Function and purpose
On 18 August 1965, the House of Representatives referred to the Privileges Committee, for report and inquiry, an advertisement containing a photograph of the House in session published in The Canberra Times and other Australian newspapers on Wednesday 18 August 1965. [1] A motion from the Leader of the Opposition, Mr A Calwell, prompted the referral.
The advertisement showed a photograph of the House in session with a super-imposed cartoon-talking-balloon next to a purposely blurred-out Leader of the Opposition, Mr Calwell. The caption within the balloon has Mr Calwell urging customers to buy a certain make of motor car.
The Committee conducting the inquiry consisted of Mr Clark, Mr Cleaver, Mr Drury (Chairman), Mr AD Fraser, Mr JR Fraser, Mr Galvin, Mr Gibson, Mr Killen and Mr Turnbull.
The Committee met on 19, 24, 25, 26, 31 August, 1, 2, and 14 September 1965. The Committee called 19 witnesses who were examined on Oath. The witnesses comprised of leading figures in the newspaper, advertising and automotive industries. They included Mr Rupert Murdoch, Managing Director, News Limited (The Australian); Mr DN Bowman, Managing Editor, The Canberra Times; Sir John Williams, Chairman and Managing Director, The Herald and Weekly Times Limited, Melbourne; Mr DR McNicoll, Editor-in-Chief, Australian Consolidated Press (Daily Telegraph), Sydney; Mr RL Abbott, Managing Director, British Motor Corporation (Australia), Sydney and Mr PF Smyth, Chairman of Directors, Arthur Smyth and Sons, Sydney (the advertising firm responsible for the offending advertisement).
On 16 September 1965, the Committee presented to the House their report entitled Report of the Committee of Privileges relating to An Advertisement in The Canberra Times and other Australian newspapers on 18th August, 1965 together with Minutes of Proceedings. [2]
The Committee found that:
- the advertisement represented a breach of privilege;
- ultimate responsibility for publication lay with 10 individuals; and
- the advertisement was published without malice towards the House or any Member or intent to libel any Member and appeared through negligence and lack of appreciation of what was involved.[3]
This series comprises four items. These items appear to be the only Privileges Committee files extant for this particular inquiry.
Finding aids
All items in this series in the custody of the National Archives as at December 2000 have been entered onto RecordSearch.
Access conditions
The records in this series were authorised for publication on 1 January 2001 by a motion passed by the House of Representatives on 7 December 2000. They were authorised for release to the public by the Speaker of the House of Representatives on 20 December 2000.
End notes
1. Votes and Proceedings, 1964-66 Session, p.347.
2. Votes and Proceedings, 1964-66 Session, p.373. The report was printed and is at Parliamentary Papers, 1964-1966 Session, Volume 10, p.683.
3. Report of the Committee of Privileges relating to An Advertisement in The Canberra Times and other Australian newspapers on 18th August, 1965 together with Minutes of Proceedings, Canberra, 1965, p.7.
Sources
LM Barlin (editor), House of Representatives Practice (3rd edition), Canberra, 1997 as published online at www.aph.gov.au December 2000.