Fix this text
12th December, I 96 R- SPRINTILE, Vic.
Fix this textSpeech Night
Fix this textSPRING-VALE HIGH SCHOOL
Fix this textSPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER
Fix this text*
Fix this text*
Fix this textSPRINGVÅLE HIGH SCHOOL SPEECH NIGHT
Fix this textHELD AT SPRINGVALE, VICTORIA, ON
Fix this text12TH DECEMBER, I962.
Fix this textSpeech by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. R.G. Menzles
Fix this textIt seems to me that I have to make a personal
Fix this textexplanation frhat we say in Parliament when we pretend
Fix this textthat somebody has misrepresented us. I ought to explain how
Fix this textI come to be here because this is quite a story.
Fix this textLast week at four o'clock in the morning, on Friday ....
Fix this text(I remember it well because as I -was going home to the Lodge,
Fix this textthe birds were twittering in the trees (Laughter) and the dawn
Fix this textwas coming in from the east, oddly enough (Laughter) - and I
Fix this textvery seldom see the dawn break) but the reason for it was that
Fix this textat four o' clock in the morning on Friday we were just finishing
Fix this textthe Parliamentary Session and I was wishing everybody a very,
Fix this textvery Happy Christmas (Laughter) and hoping a little for one
Fix this textmyself.
Fix this textYou know, Members of Parliament, let it be admitted,
Fix this texthave a lot in common with schoolboys. I say nothing about
Fix this textschoolgirls, I have never dared to pretend that I understood
Fix this textwhat went on in their minds, but I know something about schoolboys
Fix this text(Laughter) and you fellows know perfectly well, don't you, how
Fix this textthere is a temptation to leave it and leave it and leave it until
Fix this textthe examinations are looming up and then work like mad to catch
Fix this textup the arrears. Now that is exactly what we do in Parliament,
Fix this text(Laughter) We go along fairly leisurely, week after week,
Fix this textweek after week, and in the last week, the Minister in Charge of
Fix this textthe House says, "Well, if we are going to get through by Friday
Fix this textmorning, boys, we’d better have a few late ones," And we then
Fix this textproceed to sit up until all sorts of absurd hours. And so / on
Fix this textFriday morning, at four o’clock in the morning, the Session ended
Fix this textand I went Home,
Fix this textAnd yesterday, we had the last Cabinet Meeting - I
Fix this texthope - (Laughter) before Christmas and we finished at something
Fix this textafter eleven o’clock last night, and when we had all wished each
Fix this textother a Merry Christmas and hoped that we wouldn't see each other
Fix this textagain in the Cabinet room for quite a time, two or three of my
Fix this textcolleagues said to me, "Well, I suppose you'll take a few days
Fix this textoff now," "Well," I said, "I’m going to Springvale tomorrow
Fix this textnight to a school speech night", and I don't mind admitting to
Fix this textyou that they looked at me as if I needed some medical attention
Fix this text(Laughter), "But why?" they said, "Why must you go - what have
Fix this textyou got to do with Springvale?" To which I replied, "Well,
Fix this textnothing yet but ,,,," (Laughter) I said, "I am going to Springvale,
Fix this textto the High School, for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the
Fix this textmost compelling one is that I happen to be an old friend of the
Fix this textHeadmaster, and the Headmaster is, in my opinion, not only a
Fix this texttalented and devoted teacher, but he’s a fine friend and a
Fix this textgreat citizen." (Applause) And I said, "I think that's not a
Fix this textbad reason for going out," But as he has been speaking tonight,
Fix this textI've thought of one or two additional matters.
Fix this textAfter I had left a State school in Ballarat, I went to
Fix this texta little secondary school which disappeared many years ago, but
Fix this textwas then just struggling towards its close, I don't suppose we
Fix this texthad more than 32 or 35 boys at the school at that stage. There
Fix this textwere six doing Intermediate or what was then called Junior Public,
Fix this textI notice, Sir, that you have got through 112 in Intermediate,
Fix this text/2
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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