Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

None . . Page.. 1544 ..

I think we have the opportunity as parliamentarians to take the next step, and that is to deal with this issue of the purchase of French products. Some may claim that it is a small gesture in terms of the French economy, but I think it is a big statement for a government, even though a small government. I think it is a huge issue for the community. It is a demonstration that we as parliamentarians stand by our public statements. The last time we debated the issue of French testing in the Pacific, we were treated to a lecture from the Chief Minister using the same sorts of arguments that Mrs Thatcher used in the case to drop sanctions against South Africa. I said then that sanctions against South Africa worked, and they did. It is important that we all act to demonstrate our abhorrence of the nuclear testing in the Pacific. To do nothing, Mr Speaker, makes our statements hollow. If we talk loudly and do nothing, we deserve the title “hypocrite”. We can do something meaningful. The motion before us allows us to back up our words with action.

The first step is to identify where we purchase French goods and where we deal with French suppliers. We need to do an inventory of purchases and contracts. Then we can identify those areas where we can take action. We should not expect members of this community to demonstrate their anger at French nuclear tests in the Pacific unless we do so as well. It seems to me that for us as politicians to ignore the strength of feeling in the community is an abandonment of our duties to the community. There is a strong flow of energy going into the campaign against what the French are doing. We, as elected members here, have the responsibility, I believe, to do something about it.

Let us see where there is room for us to act on our principled stance against the French Government. Let us get the list, and then we can sit down and take action. I drew attention to one area where I knew we were making French purchases. We were purchasing French machinery for the manufacture of our buses. Mrs Carnell responded by saying that if we did not make those purchases it would throw Australians out of work. What rubbish! The rolling chassis that come to this country for the production of buses could come from SAAB Scania or from Mercedes.

Mrs Carnell: Why did you buy them from the French?

MR BERRY: Mrs Carnell interjects, “Why did you buy them from the French?”, referring to the Labor Government. Of course, that was before Jacques Chirac had got his job and was able to take this action. Mrs Carnell, do not try that smart one. It does not work. There was no French testing when those purchases were being made, and it was a sensible decision for us to make. But now you can get them from somewhere else, and you ought to. Do not give us this nonsense that it will cost Australia jobs. You can build a bus on a SAAB Scania rolling chassis; you can build a bus on a MAN rolling chassis; you can build a bus on a Mercedes rolling chassis. There is a range of other rolling chassis that can be purchased from the Japanese. So do not give us that nonsense, and do not try to mislead the community again.

Mr Hird: Why did you buy them in the first place?

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .