REARRANGING THE DECKCHAIRS

It can be taken as almost certain that there will be no double-dissolution of the Commonwealth Parliament. Prime Minister Paul Keating and his Treasurer John Dawkins have so outraged nearly every section of the Australian community that an early election would see Labor electorally decimated. It is probably true that the incredible promises made by Keating and his colleagues before the last Federal Elections were based on the assumption that they would probably lose the elections and would therefore not have to worry about promises.
But much to their astonishment, they won - primarily because the electors had little confidence in Opposition leader Dr. John Hewson and were terrified of the Goods & Services Tax (G.S.T.) But now the electors find themselves threatened with the type of taxation increases they thought they were voting against.

Not surprisingly, there have been cries of anguish right across the nation. Even Paul Keating's "mates" in the Trade Union movement feel that he has gone too far with a programme of indirect taxation increases, which seriously disadvantage their members. No one seriously believes that it has been decided that taxation on leaded petrol should be increased in the interest of health; exploiting the alleged threat to the health of children is cynically used to raise more revenue.

Any objective analysis of the Keating-Dawkins budget shows that it bears most heavily upon the middle-income earners and the poorer members of society. The main beneficiaries are the top income earners. The budget therefore polarises society still further and increases social frictions. The Australian Democrats, under new leader Senator Cheryl Kernot from Queensland, have seized the opportunity to regain some of their lost credibility, as reflected by a reduced vote at the Federal Elections.
As a political leader Senator Kernot is a big improvement on her predecessors. It is not surprising therefore that public opinion polls show a substantial increase in support for the Democrats, compared with that at the March 13th elections. Senator Kernot is reflecting such a confident approach that Prime Minister Paul Keating has suddenly discovered that the Dawkins-Keating budget is negotiable after all!

It is true, of course, that the Democrats do not hold the balance of power. With Labor's numbers in the Senate reduced to 30, the support of the Democrats is not enough to guarantee that Labor's more contentious legislation can be passed. The two "Greens" and the Independent Harridine are also major players. The division of power in the Senate has placed Paul Keating in the position where he must treat with every respect what he termed the "unrepresentative swill".

While agreeing that the electors should be thankful even for small mercies, we have seen no suggestion from Senator Kernot that the basic debt problem of the nation should be faced. She apparently has no argument about the deficit strategy of the Government, merely that there should be a re-arrangement of the taxation burden. There is no reference to the fact that the nation's foreign debt has reached $157 billion and is still rising

. The budget has been shaped in a way, which, it is hoped, will meet with the approval of the international bankers, sometimes euphemistically termed the "financial markets". The debt merchants want to be assured that the Australian taxpayers provide sufficient taxes to finance the interest charges.

And here is the nub of the major problem facing the nation. The best that the Senate opponents can do, including the Coalition Parties, to the budget is to force some modifications, rather like re-arranging the deck chairs as the ship of state continues to sink. The Democrats might well be challenged to indicate what they think should be done about the mounting debt problem. Their attention could be directed to what one of their own former colleagues, Mr. Paul McLean had to say on the subject.

ZIONIST LEADER WANTS LEAGUE LISTED IN ACT

No one will have much sympathy for the young Queensland member of the National Socialists who foolishly daubed abusive anti-Jewish statements on a Brisbane synagogue in May of this year. The fact that those responsible for this type of activity feel that they are achieving any worthwhile results indicate a very poor mentality. The reality is that the overwhelming number of Australians who hold critical views on the excessive Zionist influence in Australia, as demonstrated by forcing Federal politicians to waste millions of dollars on the obscene war crime trials, and to ban British historian David Irving from visiting Australia, are strongly opposed to any acts of violence.

But, in spite of this fact, Zionist spokesmen have made it clear that they strongly support legislation, which would make it unlawful to offer any criticism, which can be listed as "racist". Zionist leader Jeremy Jones, for example, is on record as saying that any criticism of the generally presented version of "The Holocaust" should be made a criminal offence.

