Aust. P.M. to tell commission about Minister

Press, 16 July 1983, Page 11

Aust. P.M. to tell commission about Minister

NZPA Canberra The Australian Prime Minister, Mr Bob Hawke, will disclose the circumstances behind the resignation of the former Special Minister of State, Mick Young, to the Hope Royal Commission on Monday. Mr Hawke said that a statement to be made by counsel for the Federal Government would detail what Mr Young told him when tendering his resignation. Mr Hawke said in a statement that the Government counsel would also explain “the circumstances in which the Government at this stage became aware, for the first time, of these matters.” The full text of the Prime Minister’s statement was: “At the start of the proceedings of the Hope Royal Commission on Monday, counsel for the Federal Government will be making a statement on the resignation of the former Special Minister of State, Mr Young. “The statement will detail what Mr Young told me

associated with the tendering of his resignation.

“It will also cover the circumstances in which the Government at this stage became aware, for the first time, of these matters.”

In announcing that he had accepted Mr Young’s resignation, Mr Hawke told a press conference that Mr Young’s decision concerned matters which would be dealt with by the Hope Royal Commission on Aus-

tralia’s security and Intelligence agencies. Mr Hawke referred particularly to that part of the commission’s terms of reference concerning any unauthorised or improper disclosure by a Minister of information concerning the relationship between former Australian Labour Party national secretary, David Combe, and an expelled Soviet diplomat, Valeriy Ivanov. “I am also seeking an opinion from the AttorneyGeneral as to whether an offence may have been committed under the Crimes Act,” he said. Mr Young’s Ministerial responsibilities will be taken over by the Aviation Minister, Mr Kim Beazley, while the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Bowen succeeds Mr Young as vicepresident of the executive council. The next caucus meeting scheduled for August, before the Australian Budget, will decide who replaces Mr Young as leader of the House of Representatives.