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This is the audio of the final television broadcasts by the major political parties for the 1983 Federal Election.
Each broadcast was shown on the ABC as part of its statutory requirement to provide time to the parties during an election.
They were shown on the Wednesday night before the election, a few hours before the electronic blackout on election material. [Read more…]
This is audio of an interview with the Australian Democrats leader, Senator Don Chipp, during the 1983 federal election campaign.
Chipp, a former Liberal who established the Australian Democrats in 1977, discusses his faith in ALP leader Bob Hawke. [Read more…]
This is Channel 7 News Melbourne from Tuesday, February 15, 1983.
The Secretary of the Builders Labourers Federation, Norm Gallagher, was jailed on this day. Look for a youngish Kevin Reynolds, decades before his run-in with Kevin Rudd.
Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser was in Melbourne, preparing for his election policy speech at the Malvern Town Hall. He appeared on talkback radio station 3AW with Derryn Hinch.
Elsewhere, Australian Democrats leader Senator Don Chipp was warning against giving Senate control to either the Coalition or Labor.
The news bulletin is read by Mal Walden, now with Channel 10.
The day after this bulletin was Ash Wednesday. Bob Hawke delivered his policy speech but bushfires were sweeping across South Australia and Victoria and the election campaign was about to pause.
Don Chipp, the member for Hotham, announced his resignation from the Liberal Party to the House of Representatives on March 24, 1977.
Chipp was the Liberal member for Higinbotham from 1960. The seat was renamed Hotham in 1969.
Chipp served as a minister in the Holt, Gorton and McMahon governments from 1967 until the Coalition was defeated in 1972. He became identified with the “small-l liberal” grouping in the party. As Minister for Customs and Excise, Chipp’s attitude to censorship cemented his reputation as a small-l liberal.
Despite being a shadow minister during 1972-75 and a minister in the Fraser caretaker government following the Whitlam Dismissal, Fraser dropped him after the 1975 election. [Read more…]