§ Mr. Spearingasked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the whole texts of the quotations from Commonwealth Prime Ministers contained in the popular version of the Government White Paper together with particulars concerning the date, occasion and place of the respective speeches.
§ Mr. Edward ShortI have been asked to reply.
Yes. The quotations were made at Press conferences on the dates and in the places indicated in the booklet on the occasions of visits to those cities by the respective Prime Ministers. The whole texts of the relevant questions and answers are as follows:
Mr. Whitlam
Q: Can I take it, Mr. Prime Minister, from your discussions with the Community that you would regret a British decision to leave the Common Market?
A: P.M.—Yes. I think it is about time that all this shilly shallying was ended. It is a decision for Britain, of course, and the Community and I don't want there to be any impression that the present Australian Government sees any advantage whatever for Australia, for Europe, for the world, in Britain's withdrawing from the Community. There might have been an impression given by previous Australian Governments that they were carping and hindering, that they wanted to frustrate Britain's joining the Community. This is not the attitude of my Government, it has never been the attitude of myself.
Mr. Rowling
Q: Mr. Prime Minister, would you agree that if Britain does decide to withdraw from the Common Market it would be very much in the long-term interest of the New Zealand economy?
A: No.
Q: Why wouldn't you agree with that?
A: I think that New Zealand's interest must, in the long term, be in the strongest possible Europe and the strongest possible United Kingdom.