SCRAPING THE BARREL

"Only an A.L.P. Defeat at the coming Adelaide by-election would ensure the death of Telecom's plan to time charge local calls, Opposition Leader Mr. Howard, said yesterday." - Sunday Press, January 24th.

We have read, and we are inclined to believe it, that many of the Canberra politicians have been stunned by the sharp public reaction against this latest governmental slug; rather intended slug. There is no doubt that it will be "on" unless the protest from the grassroots is strong enough. Neither are we convinced that John Howard, himself, would not attempt to support a Telecom time charge on local calls, if he were in the Prime Minister's shoes. He, as a party politician, is attempting to gain the most mileage out of Mr. Hawke's edginess over this issue. What John Howard is doing is to urge voters at the coming by-election for the Federal seat of Adelaide to vote against the Hawke Government candidate in order to put political pressure on it to drop the above measure.

Mr. Unsworth, the Premier of N.S.W. is unhappy about the Telecom rip off, as he has to face his electors in his State in a matter of months. As the Government is forced to scrape the money barrel more and more to fund the cost of government, the Deficit, the soaring interest payments on various national and international loans, etc., we can expect many further imposts, such as the new "entry" tax on persons arriving in Australia: there is already a "Departure Tax". This time it is a Superannuation Tax. The Campbell Report of 1981 recommended that superannuation funds should be taxed on annual income, less administration costs. This Report was issued under the Fraser Government: John Howard was Treasurer at the time. One can imagine that the Life Insurance industry is white with rage at the prospect of having some of its superannuation funds golden eggs snatched away from it. Tax deductions would almost certainly be hit, much to the pleasure of Brother Keating. Not only will employer organisations be hit for six, if superannuation tax is introduced (as in New Zealand) but also large numbers of people planning retirement. This one won't go away.

"DISMISSAL" RIPPLES

"British intelligence was secretly involved in ousting the Whitlam Government in 1975, expatriate Australian journalist John Pilger will allege on British. TV, this week." - The Sun (Melbourne), January 25th.

We have already seen some of John Pilger's "Work" on Australian T .V.; notably one on Aboriginal "culture" and Land Rights, and we had to pinch ourselves in disbelief that we were actually viewing such fantastic gibberish. No, we are not impressed with the "work" we have so far witnessed from the hand of John Pilger. Now we are asked to believe (at least the British are) that the "Dismissal" (of Gough Whitlam's Government by the then Governor General, Sir John Kerr) was masterminded by British and American intelligence services. Whilst not doubting that some of these British and American intelligence people saw the Whitlam Government as a security threat to Australia and the Western alliance, (plenty of Australian citizens had the same opinion!) - the fact remains that Sir John Kerr acted constitutionally. We recall those times vividly, and we assert that the man and woman in the street were apprehensive with respect to many of the pro-Left initiatives of the Whitlam Government. Mr. and Mrs. Australia did not "maintain their rage" at all. They were out rightly relieved when the Governor General gave them the opportunity to "have a say". They threw Whitlam and his gang out, with a vengeance!

Whilst on "The Dismissal", there has been a consistent effort, particularly by the mass media, to portray it as a "constitutional crisis". It was nothing of the sort; it was a "political crisis". It would have been a constitutional crisis IF the Australian Constitution had not provided a mechanism for resolving the impasse of the day (11th November, 1975) between the "Labor" Party, and the Coalition in Opposition. IT DID! The power of the Governor General was the key to it, as provided for in the, Australian Constitution. He dismissed the Whitlam Government (and quite correctly!), and referred the impasse to the Australian people, the next month - December. The rest is history.

Supporters will be aware that the present "Constitutional Commission" is recommending the curtailment of the power of the Governor General. As this Commission is appointed by Fabian Socialists, one dare not expect anything else! The power of the Crown saved us from a very sticky situation in 1975, and the power of the Crown may well save us from attacks on our freedoms. We have no doubt that the Whitlam gang were out to socialise Australia as fast as they could, just as the Hawke gang are out to do the same, if we allow them the opportunities. At the coming Bicentennial Referendum later this year, make sure that the power of government is NOT increased. Make sure that the power of the Crown is held intact. No 4-year terms; no reduction of the powers of the Senate; no reduction of the powers of the Governor General.

REPORT FROM NATIONAL DIRECTOR

SAME OLD 'AUSTRAL-ASIA' GOBBLEDOOK

"Australia must accept that it is an Asian nation or it will perish economically, a senior federal minister was warned." The Age (Melbourne) January 25th.

We can well recall the "Austral-Asia" line being pushed in the Communist press back in the early fifties yes, 35 years ago. We know that both "Labor" and Coalition governments are trying to make Australia an Asian nation via heavy Asian immigration, but they still have a long way to go, and the average Australian is waking up; more so the European Australians than the native born, we do believe. The reality of the situation is that the present finance economic system under which we grind (as with all of today's trading nations), is fault ridden and does not reflect economic realities. Mr. Dawkins, the Minister for Employment, Education and Training, does not know this, and does not want to know it. He is a Socialist ideologue who will cling to his fallacious ideology to the bitter end: and it will be bitter, for all of us. Mr. Dawkins wants us to ourselves in order to benefit from what he really does believe to be the New Era of Asian economic might, with an Asian cringe by Oz thrown in for good measure. We can understand that, on the surface, this view has some plausibility. But we know that the world's finance economic systems will (must) collapse as they are structured on Falsehood, and with them - today's Asian giants.

BRIEF CONMENT