Following the Brisbane incident, which resulted in the young vandal, in his mid-twenties, being sentenced to 300 hours of community service and ordered to pay full restitution, Zionist leader Laurie Rosenblum, said that a prison sentence should have been imposed. The Australian Jewish News of August 27th reports that Mr. Rosenblum led a delegation to meet with Queensland Attorney General Dean Wells to press for a tightening of the State's Anti-Discrimination Act, the words "racial or religious vilification" being listed as an offence. Also that "extremist groups such as the League of Rights" being listed under the Act. The report says that the Queensland Attorney General said that he "would view the submission with great seriousness".

The report also says that Attorney General Wells was "moved by the evidence of growing anti-Semitism in Queensland and across Australia". Mr. Rosenblum might care to comment on who was responsible for threats to hotels throughout Australia, which resulted in the cancellation of the proposed showing of videotape by David Irving. And who was responsible for the threatened break-in to the League of Rights' Melbourne office following the cancellation of the Irving film at the Melbourne Sheraton Hotel.

BRIEF COMMENTS

Victorian Treasurer Mr. Alan Stockdale is predicting that Victoria will have the highest standard of living in Australia within two years. Mr. Stockdale says that in spite of high unemployment "People are having the confidence to continue to look for work". As Mr. Stockdale and his colleagues ruthlessly impose higher taxes and cut more services, in their attempt to reduce the feared deficit, so does their unpopularity rise. Communities deprived of their local schools are not impressed. Like all devotees of financial orthodoxy, the Kennett Government is doomed to join the long list of political failures.

Like the long running "Soapie", "Days of our Lives", talks about a new General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs, continue non-stop, with the occasional statement that some type of agreement is very close. But now it is reported that prospects for a GATT agreement are in "disarray" as a result of the growing friction inside the European Economic Community. The French Government dares not make concessions because of the militancy of French farmers.

South African Zulu leader Chief Buthelezi has injected a note of realism into the turbulent South African situation, taking legal action to stop the non-racial elections scheduled for April 27th of next year. Buthelezi says that his Inkatha Movement cannot agree to the date of an election until it is satisfied about the future of South Africa and a guarantee that the Zulu homeland of Kwa-Zulu will be expanded and given autonomy. The Communist influenced African National Congress will have none of this, while some white leaders are now openly preparing for what they term another Boer War. Any suggestion that Australia should provide any troops for a U.N. peacekeeping force in South Africa should be strongly resisted. No Australians should be exposed to what could develop into large-scale violence.

According to an article in Herald-Sun (Melbourne, August 27th), the average Australian taxpayer now pays out 50% to 59% of his income by way of direct: and indirect taxation! The Authority? The National Tax Agents Association, which claims that Mr. Keating's assertions that Australia is a low tax country amount to a smokescreen. Yet another relevant body, the Taxation Institute of Australia, supports the above findings. There is no questioning of the claim that banks, and other relevant services, pass their taxes on to the consumers.
The Director of the above Association, Mr. Tony Jones, says that more and more taxes are being concealed: they are in - gas bills/telephone bills/mortgages/freight levies/company payroll taxes, and so on, and so on. The Taxation Institute claims that 32 cents of every dollar (32%) is spent on hidden taxes. Further, Australian taxpayers are being bluffed when Treasury uses tax comparisons as a percentage of G.D.P. (Gross Domestic Product). It is true that Australia did have favourable taxation rates when compared with O.E.C.D. (Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development) countries - there is a social security component, which was not implemented here until recently.

CALL FOR REFERENDUM

from Port Lincoln Times (South Australia), 17/8
May I use your column to voice my opinion on the Mabo situation? "A situation as big as Mabo must be put to all Australians via a referendum, not have Parliament make it law without our input, but it is typical this Government and its cronies know what the answer from the majority will be. "I agree with equal (the word is equal) land rights, but Mabo has and is creating a very large division between us whites (not non aboriginals) and blacks (aboriginals). "Are the aboriginals so colour blind or ashamed to admit that they are black or brown skinned? "I personally reject (as is my right) the media, school teachers and other groups calling the white population non-aboriginals. "Let's put the boot on the other foot and call Aboriginals non whites. Pretty silly, isn't it? So is the term non-aboriginal. "I am a white Australian and I personally demand to be called that.

