PERVERSION OF THE PUBLIC PURSE

"The Federal Government has already done serious harm to its public standing by its refusal to abandon its ill conceived and inequitable fringe benefits tax. If it attempts to overcome the resulting electoral damage by a multi million dollar advertising campaign it would deserve to alienate an even greater number of voters than the polls indicate that it has lost already." The Australian (Editorial), October 17th.

The Hawke Government is going from bad to worse, now that sheer desperation has seized it. The plummeting polls are shaking it like a rat. Whose fault is it? Its own! No doubt Brothers Hawke and Keating will carp "they are acting from a position of integrity and morality". Brother Hawke seems obsessed with this question of morality: but there is no morality at all in spending millions from the Public Purse to attempt to dupe the Australian electorate that two plus two make five. The Australian electorate has rejected the notion of the Fringe Benefits tax: it won't wear it. So now those "men in the grey flannel suits" (as they were once described) - the advertising agency men - are to be brought in (what manna from Heaven for them!) to convince the mug public (meaning "us") that we don't know what's good for us. Don't forget, too, that we are picking up the bill. Brother Keating, in the Parliament, has only recently told the Opposition that it will answer questions on the F.B.T. when the same Opposition comes to support it. And this from the Treasurer of the Government, which upbraids Sir Joh for arrogance.

"Well, our prediction is that, if the Government in its desperation goes ahead with this mass brain washing campaign, the result will be counter productive. The Oz electorate will not swallow the slippery gimmickry of the advertising agency brigade, but will turn further away from support of the Hawke Socialist Government. We repeat yet again; the Hawke Government is finished. Its desperate maneuvers to save itself will cause it to sink further into the mire of political defeat. The tragedy is that the opposition will regain the Treasury benches by default: it has no concrete policies at all to lift Oz from the economic mess into which it has fallen. At least we may hope for some salvation from the Fabian attack on our freedoms.

All actionists should be making the Liberals and Nationals well aware that we will not tolerate, again, any Bills of Rights; any Local Government amalgamations; any more undermining of the role of the Crown in our governmental systems and certainly no I.D. Card. The next Liberal-National Government will need all the support it can ring from the electorate. The time is "ripe" for political ferment, as we suggested in last week's On Target. It may well be that a "lateral move" in Australian politics is now due. We can see no hope at all for Oz in the present political structures.

WILL THE HAWKE CHANGE HIS SPOTS?

"Australia is sliding into deep trouble and this will require more pragmatism from Mr. Hawke. He will increasingly fill cracks in the dyke with free market caulks. They work; Fabian theories don't." Des Keegan, in The Australian, October 18-19.

Des Keegan's thrust is that Brother Hawke is essentially a pragmatist and that, as the recession deepens, he will jettison much restrictive legislation which is based upon Socialist/Humanist ideology. Mr. Keegan could be right: Hawke could do just this. The Bill of Rights was "wiped" for the time being. Even the Fringe Benefits Tax is being frisked for 'unintended consequences'. Hawke is doing the "dialectical back step" alright. But in our view it is too late. The Hawke Socialist Government has passed the point of no return. The economy is too depressed to be turned around now: the small business sector has been belted: the rural industries have been belted: the ordinary people have been belted with the threats of the Bill of Rights, Local Government amalgamations. (Vic.) the I.D. Card; the F.B.T. and Capital Gains. Enough's enough!

Add to all this attempts to destroy Oz's heritage. The pressure on the Flag (Ausflag 88!); removal of the Crown from official quarters where it has been traditional for generations; the flying of the Eureka flag: non-nuclear zones all over the place; Land Rights forced on those who don't enjoy public confidence. The Asianisation of Australia. One has only to walk down any city street in Australia to see our changing face. It is not accidental: it is deliberate.

Sharp criticism of the Hawke Government from very good types of Australians with sound, patriotic instincts, like Professor Geoffrey Blainey, and Mr. John Stone, The vicious tongued Paul Keating vilifying those who point out the mess he has created. The Murphy and the High Court business. Des Keegan adds: "A society, which wants to discard its flags, its history, its customs its homogeneity and its legends will not endure; soon it may be unable to defend itself from enemies within and without. The Parliament and the Law are root and branch of great intangible assets." Hear, Hear.

