Cabinet. On statistics relating to women candidates in this and earlier elections see Gallop, Labor to Power: 29-30. One of the government's first moves on coming to office was the creation of a .20 member Women's Advisory Council to report to the government on policy issues affecting women and on ways of overcoming discrimination against women.

7. For the government's own view of the new department see Department of Premier and Cabinet, Improving the Quality of Government (March 1983).

8. See Michael Sinclair-Jones, "Burke's boys and girls", Western Mail, 24-25 March 1984: 20-1. On the rise of Labor's new class of policy advisers in Australia generally see Sol Ence1, "Labor's New Class Takes Command: the irresistab1e rise of the information specialists", Australian Society, III (5), 1984: 6-9. .' 9. The party's state executive policy committees and the Labor Advisory Committee made up of senior ministers, party officials and unionists exist to ensure consistency between platform and practice. The state executive itself, which meets every four weeks, and caucus have also been forums within which government strategy can be questioned.

10. Paul McGeough, "There's a price on the need to know", West Australian, 7 April 1984: 16-17. McGeough provides a list of the inquiries to that date.

11. Joe Berinson was appointed Minister for Budget Management in the December 1983 cabinet reshuffle. His duties are similar to those of the Minister for Finance in the Hawke government.

12. Quoted in , 8 November 1983: 3.

13. For the government's thinking on the WADC in the build up to the election see ALP, A Western Australian Development Bank: For Security and Growth (January 1983).

14. On developments in technology see A Guide to the Western Australian Technology Development Act 1983 (1984). On the new department of computing see E.A. Barker, "Setting the pace in the technology stakes", West Australian, 2 August 1984: 9.

15. See E.A. Barker, "More muscle for industry development", West Australian, 12 March 1984: 10.

16. For election policies see ALP, Small Business: New Growth and Development (January 1983).

17. See ALP, Bunbury 2000 Development Strategy (December 1982).

18. First Report of the Welfare and Community Services Review in Western Australia (Perth, WA, 1984).

19. Health Department of Western Australia: An Introduction (February 1984).

20. Task Force on Land Resource Management in Western Australia, A Report to the Government of Western Australia (Department of Premier and Cabinet, January 1984).

21. and Trainin Fulfilling State

22. See Gallop, Labor to Power: 7.

23. See Assessment in the Upper Secondary School in Western Australia: Report of the Ministerial Working Party on School Certification and Tertiary Admissions Procedures, chaired by Professor Barry McGaw (Perth, April 1984) and Education in Western Australia: Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Education in. Western Australia, under the chairmanship of Kim E. Beazley AO (Perth, March 1984).

\ ...

24. Sections of the ALP have expressed concern that the changes do not go far enough in allowing for local autonomy. See "WA College ­ New Act but no changes", Labor Voice, May 1984: 9.

25. See Leisure, Recreation and the Role of Government in the 1980s and Beyond, discussion paper prepared for the Minister for Sport and Recreation (December 1983). See also J. Wainwright, "The Ministry for Leisure", West Australian, 25 February 1984: 16.

26. Martyn Forrest, "Administrative Chronicle - Western Australia 1983", Australian Journal of Public Administration, XLIII (June 1984)~ 158.

27. Wood is the co-author with Ralph Chapman of Australian Local Govern­ ment: the Federal Dimension (Allen and Unwin, 1984).

28. John Arthur, "WA feels the winds of change", Daily News, 12 January 1984: 8.

29. See Hansard, 14 September 1983: 1898-1900. For a listing of the agencies see Second Report of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies (July 1983). For a list of the agencies, their memberships and the fees obtained see the Government Gazette, 21 July 1983~ The Third Report of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies (December 1983) deals with annual reporting requirements for government agencies.

30. See Martyn Forrest, "A Note on Parliamentary Reform in Western Australia", Legislative Studies Newsletter, No.8 (Summer 1984): 79-84.

31. Labor's new proposals are clearly explained in Arthur Tonkin, "No compromise on fair representation", Labor Voice, May 1984: 13.

32. The Conference of Managers is the only provision in the Western Australian Constitution for a resolution of deadlocks. It is composed of the same number of representatives from the Council and Assembly.

33. Paul Glanville, "Prevention of Excessive Prices in WA", Legal Service Bulletin, October 1983: 239.

34. This will also be the basic roll used for local government elections. Councils will also have to keep a non-resident owners and occupiers roll.

35. See Howard Smith, "Public assembly in WA: Section 54B and the civil liberties campaign", Legal Service Bulletin, December 1980: 291-6.

36. Two members of the four-person government committee set up to consider casinos - representatives from the Police and Crown Law Departments - argued that the state ought not to approve of a casino on the grounds of the cost of policing and law enforcement.

37. Alun Williams, "Confusion in wake of Burke's bungled ban on video", National Times, 15 to 22 June 1984: 5. .'" 38. Chris Sullivan, "Fat Cat' s Pay Cuts", Legal Service Bulletin, October 1983: 241-2.

39. On the debate over FID, see Mark Mentiplay, "Outcry over FID", West Australian, 21 January 1984: 18.

40. Joe Poprzeczny, "The super time bomb", Sunday Times Magazine, 20 May 1984: 1-3.

41. See Hansard, 9 November 1983: 4219-28. The breakaway from the Country Party - the National Party - also advocates PR on a regional basis, but one that preserves the 2:1 ratio between the metropolitan and non-metropolitan electorates.

42. Brian Burke, "Federalism after the Franklin", Australian Quarterly, vol. 56, no. 1 (Autumn 1984): 4-5.

43. See Brian Burke, "Cuts and the quest for efficiency", West Australian, 11 August 1984.

44. Burke, "Federalism after the Franklin": 8.

45. Quoted in Horin, "How Brian Burke won the West": 9.

46. The government has had discussions with 5 Singapore and Hong Kong based banks interested in establishing their Australian headquarters in Perth.

47. On the dispute about prlC1ng arrangements see Jan Mayman, "NW Shelf Gas at Bargain Prices", National Times, 6 to 12 July 1984: 38.

48. Bill Thomas, "The interface of policy considerations affecting Aboriginal land rights and uranium mining" (March 1984).

49. Paul Seaman, Aboriginal Land Inquiry: Dicussion Paper (West Perth, January 1984): 42. so. See Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Legislation: A Public. Discussion Document (WA Government, October 1983).

51. "Call off the shotgun wedding" (Conservation Council of WA).

52. WA Government Notes 4 (July 4, 1983): 1.