DR. CAIRNS STILL MOUTHPIECE FOR NORTH VIETNAM

"The Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Cairns, went outside Federal Government policy yesterday in advocating the fall of the South Vietnamese Government led by President Thieu." - The Australian, April 1st.

Dr. Cairns' remarks caused some little embarrassment to the Department of Foreign Affairs bureaucrats as Mr. Whitlam's "Australian" Government recognizes both the Governments of North and South Vietnam. A Government spokesman (Foreign Affairs, obviously) said that it was a "grave oversimplification" to claim that the Vietnam problem was chiefly one of Communist aggression in Indo-China." Dr. Cairns' view "must be seen, not as a statement of policy but in the context of his long-standing active involvement in the Vietnam peace movement."

Have you ever heard such clap-trap? The grizzly old Marxist, Dr. Cairns, was merely stating his support for the Communist cause in North Vietnam. He is no doubt right when he says that the Saigon and Phnom Penh Governments will fall; we expounded on these matters in last week's issue of On Target. Dr. Cairns said that Australia would be among the first countries to recognize the "new" overall Communist Government of Vietnam (no longer will there be North and South Vietnam), and the "new" Communist Government of Cambodia. This is obvious, as all know that Dr. Cairns has been actively supporting the Communists in Indo-China for the past decade. Remember those Vietnam Moratoriums?

A recent letter to the Editor of The Age (Melbourne) was highlighted with the Editor's heading - "Where Are The Protesters?" The letter was written by a lady (name and district supplied), and her remarks sum up what most non-radical Australians (the vast majority) must be thinking. There is not space to reproduce the whole of her letter: an extract must suffice:
... "Thousands of fleeing refugees, who apparently do not welcome their salvationists, are shelled as they go and oriental babies are killed by communist rocket-fire in their homes. "But what deadly silence greets all this now. Where have all the marchers gone and where the indignation of student leaders, as when babies were maimed by American napalm? Why are our once so-vocal political leaders, super stars and civil righters not pouring into the streets again to declare against foreign involvement in other peoples' countries? Why no United Nations condemnation with sanctions, (condemnation of) the flouting of the peace treaty by insurgents? "Could it be that when the bullets are Chinese and Russian, the destruction and death is justified? That our 'activists' alone possess the knowledge and have the God-given right to decide what government is acceptable? In all this hypocrisy we can at least now be quite clear that it is ideology rather than compassion, which motivates these people. (our emphasis). "We should have learned a valuable lesson with regard to their future antics concerning events at home and overseas."

Need we say more?

NEW LEADER OF OPPOSITION PLANS TO COUNTER COMMUNISTS IN UNIONS

"A Liberal Party Government would bring in a form of compulsory voting in trade union elections, the Leader of the Opposition, (Mr. Fraser) said yesterday." - The Age (Melbourne) March 31st.

We can imagine how much Mr. John Halfpenny and Mr. Laurie Carmichael will like this plan. We might see the students out in the streets again, but not for Vietnam - but for a "Save the Unions" campaign or some such theme. It is difficult to see how the comrades would get around the "compulsory voting" concept, as it has been law in Australia for State and Federal elections for many decades. Mr. Fraser, of course, will meet the Communists head-on, if he is able to press forward with this plan.

As Communist power in unions is largely dependent upon the apathy, and fear of intimidation of the rank and file unionist, this Fraser offensive against the Communists, by legislating for compulsory secret ballot voting for union officials, under the supervision and control of electoral offices, will be certain to be met with a sharp response. Mr. Fraser will need all the support he can muster to "take on" the comrades in this way. Who could imagine Mr. Snedden coming out with anything like this? He would have been too busy "capturing the middle ground" (having five bob each way) along with the other Liberal Party sick trendies to give the Communists the slightest cause for anxiety.

One unfortunate result of this legislation, if it is ever able to be passed, may be that non-Communist union men, standing for election in now Communist-dominated unions, may be subject to intimidation; to prevent them from standing. A future Liberal-Country Party Government may have to give some thought to this possibility.

BANK ECONOMIST CALLS FOR PRICE SUBSIDY (CONSUMER DISCOUNT)

"Income tax cuts on overtime earnings, and Government subsidies on retail prices, would help revive the Australian economy, a leading economist said today. - The Herald (Melbourne) March 21st.

Mr. Gordon Bruns is Chief Economist for the A.N.Z. Banking Group. He was speaking at a Seminar, the theme of which was - "The Challenges of 1975-6". Mr. Bruns called for the usual increased productivity; which we expect from the orthodox economist. None of these economists seem to be aware that productivity since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution has increased many, many thousands percent at least -yet, inflation is higher than ever. In fact, it is a comparatively recent finance-economic phenomenon. Along with inflation, industrial and social unrest have been greater than ever.

Clearly there is a close relationship between inflation and industrial and social unrest. And productivity, even if it soars to the stars, will not reduce inflation. In point of fact, productivity indirectly aggravates inflation. As a general sort of rule we assert that the higher the level of productivity, the greater will become the race of inflation. However, Mr. Bruns did have some worthy contributions to make. He called for lower taxation AND (here it is) - "subsidies on the retail prices of some major items in the Consumer Price Index". These are two key planks of the Petersen Plan.