Mr. Hawke may try to change his spots, right enough; but it is not only too late for him to do so: he will lose further credibility (among his own ranks, particularly) by doing so. Many of the hard Socialist/Communist ideologues would prefer to see their numbers down in Opposition than sacrifice their firmly held principles.

KNIVES OUT IN BOURKE STREET

Many supporters outside Victoria must be wondering what is going on "at the top of Bourke Street," (Victoria's Parliament House is at "the top of Bourke St., Melb.). The Victorian Liberal Party has been uneasy with the leadership of Mr. Jeffrey Kennett since it was defeated by the Cain Labor Government in 1982. He was a "compromise" leader. Premier Rupert Hamer was forced to resign after a coup. The Liberal Party has run to seed after so many years in office. Poor Lindsay Thompson was too decent a fellow to be in politics. He was installed as caretaker Premier, but resigned after the inevitable electoral defeat his Party suffered a few months later. They didn't really have anyone to replace Hamer, so Jeff Kennett got the nod: just! His performance has not been inspiring, and lately his talk about forcing an election by withholding Supply has scared many of his colleagues stiff. It if had not been for the Cain Government's foolish assault on Victorians with its Council Amalgamations Plans, and to a lesser extent its Land Rights fumbling, we would expect the Cain Government to hold office. Now things are doubtful.

If the Liberals can come up with a better Leader than Jeff Kennett, and close ranks behind him, then they stand a chance of making it at the next State election. If John Cain and his Government lose office, our opinion is that his Local Government Amalgamation plans would be the main cause. As we go to press the Liberal Party Leadership result in Victoria is not decided.

Note: It was Mr. Jeff Kennett who received a Leader of the Zionist organisations of Victoria, with radiomen, T.V. men, going hammer and tongs, on the steps of Parliament House. Mr. Kennett assured the Zionists that no Liberal Party member would appear on League of Rights platforms; not that we could care a fig, one way or the other. We don't need politicians, or the media.

MELBOURNE 'REGIONAL PROGRESS' NEWSPAPER CHAIN SPOT ON

We have commended this Melbourne suburban newspaper chain more than once in the past. Its issue of October 15th editorialises on "Dangerous Cards" (no prize for guessing what they are) Also there is a feature article (too long for reproduction here, unfortunately) on the Perils of Fluoridation. We must mention that one item of the Editorial praises John Cain. It pays tribute to his delicate leadership qualities, which he must have. We don't doubt that John Cain is an honest man, but in our view he is still the Fabian Socialist ("we deny with our lips what we do with our hands") - so we can't see how Fabian socialists can be made of the stuff of stern integrity often claimed. But many clergymen have been Fabian Socialists. We think they are confused, to say the least. John Cain will be lucky to survive at the next State election, as already stated.

Now to "Dangerous Cards". This item of the Editorial is really good, so we shall reproduce it in full:
"Blinded, it seems, by its ideological commitments, the Federal Government is now up and running with yet another piece of kamikaze legislation. "The proposed identity card and dossier system is unwieldy if not impossible to administer, inefficient and, above all, undemocratic. "The proposed legislation carries fines of $20,000 for breaches of a piece of law making, which even the lawmakers don't understand. "Financial institutions could find themselves in deep trouble over a clerical error. "Similarly, fines will be applied to employers and others (unnamed) who do not give the required information to the Taxation Office. "Where does the girl in the pay office stand? "The card must be produced when applying for employment, and for every type of financial transaction, including foreign remittances. "Does this mean that a gift from families overseas will be subject to tax? If not, what is the relevance of the card to the transaction? "As with other pieces of Mickey Mouse legislation proposed by this Government, questions are plentiful and answers scarce. "Unlike those other pieces of legislation, the identity card and dossier system gives the Government unprecedented control over the lives of Australians - the kind of control previously the prerogative of totalitarian states. "Is this what Australians want?"

PERILS OF FLUORIDATION

MONEY SHORTAGE