NEW ZEALAND IN STATE OF GROWING CRISIS

After a short tour of New Zealand, Mr. Eric Butler sends the following report:

Back in 1962 I had a long discussion with the New Zealand Prime Minister, the then Mr. Keith Holyoake, in which I attempted to persuade him that a strong New Zealand lead against the British proposal to join the European Economic Community would have a tremendous impact on British public opinion. The New Zealand Prime Minister declined my suggestion. I gained the impression then that he was not a man to take any risks in defying the international power groups attempting to force the United Kingdom into the European Economic Community. If this British surrender takes place, it would end a thousand years of British history.

Since I first saw the New Zealand Prime Minister, he has been knighted by his Sovereign. But this does not appear to have helped him find the resolve necessary to make a contribution towards preserving the independence of the founding member of the British Crown Commonwealth. Sir Keith has recently stated that he not only understands the reasons for the British Government seeking entry into the European Economic Community, but that he now "endorses" these moves. This has come as a shock to many New Zealanders, not only vitally concerned about New Zealand trade with the United Kingdom, but also with the future of the British Crown Commonwealth if the Heath Government should defy the mounting British opposition to joining the E.E.C.

The Common Market issue is much more topical in New Zealand than in Australia. There is a spate of correspondence on the issue in the press, with New Zealanders hitting back hard at some of the soothing propaganda being issued by representatives of the British Government. The British High Commissioner, Sir Arthur Galsworthy, was unwise enough to tell the Auckland Rotary Club that there were 'real benefits' to be obtained inside the E.E.C. and that the claims that Britain 'will somehow have irrevocably committed herself to direction by a superior European authority, that the power of the British Parliament will have been seriously undermined, that the monarchy will be relegated to an inferior role . . . seems to me sheer fantasy.'
He was effectively answered by one eminent New Zealand constitutional authority, who quoted chapter and verse from the Treaty of Rome to show that there must be a real loss of British sovereignty.
There have been other reports also clearly indicating that the European Economic Commission is now openly talking in terms of economic and monetary union requiring a major loss of sovereignty by the members of the E.E.C.

New Zealand concern is heightened by the mounting rural crisis, which parallels the crisis in the Australian rural communities. Any loss of markets would be devastating at a time when the cost-price squeeze is starting to really hurt. Farmers in some centres are in an angry mood and there is talk of refusing to supply the food, which provides the major part of New Zealand's export income. Inflation is continuing in spite of past controls, and now the Government is moving towards even more drastic measures in an endeavour to halt the upsurge of prices. But there is no suggestion of dealing with basic causes, with the result that it can be predicted now that New Zealanders are on a disaster course.

Addressing New Zealanders on the basic causes of inflation, I have gained the impression that they are increasingly anxious. Only an inept Labor Opposition keeps the present Holyoake Government in office. However, if New Zealanders can get their message to the British people, they could be a tremendous stimulus to British opposition to the proposed British betrayal. New Zealand returned servicemen are being approached to use their influence in this historic battle, one that may be decided later this year. It is clear that New Zealand has become a much more important nation in the battle for the world.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

It may be that before our copy goes to press, Australia will have a new Prime Minister, almost certainly Mr. W. McMahon. Whether or not is of no great importance, what is of importance to the Australian nation is the historical significance of the last few days. The seeds of the events we have been witnessing last week and early this week were sown when Sir Robert Menzies committed Australian troops to the Vietnam conflict on the basis of a police type action against the agents of international Communism in Vietnam. It was an action taken against a background of misunderstanding of the true nature of the enemy. An enemy geared to fight the war on all fronts, especially the domestic front in Australia and America.

In that time the destruction of the morale of the Western world has gone on apace. Patriots have fought a rear-guard action to keep before their Governments the true nature of the enemy and his tactics. A previous Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Gordon Freeth, reflected the decadence which afflicts Western politicians too often when he preached a policy of appeasement and acceptance of the growing encroachment of Soviet naval units, almost to the shores of Australia. Mr. Freeth's personal defeat and removal from office at the hands of his own electors brought home something of the real feeling of the Australian people, not the hothouse artificially generated opinion, manufactured by the mass media.

In the events of the last few days there has been a return to policy making manufactured by the mass media. Mr. Fraser characterised his term of office as Minister for Defence by the strongest possible attacks for a long time against Soviet imperialism in the Indian Ocean. Coinciding with those attacks he suddenly started to lose popularity with the press. He was "aloof, hard to get on with, over-bearing" etc. The almost infantile issue of a disagreement between the Chief of Staff Sir Thomas Daly, and Mr. Fraser, over the Australian troops' role in civic affairs in Vietnam was bungled by Mr. Gorton. His attempt to ride roughshod over Mr. Fraser failed, and the mass media, which handed Mr. Gorton his opportunity to make the bungle, now have the satisfaction of seeing removed from office a Minister for Defence much better than this Government deserves. But in historical perspective, Mr. Fraser is just another political casualty of the dishonesty and unprincipled policy making of modern Government. As such Mr. Fraser is as much a victim of his own lack of reality as Mr. Gorton.

