A NEW, OR FALSE DAWN FOR AUSTRALIA?

By Eric D. Butler
The most heartening aspect of the Federal Election results is that they proved that the instincts of the Australian people are still relatively sound. But more than sound instincts are necessary to save a people from disaster; they must be reflected in sound policies.

That earthy political commentator, former Victorian Premier Sir Henry Bolte, observed, "From my experience in politics, elections are never really won. Very rarely does a party or a government win. Mr. Malcolm Fraser, who offered no concrete policies during the election campaign, concentrating upon criticising the worst features of the Whitlam Government's policies and behaviour, while offering stable and honest government, would be well advised to note Sir Henry's comments.

It was "roses, roses, all the way" for the great Duke of Wellington after he had finally removed the threat of Napoleon at Waterloo, but it was not long before the crowds who greeted him tumultuously were jeering at him. Not even Mr. Malcolm Fraser's strongest supporters would claim that he has been greeted with wild acclaim as a type of national hero. But he and his charming wife have projected an image of honesty, decency and stability at a time when electors were becoming increasingly outraged by what they instinctively disliked.

The massive electoral backlash against the Whitlam Government was not only a condemnation of the continuing high inflation and associated problems, but was a violent reaction against the style of the Whitlam Government. In May of last year a bare majority was still prepared to give Whitlam "a fair go" unconvinced that Mr. Bill Snedden had any real answers to their problems. But as the overseas jaunts continued, jobs for the boys (and the girls) were the order of the day, the Morosi affair was defended, and the loans scandal developed, decent Australians became increasingly nauseated.

While the Queensland State elections in December were a devastating vote against the Whitlam Government it was the Bass by-election, which dramatically revealed that the Whitlam Government was finished. The most significant feature of that by-election, which Mr. Whitlam ignored, was that large numbers of traditional Labor voters made it clear that they were finished with Mr. Whitlam.

The decisive Senate vote for Mr. Brian Harridine, the former Secretary of the Tasmanian Trades and Labor Council expelled from the Labor Party, provided further striking evidence of the revolt of many Labor voters. Mr. Harridine said after his election as an Independent that the Labor Party had been destroyed because it had become the mouthpiece of the Communist Left. "The Whitlam Government tried to set up the leftist ideologies' corporate welfare State and the people rejected it", he said. Mr. Harridine went on to say that "I will be using the Senate's powers to the best of my ability to ensure that the Senate, the States' House, carries out its function of protecting the States." The victory of Brian Harridine was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Federal Elections. It was a triumph for a dedicated individual against the Marxist forces dominating the Australian Labor Party.

The Labor campaign was almost completely centred around Mr. Whitlam. He was the "Great Leader". His photos were even on A.L.P. "How-to-vote-Cards", this irritating many Labor supporters. He became a victim of his own vanity and arrogance as he bathed in the adulation of the frenzied faithful attending his mass rallies, many of these masterminded by Communists. The mindless chanting of "We Want Gough" recalled the cry of "Heil Hitler". There was deep resentment of many a factory floor as "stand-over" tactics were used to try to force a day's pay for the Labor Party.

The comparatively uniform national swing against the Whitlam Government demonstrated that electors felt that Gough Whitlam personified all that they detested. This point was made in Mr. Whitlam's own electorate, where the backlash was even more violent.

Even more revealing concerning the vulgarity of the Socialists while in office, was the attitude of many when defeated. There was no evidence of the Spirit of "Socialist brotherhood". Mr. Frank Crean, the "stodgy book-keeper" who was responsible for the first of the Whitlam Government's disastrous budgets attacked Mr. Whitlam's leadership and offered himself.
Dr. Jim Cairns, the man whose lack of administrative capacity was demonstrated during the loans affair, and whose main contribution to the Labor Party's election campaign appeared to be visiting supermarkets with Junie Morosi to autograph her book, decided that the moment was opportune to settle old scores with Gough Whitlam. While Mr. Clyde Cameron, another hopeless incompetent, gave full vent to his bitter feelings.

The sickening truth is that only a few weeks ago Mr. Whitlam's bitter critics were lauding him, a point, which Mr. Fraser would be well advised to contemplate. He has come to office against a background of convulsive events, which make it imperative that he defuse the inflation problem constructively in the near future, or face even more violent electoral reactions than those experienced by Mr. Gough Whitlam. He is on trial as no other Australian Prime Minister has been.

