A 'FAIR GO' FOR THE FRASER-ANTHONY GOVERNMENT?

Some of our party-oriented and more wishful thinking readers have expressed the hope that the League of Rights will give the new Federal Fraser-Anthony Government a "fair go". We are told that we must "give them time". This viewpoint indicates a limited understanding of the basic problem confronting Australians, and a failure to grasp the truth that in a genuine democracy Members of Parliament are the paid servants of their electors.
All servants are entitled to a "fair go", but when they constantly produce disastrous results it is essential that their masters exercise their right to criticise and to demand changes of policy.

As far as possible, we attempt faithfully to record Truth. Truth is the great disciplinarian, which individuals ignore or flout at their peril. People unwilling to face Truth because it is unpleasant, or upsets long-held views, are the perfect raw material for manipulation by all types of totalitarians. History records countless examples of a vast difference between the promises by politicians before elections and their subsequent actions. We recall how the pleas of "give them time" was heard after the 1949 Federal Elections, when it soon became obvious that the Menzies-Fadden Government was not going to implement major pre-election promises.

It is true, of course, that some proposed policies do take time to implement and to take effect. The Fraser-Anthony Government has adopted a much more realistic attitude towards defence. But defence equipment cannot be produced overnight. However, the Fraser-Anthony Government Ministers had hardly been sworn in before Defence Minister Killen was stating (January 4th) that a proposed boost in defence spending would have to be shelved. Mr. Killen said. "I suppose every Minister lives in the hope that he can make a greater impact on government activity, but the country faces severe economic problems. Whatever our efforts may be in defence levels, they will be put in some measure of jeopardy unless we can get inflation under control". Mr. Killen has declined to make specific predictions about any increase in defence spending, despite firm promises before the Federal Elections.

In Opposition the Coalition Parties made trenchant criticism of the Labor Government's $1,800 mil defence vote. The Coalition's defence policy promised a big increase in defence spending, Mr. Killen's policy document issued in October stating "We will move to restore defence expenditures, in particular defence equipment expenditures, to appropriate and realistic levels". We have no doubt that Mr. Killen was genuine in his pre-election proposals. But now he is forced to admit that the defence of Australia is at the mercy of financial tyranny.

Mr. Killen pleads, along with Prime Minister Fraser that Australia suffers from "severe economic problems". The truth is that there is nothing basically wrong with the Australian economy as a productive system. The dairying industry has not recently joined the long list of depressed rural industries because of inadequate production. The problem is excess production in relationship to effective consumer purchasing power.

The Australian automobile industry has no physical problems in producing adequate numbers of motor vehicles. The problem is how to sell them as prices escalate with the restoration of the full Sales Tax. Probably the only constructive action by Dr. Jim Cairns as Labor Treasurer was a demonstration that consumer demand for any article can be increased overnight by reducing Sales Tax, thus reducing consumer prices. Should Mr. Killen doubt that Australian heavy industry may not be able to meet expanded defence demands, we suggest that he has a word with B.H.P., which last year closed down one steel furnace because of lack of orders. Much of B.H.P.'s limited steel production is at present for export orders.

The Fraser-Anthony Government's basic problem is not economic, but financial. And the financial problem only exists because of a mesmerisation by an abstraction called money. Money, whatever form it takes, is a man-made system of symbols. Elevating symbols into a reality is a surrender to the type of idolatry Christ warned about when He said that man could not worship both God and Mammon. Inflation is not, as inferred by Mr. Fraser and many of his colleagues, a type of disease to be "cured" by some programme of long treatment. Inflation is an instrument of policy; something all informed Marxists, even if described as Fabian Socialists, well understand.

The Fraser-Anthony Government could take steps IMMEDIATELY to modify a financial policy which inevitably generates inflation with all its disastrous consequences. The limited proposals of the "Petersen Plan" would be a step in the right direction. But Mr. Fraser and his colleagues have formally rejected these proposals. Even Mr. Killen, who convinced some early in his political career, that he grasped the realities of finance-economics, has rejected the "Petersen Plan". No stated proposals by the new Government including the 40 percent depreciation allowance on new equipment are going to have any major effect on inflation.

We readily agree that the Government has done much that is desirable. Cutting down on the more blatant extravagances of the Federal bureaucracy is commendable. The restoration of the proper term "Commonwealth" to the Federal Government is important. The proposal to curb the Medibank monster before it gets completely out of control is generally welcomed. Prime Minister Fraser's stated views on foreign and defence policies, including the backing of the U.S.A. proposal to attempt to offset the Soviet build up in the Indian Ocean, are a sign of realism.

All the best intentions in the world will not save the Government from a progressive retreat in the face of Socialist pressures unless the tyranny of a policy of continuing financial inflation is completely broken. Yes, let us give the Fraser-Anthony Government a fair go". But when the Minister for Defence publicly admits that the nation's defence programme must be subordinated to the dictatorship of a destructive financial policy, can Australians take their future as a free people for granted? With every day that passes, it becomes clearer that adequate defence against the Marxist revolutionaries is impossible under inflationary financial policies.

ANOTHER FIRST FOR THE LEAGUE OF RIGHTS

THE COMMUNIST SQUEEZE ON AFRICA

Those superior people who keep on insisting that there is no International Communist strategy might care to explain what is happening in Angola where the Soviet is providing the most sophisticated military equipment yet used in Africa south of the Sahara.

The Soviet-backed Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Marxist Dr. Neto is now firmly under Soviet control and refuses any suggestion of power sharing with the other two "liberation" movements. The use of Cuban "volunteers" demonstrates the continuing domination of Cuba by the Soviet. But this does not deter Dr. Henry Kissinger with pushing ahead with his policy of the U.S.A. "normalising" relations with Castro.

Should the Soviet be successful in their Angolan strategy, they will control the rail outlet to the Atlantic for copper from Zaire and Zambia. They will also have another secure naval base, at Luanda, on the Atlantic. Already they are established in former Portuguese Guinea. A Soviet base in Angola would be the greatest Soviet success yet achieved in Central Southern Africa, and would then enable increasing pressure to be applied to Zaire, Zambia, Rhodesia and South-West Africa.

It is an ill wind that blows no good, and the naked Soviet intervention in Angola has brought a number of African Governments, including even that of Amin in Uganda back to some sense of reality. But the recent summit talks on the Angolan affair graphically demonstrated that there is no real unity between the members of the Organisation of African Unity.

It also demonstrated that the African States, by themselves, have no power of their own to influence African developments. Numbered amongst the Africans States supporting the Soviet-dominated MPLA is Nigeria another African State of great strategic importance. As usual the world's press has attempted to smear the South Africans claiming that they are also guilty of having "invaded" Angola. The truth is that the South Africans had an agreement with the Portuguese Government concerning the development of a big hydroelectric complex on the Cumene River which forms the border between South-West Africa and Angola.

The South Africans have been providing most of the finance and technology for the project, which is on the Angolan side of the border. The original agreement was that the Portuguese Army would be responsible for the protection of the project and those working on it. When the Portuguese collapsed their troops fled from the area without making any provision for further protection. There were immediate attacks by "liberation" forces and the South Africans sent protective forces into the area.

If backed by the West, the South Africans could play a major role in preventing a Soviet take-over in Angola. But even though it is now clear that Rhodesia and South Africa are of the greatest strategic importance to the West, such is the influence of the Marxists and their Leftist intellectual dupes that Western politicians generally lack the courage to support Rhodesia and South Africa. We trust that the Fraser-Anthony Government will find the will to attempt to influence other non-Communist Governments concerning the vital significance of the Communist squeeze on Southern Africa.

BRIEF COMMENTS

While the world's press cannot ignore the Soviet moves in Angola practically no mention has been made of the Soviet domination of South Yemen. This Soviet-dominated base is now being used to intensify pressure on neighbouring Oman and control of the gateway to vital Iranian oil. Very few reports are appearing, even in the British press, of how British troops are playing a vital role in the defence of Oman. The South Yemen Government is also encouraging the Eritrean Liberation Front in preparation for obtaining control of the naval base at Masawa when Eritrea breaks away from Ethiopia. The situation will then be that the Soviet will be in control of Aden, Masawa and the Somali base at Berbera, dominating the entrance to the Red Sea.

Declining to support the suggestion that some type of action should be taken against John Nash, the man who predicted the destruction of Adelaide for last Monday, January 19th. Premier Don Dunstan said "It is not possible to convict people of convincing others to be silly". If it were possible, politicians would be in considerable trouble! Many of their pre-election promises and predictions are about as far removed from reality, as was Mr. Nash's gloomy prediction for Adelaide. Incidentally, we presume that all those silly people stampeded by the Nash prediction have votes, which according to the equalitarians are equal to the votes of those who remained sane.

The central fact about the Lebanon tragedy is that the Soviet Union is turning it into yet another Soviet satellite. The Soviet has strongly aided the Left Wing Moslems of the Lebanon and the Left-wing Palestinian guerrillas to crush the Christian Arabs.