Along with the elimination of Sales Tax. Mr. Bruns also called for special taxation incentive allowances for companies, especially for development, research and investment. Mr. Bruns is not the only "straight" economist who has called for the price subsidy (consumer discount); there have been others. Very, very slowly, the light does seem to be getting through to orthodox economic circles that all taxation is inflationary, and that the reduction of this, with the consumer discount is the only way to stop and reverse inflation.

DANGER IN FORMATION OF AUSTRALIA POLICE

"A National police force will be set up as part of a new Department of Police and Customs, which the Federal Attorney-General, Mr. K. Enderby, will announce soon," - The Australian, March 21st.

Initially the old Commonwealth Police, the A.C.T. and N.T. police forces, and the law-enforcement sections of the present Department of Customs and Excise, will be swept into one hat. It (the Australian Police) will also police Federal legislation on companies, monopolies, and share trading. (our emphasis). It does not take much perspicacity to realise that this new police force will have a vested interest in Federal legislation; the more of it, the better. This will suit the Canberra socialists, whose idea the whole thing is, of course, as the "Australia Police" will be just another organ to be used to filch responsibilities and yet more sovereignty from the various States.

The whole idea is that the "Australia Police" is just for starters. Eventually it is fully intended that it, itself, will absorb, and digest, all the State police forces, as the Socialist war against the States intensifies. Like Government, the police as an organ of government can only increase its powers at the expense of the individual. The more power which is held by the government (police) the less power (sovereignty) is at the disposal of the individual. Any move to increase the power of police is a move in the wrong direction. It is only a short distance from the "Australia Police" to a "Peoples' Police" (from the like of which) many Hungarians, Russians and Yugoslavs in our own midst have suffered. Let us beware, and increase our opposition as the Socialist pleas for "understanding" and "greater efficiency" become shriller. We smell a rat!

BRIEF COMMENTS

The Australian (March 29th) reports that Queensland will press for a National referendum to alter Section 96 of the Australian Constitution. The Section lays down conditions, or more accurately, controls the conditions under which the Commonwealth Government allows grants to the States. The Commonwealth Government now makes grants to the States "on such terms and conditions as the (Commonwealth) Parliament thinks fit". Premier Bjelke-Petersen wants this to read "on mutually agreeable terms"; and we would like to see this ourselves. The original clause in the Australian Constitution was intended, by the founding fathers of Federation, to allow the then new Federal Government to assist the smaller States in the early years of Federation. It is obvious to any interested person that the letter and the spirit of this clause have been perverted, with the ensuing situation obtaining in which the present Whitlam Government, especially, is using Section 96 to the disadvantage of States' sovereignty. Premier Bjelke -Petersen is to raise this issue with Mr. Malcolm Fraser shortly. There will be a roar of protest from the Communists, Socialists, and the pink trendies.

We have yet another racial activist come to our shores, A Miss Nan Bailey, a "black feminist" (we have to admit that this is a new one on us) from the U.S.A. Miss Bailey is a staff member (full time activist) of the National Student Coalition Against Racism. Just as it happens, you know, she is a committee member of the Young Socialist Alliance. She doesn't think much of American democracy and warned of the Klu Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party. We have read in the past few days that the Klu Klux Klan is at work in Melbourne. Someone or other in Latin America has assured Mr. Al Grassby that the Klan is on the march in Melbourne.
The statement that really did interest us, made during Miss Bailey's press conference (everyone must have a press conference; even illiterate rock "stars'). The organs of the mass media tumble over themselves to give ventilation to the views of revolutionaries (propaganda, disguised as news) and the inanities of inarticulate microphone howlers. The statement was; and we are noticing it more and more now as the world revolutionary process moves into higher gear: "It's public opinion that we're trying to mobilise for victory in the courts."
Just a moments thought is necessary to make one realise that this would mean the death of the Western Christian system of justice, based on Roman law and tempered with the Christian ethic. This boils down to the Peoples' Courts of Red China; mob rule; mob law; albeit only temporary. The machine guns of the Central Government put a swift end to it when the mob is allowed to dispose of the "enemies of the revolution." It was not the Government which destroyed those millions of people, you see, it was the will of the people, expressed by the Peoples' Courts. Clever, is it not? We think that the revolutionaries will find British justice a hard nut to crack; however, it is best to realise what they are up to.

Bank Overdraft Interest and Inflation
Because overdraft interest is a cost in production and must be added into prices, it is clear that in an expanding economy, with the interest burden continually compounding, there must be a continual inflation of prices. The effect which overdraft interest has on prices was pointed out by the Committee on Banking and Currency of the American House of Representatives in 1964. In a booklet, "Money Facts", the Committee says: - "Interest plays a large part in the cost of living. All business firms borrow to conduct their operations - some more than others. These include firms at every stage of production. So interest is a charge, which is added on at each link of the production chain. This is a cost which eventually is paid by the consumer." As the overdraft debt increases, and a larger and larger portion of the money supply must be used to pay interest on this debt, the discrepancy between the price of goods available for sale, and the money available to buy them, also becomes greater. The wastage of large amounts of produce. and the existence of an ever-increasing hire-purchase debt, are evidence of this."