COMMUNIST LEADER URGES FURTHER AMALGAMATION OF AUSTRALIAN UNIONS

"A 'public service dilemma' existed within the Australian trade union movement, union leader, Mr. Laurie Carmichael said last night." - The Age, (Melbourne) February 20th.

Mr. Laurie Carmichael is a member of the national executive of the Communist Party of Australia, and also assistant Commonwealth Secretary of the Amalgamated Metal Workers Union, itself formed in recent times through an amalgamation of three unions, which the Minister for Labour in the previous McMahon-Anthony coalition Government, Mr. Lynch was pleased to sanction. He was warned vigorously of the inherent dangers to Australia from union amalgamations by the League, and also by a spokesman of the D.L.P.

As the essence of Socialism /Communism is centralization of power, it is therefore to be fully expected that a trained Communist would endorse union amalgamations; he would not know his Marxism-Leninism if he didn't. The reason is all too obvious; worker control and manipulation into a weapon against the established social system under any number of guises, such as 'efficiency', 'economy' etc.

Mr. Carmichael, whom we regard as the senior Communist industrial strategist in this country, had no trouble in handling his 'opponents' on "Monday Conference", screened on A.B.C. T.V. on the evening of Monday 19th, inst., viz. Mr. John Ducker, a Federal A.L.P. vice-President, and D.L.P. spokeswoman, Mrs. Ann Macken. Mr. Carmichael's 'line' was quite smooth; union amalgamations will not only increase efficiency, and be more economic, but this process will involve and commit more and more workers in the struggle for the betterment of industrial conditions generally in Australia. Superficially, this is plausible enough, and there is an element of truth in his assertions that bigger unions could, in some ways, be managed more efficiently and economically but this price would be paid at the cost of Australian workers actually having less control over their own union affairs. The reason is that, as the Communists know full well, the enlarged and amalgamated unions will be all the bigger prize when captured by the techniques of which the Communists are masters: viz. intra union propaganda, manipulation of grass-roots support for Communist candidates, and a host of others.
Not forgetting the enormous advantage the Communists enjoy because of the apathy and timidity of the rank and file unionist who wants only to mind his own business and avoid any trouble. No danger to the Communists from these quarters, which leaves the field open to the Party candidates.

Mr. Carmichael did make some very poignant remarks to a questioner from the audience who asked in what way Socialism would eventually be established in Australia. Warming noticeably to the question (which was ignored in the press reports) he said that Socialism would come about via a series of sharp conflicts between 'the people' and the power of the Establishment; in other words, revolution, a word Mr. Carmichael did not choose to use. He also said that he was no threat to the implementation of the Labor programme of reform, but that international monopolies and "President Nixon's" monetary reforms were. (As if President Nixon had any say concerning "monetary reform").

This sorry spectacle on T.V. was more or less a copy book presentation of a well-trained Communist industrial actionist, armed with a good grasp of Communist dialectics and semantics, scoring rather heavily off an orthodox Labor official, and a sincere but perplexed D.L.P. spokeswoman, which two were incapable of penetrating below the level of the mere effects of the finance-economic system. If they would only read "None Dare Call It Conspiracy" and "The Naked Capitalist" they would at least be able to have an understanding of the position of strength from which the Communists argue.

Mr. Brian White, the radio journalist (2GB Sydney) was also on the panel of questioners. Supporters will remember that Mr. White was extremely hostile to the National Director of the Australian League of Rights, Mr. Eric D. Butler, when Mr. Butler appeared on "Monday Conference" last year. Mr. Brian White was not in the least hostile to Mr. Laurie Carmichael; far from it, rather the reverse.

MOVING LETTER FROM OFFICIAL OF RURAL WOMEN'S ACTION CAMPAIGN

We have had occasion to mention this organization in the past. It is a body comprised of many Queensland ladies; including the wives of farmers and graziers, who are more than concerned over the mounting menace of inflation, and over the imposition of Death Duties, two of the principal factors now responsible for driving families from their lands, which in many instances have been owned by the same family for generations. We mentioned late last year that we had received supplies from this body of an excellent little booklet, issued under its own name, and entitled "Death Duties - A Marxist Concept". We still have supplies of this booklet (47 cents post free from Box 1052J, G.P.O., Melbourne, Vic. 3001).

The "Rural Women's Action Campaign" is now taking an interest in the issues of the Australian Flag and the Australian Anthem, and in accordance with the League's policy of assisting organizations, which share the League's objectives we are pleased to re-print a letter on these issues, which we have received from the Publicity Officer of this body. We hope that this lady will send this letter to as many media outlets as possible: -

"It appears that the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. E. G. Whitlam, is determined to give Australians a new National Anthem whether we want it or not. Millions of loyal Australians do not wish that our heritage be betrayed. Already, according to the press, the competition has become known and accepted as the wish of the people. In what Mr. Whitlam regards as a democratic method, and what so many Australians have been beguiled into believing is a democratic method, the people are to make the choice. We have not, as a nation, rejected the present National Anthem. This is not democracy. The people are to be given a choice, only from those entries considered worthy of selection by a panel of judges. Who will select the judges, and to whom will these judges pledge allegiance? Have loyal organizations, such as the R.S.L., the C.W.A., been invited to appoint representatives? And what of the Christian Churches, most of whom have remained unforgivably silent on this sacred matter?
Will Mr. Whitlam and the judges be aware of what should be expressed in the National Anthem of a country whose heritage was founded on the Christian faith? Will they agree that such an anthem needs to be a sacred hymn expressing scriptural teaching, and that it should be rendered with piety, dignity, and fitting solemnity? Will they agree that it should be worthy of inclusion in the Christian hymnals?
When the people of Australia honour their Sovereign they also honour their Creator, to whom our Monarch has pledged allegiance.
If we, as a nation, consent to a National Anthem not worthy of the title we do so at our peril. We may yet be destined to suffer as the Christians in Communist countries are suffering, before we realize how truly blessed we have been. It is sad that people must first lose something very precious before they can appreciate it.
Those who express indifference to this vital issue have probably never listened intelligently and intently to all the words of our National Anthem sung in its entirety. There are four verses. Those who have never thrilled to a rendition of the Anthem sung in parts by a talented choir have been deprived of great inspiration.
Our students are no longer told the history surrounding the anthem, which has been proudly sung by British peoples, and those granted the privilege of British citizenship for over three hundred years. We must not succumb to the feeling of guilt, which is being subtly infiltrated, into our British society. There is much of which we may be justifiably proud. We may live to experience a strong feeling of guilt as regards our apathy!
If the majority of the 'judges' are of the pseudo cultural persuasion known as 'Avant-Garde', their selection must surely offend those who recognize real worth. The 'Avant-Garde' movement has already forced on us a surfeit of low-grade literature, music, and art, which the 'poseurs' have hailed as praise-worthy. This primitive rubbish has certainly not emanated from genuine disciplined talent; yet we meekly tolerate it.
If Mr. Whitlam is sincere when he says that the choice will be the people's, he will of course, include the present National Anthem in the list. We cannot accept a new Anthem before we have democratically rejected the present one. In a genuine democracy, rejection and acceptance are two entirely separate actions.
How dare a mere political power-seeker, whose taste of authority may prove very ephemeral arrogantly tamper with our sacred National Anthem!"

MR. RAY MEAGHER RECEIVING SUPPORT

"Pornographers were trying to pillory the Chief Secretary (Mr. Meagher) by ridicule and abuse, the Minister of Scots Church (the Rev. Gordon Powell) said yesterday." - The Age. (Melbourne) February 19th.

Last week in the "On Target" we commended the Victorian Chief Secretary, Mr. Ray Meagher, and asked League supporters to communicate their support to him and to his parliamentary colleagues. It is most pleasing indeed to see a spate of letters in the press to support Mr. Meagher, and to witness a Minister of a Christian Church come strongly to his aid. The Rev. Gordon Powell is one of the best known and respected Christian clergymen in Victoria.
He commented: - "All decent-minded people will support Mr. Meagher in the stand he has taken," The Governor-General (Sir Paul Hasluck) as reported in "The Age" (Feb. 17th) said that the promoters of the 'dirty and disgusting' were receiving a 'tremendous amount' of publicity. Sir Paul Hasluck told a Eucharistic Congress meeting in Melbourne that there were still a very considerable number of people of all religious persuasions who stand for the old truths. Perhaps those cynical and valueless political party hacks who eat our taxes, and give their electors nothing in return, because they have nothing in them worth giving may now deem it fit to consider changing their minds. Perhaps there ARE votes in an anti-pornography stand after all.

L.C.P. BY-ELECTION WINS IN N.S.W. A STRAW IN THE WIND FOR A.L.P.?

"Wins by the Liberal-Country Party coalition in all N.S.W. by-elections indicated a backlash against the Federal Government, the N.S.W. Premier, Sir Robert Askin, said yesterday." - The Australian, February 19th.

Naturally the A.L.P. and the L.C.P. are 'interpreting' the by-election results in the most favourable light to themselves, however, we feel that the A.L.P. has received a rebuff, inasmuch as it harboured high hopes of a 'grand slam' in the three by-elections. The L.C.P. has nothing to be complacent about - its performance will have to improve; it isn't by any means sufficient for it to sit back and say-"let Gough have his head for a while" - and hope to capitalise on the abuses of the Whitlam Government. Unless there is a searching by the L.C.P. after fundamental democratic principles of governments, such as an effort to resist centralization of political power at Canberra, and a real fight to protect Federalism and States' Rights, to mention only two key issues, we can predict that the L.C.P. will continue to retreat from electoral favour.

Probably there is some truth in Sir Robert Askin's statements that "Canberra has upset many people with the fast, too sudden and haughty way it has gone about bringing change to Australia". "The Whitlam Government has been too quick in shifting from the U.S. sphere of influence to that of Peking and Hanoi"... "the hell-bent way in which they have been severing connections with the U.K. has also worried a lot of people".
All true enough!

A more accurate barometer of the political leanings of the Australian electorate will come with the results of the South Australian and Victorian State elections in the months ahead. The Victorian Government is showing some fight on the pornography issue, as is Mr. Bjelke-Petersen in Queensland, on the State boundaries-Torres Strait Islanders issue; which boils down to States' Rights. A smart rebuff for the Whitlam Government at the Federal Senate elections at the close of this year would be a healthy sign that Australians are displeased with the new Canberra Government's 'rush to the Left'.

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