ELECTORS WITH PURPOSE

"Formation of a non-party political party, the Murray Electors' Association, is symptomatic of a trend manifested in the Senate vote and likely to gain momentum ". The Shepparton News, February 19.

The Murray Electors' Association is described by Chairman T. Cleary as a non-party, non-power seeking group designed to rekindle individual initiative and responsibility in politics. Candidates will be asked to give a written undertaking concerning important policy objectives. Some of the points candidates are asked to give an assurance on are as follows:-
Restoration of the Federal System with genuine financial sovereignty for the States.
Opposition to the growing rate of the Federal Bureaucracy.
Rejection of the philosophy that financial inflation is inevitable.
Reduction of taxation by a halt to the policy of financing capital works out of revenue provided from taxation.
A reduction in the present high interest rates.
Abolition of Federal Probate.
Opposition to compulsory farm amalgamations and the provision of long term, low interest loans.
No increase in parliamentary salaries until inflation is defeated.
Regular meetings with electors to report on efforts made to achieve these objectives.

A public meeting held in Shepparton was attended by candidates to answer a selection of questions from those outlined above. Questions from the audience to candidates followed. The meeting constituted a political landmark in the political life of the Murray electorate. During question time a Labor Party supporter asked what connection existed between the Murray Valley Electors' Association and the Australian League of Rights. Mr. Tom Fielder, Co-Chairman of the Murray Electors' Association replied later in the meeting after the Chairman had ruled the question out of order, that the Murray Electors' Association had availed itself of the educational services of the Australian League of Rights which was a service organisation concerned to help people achieve realistic political and economic reforms, but the Murray Electors" Association was formed, run and financed by electors within Murray. He told the audience of approximately 170, that the Association would issue a report of the replies received from candidates with the recommendations of the Association on a preference system of voting based upon the replies, the performance, and attitudes of the candidates. This is one of the healthiest developments in recent times in Australian politics. A development, which should be duplicated in every electorate.

SHIRE COUNCILS REVOLT

"Delegates of 25 municipal councils in the Wimmera and Western District have voted to keep back their payroll tax payments to the Federal Government". - The Wimmera Mail-Times March 1.

At a meeting held at Casterton Victoria on Friday 26, 120 councilors and observers attended a special convention of Shire Councils in the Wimmera and Western District, two of the most prosperous farming districts in the State in days gone by. Inflation and the cost/price squeeze have brought a financial crisis to many of the Councils. Costs have soared and rates with them, but falling incomes have brought home the inevitable moment of truth to the Councilors responsible and they have met to see if there are alternatives to the present impasse.

The decision to withhold payroll tax was a major decision coming from the meeting. Kowree Shire Council in the Wimmera is the first Council to take action and the remaining 24 have given notice they will do the same. The friction generated by the breakdown in Local Government finances is indicative of the state of the nation. Local and State Government have been driven to desperation point by the Gorton Government policy. With that Government in a state of collapse it is hoped that the future policy makers will recognise that rectification of the injustices, which States and Local Government are labouring under must be rectified. Unless financial policy is reformed, the friction must continue.

MAO'S MAN IN AUSTRALIA

. . . Duncan Haigh Clarke, an Australian journalist who runs the New China (Hsin Hua) News Agency in Australia . . . Clarke is unofficial Peking Ambassador in this country. He is also understood to handle the Customs agency for the Chinese Government". - National Times, February 22.

Mr. Clarke, you would suppose would have come from the suppressed working class. But no, the National Times tells us Mr. Clarke "is a product of Establishment Scotch College. A godson of former Melbourne Herald group chieftain Sir Keith Murdoch. It is impossible to visit the sins of a godfather upon a godson, but it is a matter of history to recall that Sir Keith Murdoch became the most powerful press baron in Australia after he had finished his education at the London School of Economics under the tutelage of Professor Harold Laski, the doyen of socialist theoreticians in the 20th century.

It is not popular to recall, as was omitted in a recent national television portrait of Sir Keith's son, Rupert, that the latter joined the Communist party during his university studies in England. Had this been done some may have seen the connection between the radical editorial policies of his "prestigious" papers such as "The Australian", and the presentation of salacious sex stories in his growing array of sensation seeking journals provided for the digestion of the masses. The breakdown in morale and morality in the populace is synonymous.

Strange how this type of newspaper enterprise seems to attract endless amounts of capital, while any genuine conservative journal struggles and generally languishes on the vine.
To the superficial observer the connection between son and godson may not be apparent, but in the ranks of those arrayed to undermine traditional western freedoms there is a uniformity of objective.

THE GROWING SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LEAGUE