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1977 Cabinet Papers officially released by Mr John Hyde MLA
On Friday 30 May 2008 at 10.30am, the 1977 State Cabinet Papers were officially released from the 30 year access restriction period.
Mr John Hyde MLA, Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General, Minister for Health and Electoral Affairs, assisted by 1977 State Minister, the Honourable Peter Jones AM, cut the tape and opened the archives boxes, so that the documents detailing the decisions of State Cabinet from 1977 could be revealed.
Each year the State Records Office marks the release of the Cabinet Papers from their 30 year embargo with a ceremony, attended by representatives of executive government, former Ministers, researchers, historians, the media and the community. The release of the Cabinet Papers occurs on, or very close to, Foundation Day, an appropriate day chosen by the State Records Office, not only commemorates the arrival of the first settlers in the Swan River Colony in 1829, but because it also marks the commencement of Government in Western Australia.
At the release ceremony Mr Hyde said that “in releasing the Cabinet Papers of the State we are making available to all Western Australians records which document decisions made at the highest level of State government, and that reflect the political agenda in a manner no other records can match. Their release is an important part of our democratic process, a symbol of openness and accountability in Government”.
Emeritus Professor David Black, Chair Person of the Parliamentary History Advisory Committee at the Parliament of Western Australia, provided commentary on the events of 1977 which affected State Cabinet decision making. These include:
- In 1977, Sir Charles Court’s Government submitted to Parliament a policy to allow the mining of uranium in Western Australia.
- The State Attorney-General recommended to Cabinet that an investigation be made as to the implementation of ‘tribal law’ in the Pilbara and Kimberley region, in response to a review by the Commonwealth Law Reform Commission.
- Cabinet was informed of a Federal government proposal known as the ‘Illiterate Aboriginal Education Program’ . The Commonwealth funded program was met with support from Cabinet who agreed to cooperate with the Federal government for the program’s implementation in the Kimberley prior to Federal and State elections held at the end of 1977.
- Low dam levels and concern about water use in the Perth metropolitan area led the Court Government to impose water restrictions when it took office. But In 1977, the Minister for Water advised Cabinet that water restrictions were having two unexpected side effects – the nursery industry reported a big downturn in business and the swimming pool industry stated they were selling only 3% of the swimming pools they would sell in a normal year.
- Approval was given for the introduction of Lotto in Western Australia.
- Approval was given for new Western Australian vehicle license plates to incorporate the recently coined slogan “A State of Excitement”. This proposal was met with objection from the RAC on the grounds that this could be regarded as advertising, but Cabinet confirmed its decision to proceed.
- Other issues discussed by State Cabinet included concerns about land development, the North West Shelf Gas Project, industrial development, solar energy research and a proposal to subsidise computers in schools, topics that all resonate today.
Professor Black commented that “in many ways the issues for Western Australia in 1977 are similar to those today – mining, development, water resources and indigenous issues still embroil Government today” He said that “some of these issues were controversial at the time but which seem trivial today, and some had far-reaching cultural and social impacts which can only be truly understood with the passage of time.”
Please see the online Guide to the 1977 Cabinet Papers for more information.
A more detailed Index of the 1977 Cabinet Papers (1 MB) is also provided to assist researchers. The Index records the topic of each submission raised at Cabinet meetings and is located in Consignment 2844, items 3 and 4.
The 1977 Cabinet Papers can be accessed at the State Records Office’s Search Room, situated on the Ground Floor of the Alexander Library Building in the Perth Cultural Centre.
