Menzies Presents Election Policy

Press, Volume C, Issue 29672, 16 November 1961, Page 15

Menzies Presents Election Policy

CN.3. Preu Association— Copyright) MELBOURNE, November 15. The Australian Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) today forecast a battle for Australia’s export industries during negotiations over the proposed entry of Britain into the European Common Market. Australian Government Ministers would have to go abroad to battle for them and “to lend weight to the efforts of our English friends,” he told an audience at Kew City Hall, in his own electorate, delivering his policy speech and opening his campaign for the Federal elections on December 9.

Mr Menzies warned that an adverse vote in the Senate could leave his Government, if re-elected, with only six months’ effective power. Mr John McEwen, the leader of the Country Party, which is allied with the Liberal Party to form the Government, will give his policy speech on November 20. It is expected to endorse Mr Menzies' speech. In his speech, Mr Menzies promised to step up the export drive and said he would keep up the system of protecting efficient economic Australian industry by tariff machinery. He pledged support to Australia’s allies in the A.N.Z.U.S. and the South-east Asia Treaty Organisation pacts and to maintain the military capacity to do so. Mr Menzies promised to continue the efforts to advance the primitive people of the Papua-New Guinda territories and to consider “most sympathetically” the report by a select committee, recommending voting rights for all Australian aborigines. Public Works

Mr Menzies promised his support to primary producers and to maintain a massive public works programme. The Government would prepare legislation against restrictive trade practice, which would be open to public scrutiny for six months for examination and criticism, before being passed. Declaring that inflation had been defeated, exports were up and that the process of national development could go on more steadily, Mr Menzies pledged his Government to work for full employment. Mr Menzies said that the proposed entry of Britain to the Common Market deeply involved the trading position of many Australian industries.

Australia was seeking to establish the ways and means of having a voice on the appropriate occasions when her special interests were involved. "We are not novices,” Mr Menzies said. “We are not unknown to the leaders of other countries or their senior advisers. We have, we hope, achieved some special capacity to influence overseas thought and decision.”

Mr Menzies said that under the present system of voting for the Senate (Upper House) no Government could hope for a large majority there and every Government could from time to time be in a minority there. Senate’s Power Reminding the audience that the Senate had the power to refuse to pass any legislation, Mr Menzies said that if his Government was reelected, but found itself without a Senate majority when the new Senators came in on January 1, 1962, the nation’s legislation and finances would be at the mercy of the very Opposition voters had rejected in the House of Representatives. Asking for a majority in both Houses, Mr Menzies said: “When in 1949 you sent

us into office in such a spectacular way we faced a hostile Senate. “It took 18 months of frustration and a double dissolution before a legislative proposal, approved by you, could pass both Houses and go on the Statute Book.’’ The Senate, comprising 10 Senators from each of the six States, is elected on a complex proportional representation voting system which almost invariably results in an evenly-divided House. Half of its members retire at each three-yearly General Election. Special Problem But the Government’s special problem this year is that 17 of the 30 retiring Senators are from Government parties and that one extra vacancy, caused by the death of a Government Senator, also needs to be filled. Most politicians expect the Senate balance of power to be held by the two Senators representing the Democratic Labour Party, which usually votes with the Opposition Australian Labour Party against the Government, The Prime Minister is a member of the House of Representatives and legislation originates there. It the Senate continues to frustrate Government business, the Governor-General can dissolve both House and Senate and order a General Election.

Mr Menzies said that the Government was sometimes chided by its opponents for having no independent, foreign policy.

“If this means that Australia ought to become a ‘neutral’ or an ‘unaligned’ power, offering advice to all and owing obligations to none, then my Government rejects it out of hand,” Mr Menzies said. “We have great responsibilities for the safety and future of Australia and intend to discharge them. “But if the accusation

means that while looking to the great democratic Powers for help and protection we should not accept loyal engagements with them, we equally reject that conception."

Saying that mutual defence arrangements gave rise to duties as well as rights. Mr Menzies said: “We will not only honour our obligations. we will preserve our capacity to do so.” No New Promises Reminding that his Government had been in power for 12 years, Mr Menzies said its policies and ideas had been in practice over that period and to present a string of new promises in his policy speech would excite ridicule. The Government’s policies were continuing policies and would go on. he said. “There can never be anything static about national development. That would be a contradiction in terms,” Mr Menzies said.

“That is why when I refer to the past it is the living past leading inevitably to the living future. It is not enough for us, as a Government or as a nation to say: ‘We have lived.' We must feel the excitement of living and working and planning and building.” Giving details of Australia’s policy of export expansion, Mr Menzies said the Government had opened 20 new trade commissioner posts and had increased its trade publicity vote 80 times. “Studies by the Export Development Council and by trade consultants suggest that there are promising prospects for increasing exports by establishing Australian warehouses in selected overseas markets. “The Government will examine. in conjunction with interested exporters, whether practical methods can be devised to enable these additional export facilities to be developed,” Mr Menzies said.