PLEASE SPELL IT OUT MR. FRASER

"He (Mr. Fraser) has made no comprehensive statement to Parliament on economic policy since his election five months ago. When he has come under questioning on television - at the National Press Club last week and on Monday Conference in April - he has refused to say how he would handle the present economic chaos. He has attacked the Government often enough but failed to present alternatives." - Allan Barnes in a feature article, "The Liberal Alternative", The Age, Melbourne, August 5th.

Mr. Malcolm Fraser's address to the National Press Club was his most encouraging effort to date. His statement of principles concerning the relationship of the individual to Government was excellent. He made a neat point when he observed that the freedom of the individual should include the right to spend his own money in his own way. It was encouraging to hear Mr. Fraser make an indirect attack on the Socialist policies of past Liberal-Country Party Governments. Mr. Fraser said he did not want to head a Government implementing Socialism at a slower rate than the present Government. All this was splendid, and produced an immediate reaction amongst the Socialist press critics.

The general charge was that Fraser was attempting "to put the clock back." There was also some muttering amongst the trendies in the Liberal Party. But we must warn, as realistic political observers over many years, that the statement of sound principles before elections does not mean that those principles will be implemented.

Some of our friends in the newly formed Workers' Party have drawn our attention to some of the stated principles of that Party, urging that we should support this Party because "it has similar objectives to the Australian League of Rights." We recall that when the Liberal Party was first formed under the then Mr. R. G. Menzies, it issued a magnificent creed entitled "We Believe." That creed was progressively violated, to which supporters of The Workers' Party react by saying. "That is true, and therefore you should support us." They claim that their party "is different." But why would they be any different to the Liberals if elected to office? Which brings us back to Mr. Fraser.

If Mr. Fraser's Government is to reverse the progressive drive towards the centralisation of all power, and make Mr. Fraser's principles a reality, then it must put forward a constructive programme for reversing and ending inflation. It is reasonable for Mr. Fraser to argue that he cannot be expected to present details concerning finance in the absence of the type of data, which would only be available to him when in Government. But it is disturbing to use this argument to decline to spell out the policy steps proposed.

Many Liberal Party strategists believe that public antagonism to the Labor Government is so great that the Opposition has no need to make any firm commitments to the electors, and the less specific statements made the better. We have said on many occasions that it would be disastrous for a Fraser-Anthony Government to be elected without being committed to clearly stated policy objectives. We well understand that Mr. Fraser is not the Liberal Party, and that he has some strange colleagues. But we suggest that his standing is now sufficiently high for him to be able to start giving some constructive leads.

When the Queensland Premier came forward with his realistic anti-inflation policy, he provided a lead, which the electors enthusiastically endorsed, this in turn ensuring that Mr. Bjelke-Petersen's State Parliamentary colleagues also supported his policy. Even his Liberal Party opponent Sir Gordon Chalk, was compelled by sheer weight of public opinion to endorse the "Petersen Plan" before the last Queensland State Elections. Why not follow Mr. Bjelke-Petersen's lead, Mr. Fraser, and spell it out? You would be overwhelmed with positive support from electors who at present rather pessimistically view the Opposition Parties as little more than the lesser of two evils.

THE GREAT POSTAL AND PHONE ROBBERY

Mr. George Slater, a Marxist from way back, has been operating as union official of the PMG for many years. It is therefore instructive to hear Mr. Slater endorsing the plundering of the Australian people by breath-taking increases in postal and telephone charges. These increases are not only going to deliver a deadly body blow to a business community struggling to survive escalating financial costs, but will have far-reaching social and cultural effects.

Savage increases in the past the last one being only 11 months ago when there was increase of 43 per cent, from 7 cents to 10 cents for a standard letter, and progressive increases in bulk postal rates, drove hundreds of small journals out of existence. Now hundreds more will be destroyed. Most of these journals are non-profit making and serve a real cultural, social and political need.

A free, creative society is only possible when there is the greatest possible means of exchanging ideas. The Soviet Union's masters know this and attempt to maintain the tightest possible control on all communications. Australia is fast catching up on the Soviet! Typical of the methods of a bureaucracy is the manner in which the latest attack on the Australian people has been carried out. No thought, for example, has been given to such a mundane subject as Christmas cards. These, of course, have already been printed, as is normal practice. How many will buy Christmas cards under the new postal rates? The result will be more economic casualties. What about charities relying upon cards? More printing firms will go out of business.

At the very time that the users of the postal and telephone are being so brutally assaulted, astronomical wage increases, some over $6,000 a year, have been announced for a number of those operating what is described as "one of the most efficient postal and telephone systems in the world." A spokesman for the Post Office brushes aside the suggestion that free enterprise might run the postal service better. But already free enterprise is giving a much better service in some areas and would expand into further areas if it were not for the legal threats from the postal monopolists.

Unfortunately there is one aspect of the subject, which has been almost completely ignored. It has been estimated that to hold postal rates at their present level would mean approximately a loss of $200 million. This is little more than the present annual interest bill charged at 7 percent on the taxpayers' own money. This iniquitous policy was first introduced by the Liberal-Country Party Coalition. With a stroke of the pen the debt allegedly owing could be abolished and with it the interest bill. Everyone would benefit.

The most constructive step our readers can take is to write immediately to their Federal Member, irrespective of which party to which he belongs, and urge him that an immoral debt and unnecessary massive interest bill be abolished in order to prevent the proposal of further robbery of the Australian people through postal increases. Mr. Fraser says that he does not want to go back to the Liberal-Country Party status quo of 1972. Here is his opportunity to show that he and his colleagues mean business.

SYDNEY DINNER AND SEMINAR

MR. DON MARTIN FOR ANNUAL DINNER AND NATIONAL WEEKEND

AN ECONOMIC 'FUTURE SHOCK'

"Private enterprise could not be relied on to lead any recovery in the economy, according to a survey of business executives." - (Melbourne) August 5th.

A spokesman for W. & D. Scott and Co., well-known management consultants, stated that the "private sector is in deep shock." If the private sector wasn't in a state of shock before the postal and telephone increases were announced a few days ago, then they certainly are now, as the spokesman has said. Even Professor Ted Wheelwright, Professor of Economics at Sydney University and a Marxist, was caused to berate the Whitlam Government because of its savage postal and telephone rate increases: he said: -"By whacking on such increases the Government shows an imbecilic affliction for some magical budget deficit number dreamed up in Canberra. They are talking about a short, sharp shock to the economy - when the poor blighter has already been knocked to his knees."

We agree with Dr. Duncan Ironmonger, of Melbourne University, who said that inflation would "go through the roof". So it will as the absurd new charges sweep through the whole economy. We fear that the shock won't be short, either. On present indications we are unable to anticipate any early recovery of the Australian economy at all. All that we see ahead is --- gloom! Sorry; but there it is.

A reading of the Business pages of The Age (Melbourne) August 1st., gives a depressing picture (quite accurate) of the present economic climate; soon to plunge more deeply into recession. The following are what we refer to:- "Two major finance companies yesterday reported heavy profit set-backs for 1974-75. "..."Kay Rent-A-Car came under severe cost pressures, and had to contend with 'an inflexible pricing situation' in having to deal with the Prices Justification Tribunal"... "The slump in property development left Lend Lease Corporation with a 19.3% dip in earnings in the year to June 30th"... "More companies face liquidation or receivership because of the 'excessively high call on their cash resources during the second quarter of the financial year'.

Mr. E. Bent, principal of Bent and Cougle, a firm of public accountants, specialising in this area, gave this warning yesterday." To fill in a few hazy spots on the canvas, we predict that there will be a serious food shortage in the short years ahead, because food producers, (farmers, graziers, dairy farmers, etc., etc.,) are being forced off their holdings, many of which have been in the same family for three generations, by the escalating costs of inflation. The beef producer is in a sense, subsidising the beef consumer now. We are eating relatively cheap beef at his expense. But, in a short number of years, or even less, we shall be paying prices for beef that now seem ridiculous. We don't think that $10.00 a pound for prime beef would be too high a figure!

The individual is not powerless at all. His weapons are knowledge and action. Unless there is a change of policy, such as laid down in the Petersen Plan, then the picture is black. Now is the time to ask us for those anti-inflation, and Petersen Plan brochures - then get them out into the community, which is now ready for them. This is what has to be done. When enough members of the community know the score, then the pressure can be applied to the top (the politicians who have their hands on the levers of power). Chimneys are not built from the top down, but from the bottom up! The finance-economic policies have to change, or we are done for. Now is the time for grass-roots action as never before.

Government Borrowing