CHAIRMAN MAL'S ARROGANCE

Prime Minister Fraser made it brutally clear last week that, as far as he is concerned, the coming Budget session of the Federal Parliament is not for the purpose of free debate concerning the Budget, with perhaps some Members of Parliament seeking to represent their electors by pressing for tax reductions instead of voting like rubber stamps for increases decided upon by Mr. Fraser and his "advisers".

Commenting on speculation that family allowances for the first child were to be abolished in the Budget, Mr. Fraser said, "I don't know if people want to go on giving advice over the next three or four weeks, but I am just putting them on notice that the decisions have in fact been made and if there is any further free advice coming it should have been made earlier." In other words, the Budget decisions will stand irrespective of who complains.
Not only is the Prime Minister showing his contempt for both his back-bench Members and the electors; he is criticising Premier Hamer of Victoria, whose political stocks are sagging badly right now, and is making it clear generally to Liberal Party supporters everywhere that he is not going to listen to their complaints.

Prime Minister Fraser is confident that his restive backbench Members will be kept in line by reminding them that they owe their places in Parliament to him. In reality many of them owe their places to the electorate's deep-seated fear of a return to office of Mr.Gough Whitlam. Backbench Members should be reminded that by the time the next Federal elections take place, Mr. Fraser will be a liability, not an asset. Of course, the Fraser strategy is to take advantage of the fact that the Government does not have to face the electors for another 2.5 years. And obsessed with the view that harsh, restrictive policies are essential to "get the economy moving", if these policies can be imposed now, by the time of the next elections their beneficial results will be starting to flow. But Mr. Fraser is fooling himself.
Just as within seven months after the firm pre-election predictions he has been flatly contradicted by events, so he will be further contradicted by events of the future. Debt will continue to escalate under the Fraser policies.

Last week's announcement that the Government was borrowing more money from overseas brought the total overseas borrowings by the Fraser Government to over $2,000 million. That was the amount the Whitlam Government tried to borrow. We have said before, and repeat it now, that it is possible for the Fraser Government to decrease fractionally the rate of inflation (please note that inflation itself still continues), the price being more unemployed and business dislocation. The Marxists are all delighted.

There is only one way to reduce inflation without economic dislocation, and that is by reducing taxes, taxes which inflate prices and reduce purchasing power. Mr. Fraser may feel confident that he can safely ignore the growing demand that the abolition of Sales Tax is the first essential step towards putting the nation on a recovery course; that the views of other people can be treated with contempt. Unless Mr. Fraser starts to act like a democratic leader, instead of acting like Chairman Mal, he is going to find that he will finish like his arrogant predecessor, Mr. Gough Whitlam.

FROM BRITISH 'ON TARGET' (1st and 15th July '78)

This edition of British On Target published highlights of a special report (10/5/78) which an American Review of the News reporter had with a former top official of the U.S.R. Academy of Science, Dr. Igor Glagolev, who defected to the West. Because of the limitations of space we are able to republish only some "highlights of the highlights":

Question: Dr. Glagolev, what is the Soviet goal in Africa?
Answer: The Soviet purpose of its policy in Africa is to establish pro-Soviet dictatorships in almost all of the African countries. It is especially important to control South Africa, Rhodesia and certain other key countries because of their mineral resources like gold, uranium and other rare and valuable resources.

Question: Does the small and illegal South African Communist Party play much of a role in the development of propaganda?
Answer: The Communists use racial hatred very widely in South Africa. They deceive its black population so that some of its members think they are struggling for the interests of black people, but in reality many of them are supporting the interests of the white leadership of the Soviet Communist Party.

