PM
Malcolm FraserMalcolm how are you?
Mr. Fraser
I'm fine, and how are you?
PM
I'm fine. It's evening time for you, isn't it? We're just at the start of a new day.
Mr. Fraser
Yes, it's evening, and I've got a little box which is showing you on a screen, and I saw you pick up the receiver. It's the first time that's happened to me on the telephone.
PM
And to me, it's very exciting.
Mr. Fraser
I've got some of the old equipment here that was used fifty years ago, or similar to it—I don't know if you can see it or not, but there's a speaker and a telephone. But the most interesting thing—I was just told that when the first call took place it would have taken 1½ weeks pay for the average Australian. Now it takes one hour's pay, and that's the results of greatly improved technology. I think we can hear a little better.
PM
That's right. I think that's the history of all technology, isn't it? What was available for the few is now the boon of the many. But I can see that telephone. I just remember those, and now of course they're bought in Britain, and rate as a great antique value.
Mr. Fraser
Well I suppose they probably are here too. Well, it's very good to be able to hear you so clearly, and to talk to you because I think that under your Government you've made steps to bring the very close relationship between Great Britain and Australia even closer together. You are the first Prime Minister to come here as Prime Minister for a long while, and you've been here as Leader of the Opposition, and your Deputy, Mr. Whitelaw [end p1] was here only a few weeks ago—a very successful visit. Generally it's been Australians trekking to London, and it's very nice to see a little return traffic in the other direction, and we appreciate that very much.
PM
Well, those were positive decisions, Malcolm. I was determined to try to come very early on in my Prime Ministership, and am glad that I was able to, and I enjoyed it very much indeed. But of course as you know, it wasn't the first time I'd been. I'd been twice before, and sometimes we go to the very large towns and centres, and sometimes also to the small ones, and I think that's important too. I can remember also doing a visit to Broken Hill, where I had a marvellous time, and to another small town which—I think it was Coonabarabran—on the way up to the big Australian telescope. I do think it's important as well as keeping contacts ‘twixt you and me and other Heads of Government that we sometimes visit some of the smaller towns. I think, you know, the ties are as close as they've ever been, because there are more and more personal ties. And I have very special reasons, as Carol Thatchermy daughter's there, and I'm glad that the telephone calls are now quite cheap.
Mr. Fraser
Well, I agree very much. I sometimes complain that visitors come here and they see Sydney or Canberra and Melbourne. But that's not seeing Australia, and, well, I know seeing London is not seeing the United Kingdom.
PM
They've got to get further. But the main thing is that I think we do keep links between Heads of Government because there's so much that is of absolutely vital importance, and I think one of the different things these days is that people realise that what are called foreign affairs matter to them almost as much as home affairs because they affect their lives. So you and I have [end p2] to keep contact, as we have indeed recently over so very many things.
Mr. Fraser
Well, it's all the more important—and we can't talk about the detail of it now—but what's happened in Afghanistan, what's been happening in Iran, and the concerns that's given all of us right around the world has made modern communications and contact on a personal basis all the more necessary in—you know sometimes on a quite frequent basis. Australia's a long way away in terms of miles from some of these events, but I know the great majority of our people are very concerned.
PM
It's not a long way away in terms of personal contacts. And of course we did cooperate so very much over the recent triumph of the Commonwealth over bringing Rhodesia to Independence. I know I must now call it Zimbabwe. I think you've been there since I have, and saw Independence, but I just would like to say that the Australian monitoring forces were wonderful. I don't somehow think that anyone else in the world other than troops from the Commonwealth could have brought off that tremendous triumph that we did in Rhodesia, and I'd just like to say thank you to them and to you for the part which you played in it.
Mr. Fraser
Well, I'd like to reciprocate because I really believe that the United Kingdom under your leadership and also with Peter Carrington has achieved something of great and historic importance over the last twelve months. I spoke to Peter when I was in Zimbabwe and Salisbury, and, as you know, it's a modern town, a prosperous town. But much more important than that, everyone seemed to be relaxed. Prime Minister Mugabe made some very complimentary remarks, as I'm sure have been reported to you, about yourself and about Peter Carrington and about Lord Soames, and the way the move to Independence over recent months had been [end p3] consummated and finalised. And he did it in a way that was very generous and, you know, in a sense it wasn't necessary. But I had Australians coming up and saying, you know, thank you for making it possible to get our Australian passports back now that sanctions are a thing of the past. So everyone was relaxed, and very glad that things up to this point have moved as indeed they have.
PM
Yes. I watched it all on television with rather a lump in my throat because it was a very emotional ceremony. And I think we must just make strenuous efforts to keep contact there. I know it's difficult to strike the right balance because we've always got to be available and helpful but not intruding. But I think the real triumph was to keep Rhodesia Zimbabwe believing in the whole of the Western way of life. And that is a great achievement in Central Africa. And Australia and ourselves must continue to help in this way. We've got to make a Commonwealth Conference, of course, next year, in Melbourne.
Mr. Fraser
Yes, and I'll be looking forward to greeting you all then. The preparations are I think going to be fairly well advanced. Obviously, we've never had more than forty Heads of Government in Australia at one time, and for any country it's quite a venture I think. But we'll be looking forward to greeting you and,—It's quite a task, what happened at Lusaka achieved so much that to be able to match that with a Conference in Melbourne is going to be a very real challenge to the Commonwealth. But it's going to be, I hope, a great occasion for Australia and a great and a happy occasion for the Commonwealth as a whole.
PM
We're looking forward to it. Melbourne's a lovely city. Absolutely beautiful, and I'm sure we shall have a wonderful Conference there. I think it's marvellous, Malcolm, that we can talk like this, and just remember that fifty years ago [end p4] one of my predecessors was sitting here, and inaugurating the great new technology, and I still get a thrill now that I have taken over from him, and I am sure that you have the same thrill too.
Mr. Fraser
Well, yes. I'd like again to say how glad I am it's been possible to talk with you. I don't think our predecessors would have believed that it would have been possible to hear so clearly as we now are. You might almost be sitting next door to me instead of on the other side of the world. And the television screen is very clear. I'm certain that they wouldn't have believed we'd have been able to talk, and at the same time see what each other are doing.
PM
It's almost clearer than if it were from a suburb in London. It's marvellous. Well, love and best wishes to all our friends in Australia, and thank you very much indeed.
Mr. Fraser
Well, good fortune to you and to all the British people.
PM
And we've just received your new High Commissioner and are keeping close touch with him, and I believe our High Commissioner is just presenting his credentials to you today. So it's a new chapter for us all.
Mr. Fraser
I saw him this morning for the first time, and he's with me in the room right at the moment. Enjoy having him here.
PM
My best wishes to him too. Thank you very much, Malcolm. Love to Tammy too. Thank you. Goodbye.
Mr. Fraser
Goodbye.