WILL THE "FAIR DINKUM" AUSSIES PLEASE STAND UP?

This was the central challenge of Mr. Eric Butler's recent series of Southern Queensland meetings, during which he analysed the deepening international crisis generated by the Soviet military build-up in Afghanistan. Eric Butler told his audiences that the time had come to "stand to be counted" in a new national programme launched by The Australian League of Rights.

With its Basic Fund running slightly behind schedule, and fully committed to the League's in-depth planned annual programme, in an "act of great faith" the League booked half a page, at a cost of nearly $2,500, in "The Australian" of Friday, February 15th, to rally the Australian people behind a nation-wide programme of constructive action. Southern Queenslanders reacted magnificently to the challenge and over five meetings contributed over $2000, Chinchilla leading with an inspirational effort of $900. A special Sydney meeting to hear Eric Butler pushed the special fund still higher with the result that the outlay of "The Australian" advertisement has been almost covered.

"The Australian" project is only the first shot in the national campaign. Already it is producing a most encouraging feedback as electors use the "voting form". Book orders are coming in together with donations. Initial results confirm public opinion polls with a majority supporting economic sanctions as a more effective anti-Soviet policy than the boycotting of the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Fraser claims that a young Australian running in Moscow is endorsing the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. If that is so, how much more is Mr. Fraser endorsing the Soviet's invasion by continuing to permit the export of Australian wool, meat and metals?

President Carter and Mr. Fraser have now made it possible to open up the whole question of the type of finance economic policies, which have been the major factor in advancing Communism and eroding freedom in the West. BUT THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED MUST BE ACTED UPON IMMEDlATELY. Thus the special national campaign launched by the League. The first essential is for League supporters to obtain copies of "The Australian" advertisement. Copies were being printed on the League's printing presses last weekend. Widespread distribution of this advertisement will bring in a further stream of "voting forms" and League support. If sufficient financial support is obtained, further press advertisements are planned, these also giving a progress report on "voting".

All Members of Parliament must be asked where they stand, and their answers given the widest possible publicity. "The Australian" advertisement requested readers to take advantage of the excellent tape of Mr. Eric Butler's hard hitting address on the situation. Supporters are urged to make maximum use of this tape to broaden the national campaign as quickly as possible. Supplies have been rushed to all State League addresses. The price is $4 posted. Already orders are pouring in for this tape.

Some excellent letters have already been published in the press throughout Australia. This line of attack must be intensified. The League has planned a major back-up programme. But the success of this programme is going to depend upon physical and financial support. We are therefore urging every League supporter to put his or her "shoulder to the wheel". A comparative few have already given the project initial momentum. Let us now increase that momentum to top acceleration.

We want to hear from YOU NOW! ON THE EVE OF THE RHODESIAN COLLAPSE

We have just received from Rhodesia a sobering report from a well known professional man, who says, "I have been hoping to retire from practice this year, but as far as I can see I shall have to work until I drop; if not in Rhodesia, then as a penniless refugee elsewhere. As events unfold, I feel more and more bitter against the British Government, this and former ones. With Wilson, we recognised him as an enemy whom we never trusted but at least we knew where we stood with him. But this bunch of so-called Conservatives - words fail us. No doubt when Rhodesia has finally been betrayed into Communist hands, Mrs. Thatcher and Lord Carrington will qualify, if not for the "Nobel Peace Prize, at least for the Lenin award."

Our correspondent continues: "It is clear that the Patriotic Front has no intention of allowing 'free and fair' elections to take place in Zimbabwe- Rhodesia; nor does it consider itself bound by the outcome of such elections, if and when they are held. It has been amply demonstrated elsewhere that agreements entered into by Communist parties, under duress, or when unavoidable are not considered binding on them, and can be broken whenever it suits them.
"So far about 2,200 breaches of the month old ceasefire have been recorded, the majority of them caused by Z.A.N.L.A. (pro-Mugabe Patriotic Front), less by Z.I.P.R.A. (pro-Nkomo Patriotic Front), and some by other militants of various tribal groupings.

On today's radio (Feb. 3rd) an appeal was made by Joshua Nkomo to his forces to stop fighting and come into the assembly areas as previously ordered, or face the consequences - whatever they may be and even if they could be enforced. "Various moves are being made to annul, postpone or alter the terms of the elections. There are nine parties in the field, and it is difficult to see any party winning outright; so that a period of intense haggling over coalitions will probably result.
"If the Patriotic Front (Mugabe) wins there will be a massive exodus of whites from Zimbabwe-Rhodesia. If it loses, it will declare the elections unfair and unfree, and go back to the bush and start a civil war.

Recently the Mugabe Patriotic Front published a two-page manifesto in the Herald (Salisbury) without mentioning the words "Marxist-Leninist", or "Communism" once; but this should not deceive anyone conversant with Communist methods, or pretensions. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the voters in Zimbabwe-Rhodesia are ignorant tribesmen, gullible in the extreme. Even the prisoners of Mugabe, now released from the prison pits of Mozambique where they have been held for months, or years, in appalling conditions - refuse to condemn Mugabe, and blame their incarceration on the Rhodesian Government as the aggressor! It seems that in Africa there is a masochistic desire to kiss the rod of affliction; force and strength are all that are respected.

"One interesting question arises. What if the Monitoring Commission declares the elections to be unfair and unfree? Who then governs Zimbabwe-Rhodesia? The previous Government of National Unity under the Premiership of Bishop Muzowera resigned when the British Government took over, in the terms of the Lancaster House Agreement, and no new Government will have been elected. It is clear that the British Government and the Monitoring Commission will withdraw, leaving the country in chaos.

"The Chairman of the Commonwealth-Observer Group is Mr. Rajeshwar Dsyal. In 1960-61 he was the special United Nations representative commanding 22,000 United Nations troops and 1,100 international civil servants sent to deal with the crisis in the Congo. The bloody conflict continued for several years after Mr. Dayal left. Interviewed in Salisbury recently, Mr. Dayal stated: 'Today, the Congo mission is recognised as the greatest achievement of the United Nations.' Comment is superfluous.

"A revealing glimpse of the British Government's intentions after the elections, to be held from Feb. 27th-29th, was given last week when a member of Lord Soames' entourage was asked to attend a charity function in Salisbury on March 3rd. The invitation was declined, as the invited guest did not expect to be in Zimbabwe- Rhodesia on March 3rd!"

THE SWINGS AND THE ROUNDABOUTS

"State Governments should drop some company taxes and replace them with a value added tax on Australian-made consumer goods, a senior G.M.H. executive has proposed." - The Australian, Feb. 16th.

This executive's 'rationale' is that what the Government will miss in the way of revenue on the swings it will pick up on the roundabouts; his point being that manufacturers, and especially G.M.H., should be riding the "swings". The public at large will go for a ride on the roundabouts! Value Added Tax (V.A.T.) is a tax, which is employed by some European countries, Britain being one. The "concept" underlying it is that a particular item of manufacture is taxed: tax is "added on", at every stage of its production, until it finally reaches the consumer. It certainly spreads the taxation net far and wide, and judging by the rate of Britain's inflation (approx. 18%)' Value Added Tax is doing most effectively what all taxation must do; viz, stoke the inflationary furnaces.
Common Market countries do not impose the Value Added Tax on exports and this gives manufacturers in the Common Market a competitive edge. This is what the G.M.H executive wants here in Australia, but it must be at the expense of the Australian taxpayer, who will pay more tax so that companies like G.M. H. can export more cheaply. There is no way out of it. Should the Government implement an export incentive V.A.T., then G.M.H. will export more Holden Commodores, BUT sell less Holden Commodores at home in Australia.

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