Question: Dr. Glagolev, which Soviet agencies or departments co-ordinate manipulation of the press and communications media in the Free World?
Answer: Many agencies; the International Department and the Dept. of Propaganda and Agitation of the C.P.S.U. Central Committee; the Press Agency - Novosti; Tass; and many others. All of them try to influence Western public opinion. They try to bribe certain journalists and they try to use "liberal" attitudes to organise psychological surrender and to prevent resistance to Communist expansion. In Africa, the other continents, and in Europe, where there are several Communist Parties, which may come to power, they seek to have Communists included in the Governments, such as France and Italy. So the Soviet agencies that try to influence Western public opinion try to picture Communism as a 'peaceful' political movement. Of course they never mention the huge human losses connected with the establishment of Communist regimes in many countries. It is very well known that about sixty million people were killed - tormented to death in concentration camps, or died from artificial famine - in the Soviet Union alone. In China, the same figure, sixty million, is mentioned. Now they are killing millions of people in the Indo-China countries of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Question: Journalists in the West to the Soviet cause?
Answer: The K.G.B. of course is heavily involved in this process. By the way, it is very easy to see that certain journalists ALWAYS (emphasis in original) support the Communist line - always. Thus it is quite clear that they are somehow connected with the leadership of the Soviet Union. Of course they try to use Western terms, Western ideas, about democracy, peace, detente, but they ALWAYS support the Soviet line and Soviet suggestions.

Question: What are some recent examples of disinformation or propaganda?
Answer: It is being done every day. For example, the correspondents of the Western newspapers and magazines who work in Moscow may be invited to lunch in luxurious restaurants by agents of the KGB and simply given a lot of false "information". They describe Brezhnev and KGB boss Andropov as "Liberals". Really. The use of psychiatric asylums for mental and physical tortures is not a "liberal' measure. But those asylums are being run by leaders described in American newspapers as "liberals"

Question: Dr. Glagolev, have you any suggestions as to how the Communist policy of expansion, of promoting dictatorships can be blocked?
Answer: Yes. It is urgent that the people of the West unite to create an informed public opinion that can make their governments respond to this challenge. It is not too late. We have great opportunities, but we must start immediately."

BRIEF COMMENTS

The case of the Soviet dissidents has exposed once again the moral decadence and hypocrisy of Western political leaders, typical of these being Prime Minister Fraser. On the subject of Rhodesia and South Africa, no one has beat the moral drum harder than Mr. Fraser. The South African policy of separate development (apartheid) is so bad, says Mr. Fraser, that Australian cricketers and other sportsmen cannot be permitted to play against South Africans. This would allegedly indicate official support for South Africa's "immoral" and "repressive" policies. But what about the Soviet Union, where repression dwarfs even the alleged crimes of South Africa? Surely if Australians are permitted by the Government to compete in the Moscow Olympic games, this will mean official condoning of the Soviet's criminal policies? What about this, Mr. Prime Minister? And it would be instructive to hear a spokesman for the World Council of Churches on the subject of the Soviet's brutal jailing of those who dare to criticise the Moscow dictators.

We happen to be in agreement with Mr. Bob Hawke when he says (Australian July 22) that technological development is seriously threatening to close up employment opportunities in the tertiary sector. By "tertiary sector" we understand the service industries such as typing, secretarial communications, advertising, banking, insurance, etc., etc. We know that computerisation, cybernetics are slicing into the need for the "old-fashioned" typist-clerk for example, in preparation of files and records. These are now "stored" indefinitely in computer banks! But the march of automation doesn't apply to the tertiary sector of the economy only. It also applies to the secondary industries, and yes, to the primary industries. Yet there are still economists who insist that automation does NOT create unemployment: an actionist in W.A. very recently sent us a photostat of an economics textbook section he is studying in an economics course which asserts such. Realistically, there is nothing wrong with automation. It is not a "problem". It only seems so because of the utterly fallacious system of finance economics under which we grind; and which in turn creates a false social climate. For example, the "natural aristocracy" in the community tends to become submerged by the ruthless, the aggressive, the acquisitive, all with that extra intelligence required to "work" the system. The meek and gentle tend to stay submerged along with the unintelligent and the lazy. Modern society's "aristocracy" is that of money: "those with the dough are all the go!" Enough said. The Anglican Bishop of Oxford (U.K.) in 1955 put forward the Christian view on automation: "Man's life, on any Christian view, is something far greater and more profound than his capacity to produce goods or organise their production. Freedom from unnecessary work is something to be welcomed and even extended as far as possible."