STATE LIBRARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA J S BATTYE LIBRARY OF WEST AUSTRALIAN HISTORY Oral History Collection & THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT PARLIAMENTARY ORAL HISTORY PROJECT Transcript of an interview with PETER VERNON JONES b.1933 Access Research: Open Publication: Written permission of author required Reference number OH3434 Date of Interview 24 July 2003 Interviewer Criena Fitzgerald Duration 15 x 60 minute cassette tapes Copyright Parliament of Western Australia & Library Board of Western Australia NOTE TO READER Readers of this oral history memoir should bear in mind that it is a verbatim transcript of the spoken word and reflects the informal, conversational style that is inherent in such historical sources. The Battye Library is not responsible for the factual accuracy of the memoir, nor for the views therein; these are for the reader to judge. Bold type face indicates a difference between transcript and tape as a result of corrections made to the transcript only, usually at the request of the person interviewed. [ ] are used for insertions not in the original tape. FULL CAPITALS in the text indicate a word or words emphasised by the person interviewed. [...] are for deletions from the transcript but not from the tapes. Table of Contents Jones Page No Tape One Side A Early years in Carrick, Launceston. Parents - Father Vernon's 1-3 education & work as a teacher. Working with Peter farming. Mother, Annie May Simmons. Family research in to family ancestors who were transported to 4 Hobart in early 1800's. Early home a National Trust home. Peter's early education 1940 -1950. Birth of younger brother 5 David. Robin Jones, elder brother- sporting and academic prowess. 5-6 Sister Merren's education, career in nursing. Influence of Teachers - love of History Geography and English 7 and later Woodwork School excursion to listen to Mr Menzies 1949 8 Tape One Side B Harold Jones and Chifley. Post War reconstruction Board. Visit to 9 see Prime Minster Chifley together with Mr Barker. Interest in farming- Westwood. Mixed farming. Construction of 10-13 dwelling 1951. Education until 1951. Move from Tasmania to Western Australia. Physical differences between the two states. Wife - Margaret Antonia Maslin (known as Toni). Family 13-14 relationships. Toni's father founded Hagley Farm school. Marriage in 1960. Children - Philippa, Andrew and Angus 15 Reasons for moving to Western Australia- farming prospects for 15 family's future. Father's assistance in speech making when Peter Jones was 16 Minister for Education 1977 - 1978 Drouqht, wool price collapse and farrninq crises in 1970- 1971 17 Tape Two Side A Interest in Politics, Increase in farm size. Barley crops - Barley 18 Marketing Board- Government Representative - Dave Evans Invitation to stand for Parliament - a rep for the Country Party 20 On the campaiqn trail in Narroqin electorate 23-25 Tape Three Side A Problems of National Party - alliance with Country Party. 26 1971 -1974 emergence of new initiatives - David Reid, Matt 27 Stephens etc. Retirement of many older members. Mick Gayfer - alliance with DLP members 28 1974 marked the end of the old style of Country Party 29 Coalition format - Role of Matt Stephens. Conflict between 31 ideologies of Stephens and Sir Charles Court Tape Three Side B Road Traffic Authority - Country support for Liberal Party. Mrs 33 Craig, Barry Blaike and milk quotas Minister for Transport Ray O'Connor. Education - Pre Primary 34 Centres - Graham MacKinnon Narrogin as a Government Town - role as a welfare officer. Office 35 secretary- Ruth Williams,& Mary Gent, Maiden Speech Introduction to Parliamentary formal procedures - Speaker Ross 36 Hutchinson. 1 Table of Contents Jones Page No Cabinet and Public Service support in first Ministry. Bernard 72 Bowen, Des O'Neill. Private secretary John Bookhouse First Portfolios - housing, fisheries and wildlife, conservation and 73 the environment. Creation of National Parks Authority. Conservation issues Pacminex. Servetus Street. Federal involvement. Moss Cass, Joe Berinson. Portman mining 74 at Koolyanobbing. Ningaloo Reef. Power of Vested interest groups. 75 Robert Bropho - Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Federal housing project in Roebourne and its problems 76 1967 Referendum - Whitlam -changes to rights of Aboriginal 77 people Tape Seven Side A Perth Fremantle Railway c1osure- Tom Dadour - The Dadour 78 Amendment Minister for Transport - Rushton. Worsley Refinery. Dampier to 79 Bunbury gas pipeline. Closure of Tresillian Sir Charles Court on morality issues -public behaviour and 81 responsibility Section 54B Fuel and Energy Legislation - Bob Hawke 82 Gorgon project 83 Benefits to Western Australia of projects in the Pilbara and North 84 West Lack of leadership in Public Service 85 Tape Seven Side B Alan Eggleston - power of Federal Government and royalties. 86 Mr Whitlam Mr Connor and the North West Shelf. Lack of corporate memory with removal of top public servants with 87 Burke Government Chairman of Public Service Board George Cooper, Ken McKenna, 88 David Hatt - political appointments North West Shelf - Modules - Geraldton Building Company 89 Ray O'Connor as Premier 90 Noonkanbah - the issues: exploration for minerals- Amax 92 Petroleum Tape Eight Side A Approval for Drilling Fitzroy No 1 Well. Aboriginal Legal Service 93 Kimberley Land Council-Peter Yu. Pea Hill John Bannister Director of the Museum - further criticism of the 94 project at State level, Peter Dowding and Tom Stephens, Federal level- Fred Chaney, local level Dickie Skinner, Stephen Hawke etc Drilling rig - Richter Company 96 Ernie Bridge. Meeting of joint venture in Honolulu 98 Don Dyson Tape Eight Side B Problems generated from Aboriginal Legal Service, Prime Minister 100 and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Malcolm Fraser's contact with Amax. Fred Chaney's role 101 Local Council of Churches - Ernie Bridge, Bill Hassell and Bill 102 3 Table of Contents Jones Page No Harry Butler Bennett Brook - Mr Bropho Out of office - 1983 Burke Government. Argyle Diamond Mine 146 BHP - Kwinana smelter agreement 147 1986 - leaving politics 148 Trip to Brazil 1984. Working with Richard Court, Bill Hassell. 150 Rural electorate Tape Twelve Side A Noonkanbah - Retrospective 152 Pressure on the Museum. Difference between State and Federal 153 policies on Aboriqlnal land rlqhts. Northern Territory - Power of Aboriqinal Communities 154 Bill Graydon, Minister for Cultural Affairs, Bill Hassell and 155 Noonkanbah. Bill Graydon's career. Peter Jones' skills as a politician 156 Ray O'Connor, Bob Pike, Jim Clarko 157 Tape Twelve Side B Noonkanbah - Fred Chaney - Mr Viner 159 Argyle Diamond venture 1980- AJV. Ellendale - difficulties 160 CRA - Sir Russell Madigan - An Agreement Act 161 Aboriginal Community and Royalties - Afro West - Mr O'Connor 162 Diamonds - links to a South African Company. Police Act - strip 163 search employees Mick O'Leary - Aboriginal rights and the project.-Terry Long 164 Tape Thirteen Side A CRA- Kimberley Land Council- Warmun Community - John Toby 166 Bruce Larsen Chances to Fly in fly out agreements. Impact on Kununurra 167 Trip to Brazil with Richard Court whilst in Opposition 168 Bill Hassell - Minister and Leader 169 Bill Hassell and Barry MacKinnon 171 Tape Thirteen Side B Mal Bryce - private secretary John Hammond. Continuity - 174 grooming leaders Peter Jones as President of the Liberal Party. Consultant for 176 Barrack House Group Keith Simpson, Noel Crichton Browne 177 Ian Viner, Bill Hassell as President 1992 178 Burke Government and Northern Mining Right - Laurie Connell 179 Sandy Lewis, John Williams 180 Tape Fourteen Side A Background to his election as leader of the State Liberal Party 181 Council of Australian Governments. Children in detention, Phillip 183 Ruddock Peter Costello as Treasurer - GST 184 John Howard as Prime Minister the centralist push from Canberra Richard Court elected as leader 186 Tape Fourteen Side B Richard Court's advisors - Norman Moore, George Cash & Doug 188 Shave 5 INTRODUCTION This is an interview with Mr Peter Jones for the Parliamentary Oral History Project, conducted by Criena Fitzgerald from 24 June 2003 to 27 October 2003. There are fifteen tapes. Peter Jones was born in Launceston, Tasmania in 1933, the son of Harold Vernon Jones, Headmaster of an independent boys school, and Annie May Simmons. He attended school in Launceston a nd later became a farmer in Westwood, Tasmania. In 1960 he married Margaret Antonia (Toni) Maslin and they have a daughter and two sons. In 1968 he and his family moved to Narrogin where he continued his farming career. He was an active member of the Pastoralists and Grazier's Association and the Farmer's Union in WA. In 1972 he became a member of the WA Barley Marketing Board through a suggestion to the then Minister for Agriculture. Through these activities he came to the notice of local political parties and he stood for and won the contest for Narrogin in 1974, becoming the National Country Party Member for Narrogin. Peter held various portfolios until 1983, when the coalition government was defeated. He joined the Liberal Party in 1985 when it was in Opposition. In this interview Peter Jones discusses the National Country Party, his decision to join the Liberal Party and provides an intelligent analysis on the workings of Parliament and both the National and the Liberal Parties. As the Minister responsible for Resources Development, Mines, Fuel and Energy and Industrial Development, Mr Jones was intimately involved in the standoff at Noonkanbah and he provides new insights into the conflict from a ministerial perspective and the relationship between State and Federal governments. He also discusses his various ministerial roles, in particular his role in the development of the North West Shelf project. Peter Jones remained a member of the Liberal Party, becoming President of the WA Division from April 1989 to July 1991 and Federal Vice President of the Australian Liberal Party from July 1990 to October 1996. He has had a long and active career in politics and this interview gives an insight into the workings of political parties, the impact of a parliamentary career on the family and the duties and role of a rural representative.