National Archives of Australia
Media Alert
Canberra • Melbourne • Sydney • Brisbane • Darwin • Adelaide • Perth • Hobart
naa.gov.au
MEDIA ACCESS TO 1979 CABINET RECORDS
The National Archives invites media representatives to a briefing at which embargoed access
to the 1979 Cabinet records will be provided.
Date: Tuesday 1 December
Time: 10 am
Place: Menzies Room, National Archives,
Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes ACT
To register your place at the briefing, please phone Ellen Peterson on (02) 6212 3957 or
email ellen.peterson@naa.gov.au by Thursday 26 November 2009.
Malcolm Fraser’s government faced a range of challenges in 1979. At home, inflation was
again rising, there were industrial disputes and the unions threatened a wages breakout that
would destroy the government’s wage indexation policy. Abroad, Vietnam invaded
Kampuchea (Cambodia), the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and Ayatollah Khomeini
took power in Iran. The flow of refugees from Indo-China threatened to become a tidal wave
confronting Australia with difficult political decisions.
At the briefing, historian Dr Jim Stokes will summarise the events of 1979, while researcher,
writer and academic Professor Patrick Weller, Premier of Queensland Chair of Governance
and Public Management, and Director, Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Griffith
University, will provide an expert commentary. Professor Weller is the author, co-author or
editor of some 37 books including Malcolm Fraser PM: A Study in Prime Ministerial Power in
Australia, and Cabinet Government in Australia, 1901-2006.
The Cabinet records are provided on two conditions:
that the embargo of midnight on 31 December 2009 is observed
that the National Archives of Australia is acknowledged as the source in all
published and broadcast news.
Journalists attending the briefing will receive copies of key Cabinet documents, lists of
records considered by Cabinet in 1979 and information on the significant events of the year.
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 the embargo will be
observed.
Media contacts:
Ellen Peterson (02) 6212 3957 or
0402 441 590. Yvonne Kennedy
(02) 6212 3755 or 0450 346 998
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