"Obviously lots of people out there will say, 'Hey, this guy is prejudiced', but that is the only term a lot of people know as soon as someone voices an opinion that goes against them and the way they think. "Well, I'm afraid that the bulk of the Australian people think exactly the same way as I do. Hence I demand that this pathetic excuse of a Labor Government (who can't run this country) put it to all Australians democratically via a referendum.
"1) Should Aboriginals have ownership of crown land, public parks, reserves and national parks?
"2) Should Aboriginals have mining claims where there is mining activity currently occurring?
"3) Should the Aboriginal people be paid compensation?

"For actions that occurred over 150 years ago ... to all you pollies out there, how dare you split up the unity that was slowly starting to emerge before this Mabo situation came about within Australia? "Why should I and my kids be responsible financially or any other way for actions of my descendants? "If your grandfather or father committed murder would you be tried for that crime? Of course not, and the Mabo case is the same situation. "The feel of hate, fear and anger is very strong at the present time. "Don't regard this as just another letter; act upon it now and write or ring your local politician now and demand that Mabo be put to all Australians via a referendum. (Geoff Nicholson, Port Lincoln, S.A.)

CRITICISM IS NOT RACISM

AT MERCY OF JUDICIAL OLIGARCHY

from Port Lincoln Times, 5/8
The key issue to come from the High Court's Mabo decision is this: Who should make the laws governing this nation, the High Court Judges, or the people of Australia through their elected Member of Parliament? "The sole voice on the High Court in Mabo was Justice Sir Daryl Dawson. "The concluding sentence in his judgment is as follows: 'Accordingly, if traditional land rights (or at least rights akin to them) are to be afforded to the inhabitants of the Murray Islands, the responsibility both legal and moral lies with the legislature and not with the courts'.

"There you have the hub of the issue in one sentence. If the High Court is to actually make law then that is the end to democracy, as we know it. "If there are no limits to the power of judges to make law, are we then at the mercy of the judicial oligarchy?" (Tom Dolling, Port Lincoln)

Our comment
The same question could be asked with respect to laws which are based on United Nations Conventions (Sex Discrimination Act/ Racial Discrimination Act/Racial Vilification Bill - the Act to come, unless patriotic Australians can block it).These freedom restricting laws have been imposed on Australians via the abuse of the External Affairs power of the Australian Constitution. Read what Dr. David Mitchell has to say on the matter in - "Is This The End Of Religious Liberty" ($7.00 posted), particularly his essay, "The Place of United Nations Law in Australian Law"... Small wonder that political centralists and potential tyrants are in fear of Citizens' Initiated Referendum. Such would put the key to political freedom back into the hands of the Australian people! AND, the "validity" of the Mabo High Court decision hinges on the application of the racial Discrimination Act, itself. No United Nations-based Racial Discrimination Act, via the ABUSE of the External Affairs power, then NO Mabo High Court decision! "Do men gather figs of thistles, or grapes of thorns?"

MIDEAST CONTRADICTIONS

from The Australian, 23/8
Mr. Barry Cohen's article Tim Adds Insult To Israel's Injury (The Australian, 17/8) contains serious mistakes. "He repeats the old myth that Israel is 'the only democracy in the Middle East'. "How can Israel be a democracy while it is occupying another people's country and denying them their right to freedom, democracy and self determination? It has the highest proportion of political prisoners in the world. They are subjected to torture and killings, which have been documented and condemned by the U.N.

"While there is democracy for Jews in Israel, the country itself cannot be described as democratic. Israel discriminates against the Muslims and Christians whom it calls 'Israeli Arabs' in education, employment, housing, health, etc. "Mr. Cohen's statement that Israel's aggression against Lebanon is because of the Hezbollah's opposition to the peace talks is ludicrous in the extreme. The Lebanese Government is a full participant in the peace talks, and the real obstacle is not Hezbollah but Israel's intransigence.

"Mr. Cohen strongly objects to Mr. Fischer's use of the term 'Jewish Lobby' in Australia. Australian Jewish leaders refer to their activities as lobbying in the Jewish media. For a community, Jewish or otherwise, to lobby for issues related to its own interests and the interests of Australia is one thing. But lobbying to serve a foreign government's interests at Australia's expense, as the Israeli lobby in Australia does, is another. "The example Mr. Cohen gave about 'dual loyalty' regarding the Australians who 'enlisted, fought and died' for Britain, is interesting. Without noticing he, in fact, has admitted the dual loyalty of some towards Israel." (Ali Kazak, P.O. Representative in Australia, Canberra)