Electors are not going to tolerate continuing inflation for three years when they know that just as prices can be increased overnight by more indirect taxation, they can also be reduced overnight by removing indirect taxation. They recall how Dr. Jim Cairns was forced to try to save the Australian car industry early in 1975 by cutting the Sales Tax on cars and trucks by 50 per cent. Prices fell dramatically immediately. Oppressive and inflationary record interest rates could also be reduced immediately. Mr. Fraser would thus retain the support of the thousands of young married home-buyers in outer Metropolitan areas who spurned Mr. Whitlam's Government on December 13th.

No rational person expects the Fraser-Anthony Government to solve all Australia's problems immediately. But unless some constructive results are forthcoming during the early part of 1976, the Fraser-Anthony electoral victory will prove to be, not a new, but a false dawn for Australia.

THE SIEGE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA INTENSIFIED

"Control of the vital oil shipping routes between Asia and Europe are at stake in the struggle over Angola, America's UN Ambassador, Mr. Daniel Moynihan, told a T.V. interviewer last night. Soviet interests would succeed in taking over Angola if they managed to pin a South African label on resistance to their efforts, Mr. Moynihan warned". - "The Age", Melbourne, December 16th.

The Soviet Union is pouring an enormous quantity of sophisticated weaponry into Angola to back the Angolan Popular Front (MPLA). An estimated 3,000 Cuban troops are involved, also a limited number of Soviet troops. Met with complaints that the Soviet thrust into Angola, clearly part of the overall strategy against the whole of Southern Africa, is contrary to the "spirit of detente". Moscow has cynically commented that detente is not "incompatible" with the "support of the national liberation struggle".

South Africa is now fighting for survival, aiding the two Angolan movements opposing the MPLA. It, along with Rhodesia, is holding a major front line for the West, as even UN Ambassador Moynihan has admitted. But the West still refuses to face this truth and insists that both Rhodesia and South Africa must not be assisted in any way.

We wait with interest to see what the Fraser-Anthony Government proposes to help break the growing siege of Southern Africa. We trust that there will be a much more realistic attitude towards both Rhodesia and South Africa.

MAKE CERTAIN THE LEAGUE ADVANCE DOES NOT FALTER

BRIEF COMMENTS

No one should feel too sorry for defeated Federal Members of Parliament. Taxpayers are obliged to continue financing them. Mr. John Gorton will receive 75 per cent of the current salary of a private Member, plus his Prime Ministerial pension of $4,500. A total of $19,500. Those who have served three terms will get $10,000 a year for life. Even a defeated one-term Member, like Mrs. Joan Child will receive a lump sum bonus of $7,000. All those entitled to pensions do not have to worry about these being eroded by inflation; they are automatically geared to inflation: Members of Parliament, irrespective of party differences, are most considerate about their own futures.

A large advertisement in the Melbourne "Sun" of December 13th. carried a "WARNING" that if the Coalition parties won the Federal Elections, a mass protest meeting would be held in the Melbourne City square on Monday December 15th. A number of union organisations were listed. Also students. A handful of 150 turned out last Monday. Students from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology carried a banner reading "R.M.l.T. condemns Fraser's Fascism" - with a swastika replacing the "s" in Fraser. Marxist-Leninist Ted Bull declared, "We have to stand up and be counted". Mr. Bull and his friends apparently overlooked the fact that a count did take place last Saturday - and that they were counted out!

Ever since the end of the Second World War there has been a persistent campaign to smear Pope Pius XII. He has been charged with doing nothing to prevent 6 million Jews being murdered by the Nazis. As every informed person now knows, the story of the 6 million is one of great fabrications of this century. In his book, "Death in Rome", American historian Robert Katz charged that Pope Pius did nothing to halt a Nazi massacre of Romans in World War II. A Rome court has convicted Katz of defaming the Pope, giving him a suspended sentence of 14 months imprisonment.

It is doubtful if the new Parliament will last more than 2.5 years at the outside. A Senate Election is due in June 1978. If still Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser would hardly consider a Senate election in May and a full election in December 1978.

One of the pre-election sensations was a stinging attack on the Whitlam Government by the new Anglican Bishop of Ballarat, the Right Rev, John Hazlewood. Addressing a rally to celebrate the centenary of the Ballarat diocese on November 25, Bishop Hazlewood described Socialism as "a semi-religious disease". He charged, "Evil was being done at a scale never before experienced and at levels of government and power that we had always supposed to be invulnerable, even sacred. Righteousness, justice, care, understanding, truth, honesty, obedience were among the virtues that Christians had recognised as good for generations, and no matter what smokescreens were put up, they were the basis of stable government". The Bishop's robust attack on Socialism came as a pleasant surprise to many who knew him as the "swinging" Dean of Perth.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS