Adjudication No. 895 (November 1996) [1996] APC 69

ADJUDICATION No. 895 (November 1996)

The Press Council has dismissed a complaint by the Australians Against Further Immigration Party (AAFI) against The Australian (4 June 1996) about an article headed "Brown vows to halt population decline". This began by stating that the then South Australian Premier, Dean Brown, had released plans "to arrest the State's alarming population decline".

AAFI understands that South Australia's current growth rate is about 0.3%. However, on reading the article it soon becomes apparent that Mr Brown is referring to a decline in South Australia's share of the total Australian population. He said that this was 8.8% in 1964, and in 1991 8.3%. There was a record low level of overseas immigration into Australia, the Premier said, and population would grow only slowly over the next 30 years.

After discussions with the newspaper, AAFI submitted a letter for publication. The newspaper did not publish this.

Although the headline and opening paragraph are capable of more than one interpretation, the Council does not believe they were intended to be misleading. Indeed, on a reading of the article, the correct meaning is apparent. Further, this was not a case where the complainant was entitled to expect that its views be published.