Conflicting Views On Budget

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30147, 3 June 1963, Page 11

Conflicting Views On Budget

(By

FRANK PUDDICOMBE.

!. N Z.P.A. Special Correspondent]

SYDNEY.

Federal Government circles are sharply, divided on the scope of the Budget to be introduced on August 13.

Political correspondents in Canberra say a tense struggle has developed on whether the Government should bring down a “holding” or a “development” budget.

The Treasury opinion is to continue to hold the economy at all costs but there is strong backing for a move to produce a Budget designed to stimulate investment expenditure. Three steps suggested to the Government to bring this about are:

Provision of depreciation allowances on new income-producing buildings.

Reduction of company tax by 6d in the £ Increased retention allowances for private companies.

Government backbenchers are Seeking a 5 per cent, cu in persona) income-tax Cautious Ministerial circles fear a generous tax-cuttinc budget will endanger price s ability, following marginal salary rises and an extra week's annual leave. They contend that only slight concessions should be made in the Budget, mainly on social services

The political situation tn the H >use of Representatives where r he Government has only the slenderest majority will play, a major part in the prenaration of the Budget The prospect of a snap elec tton in November or Decern ber has developed a strong urge among Governmen' members to press for a favourable budget. The Libera! Party members a-e said to have been warned of a nossib'e election in November, and the Labour Partv is reported to be ready for it. Rates Burden A conference of 162 New S -uth Wales country councils next week will consider form ing a local government parry t contest all seats at the oex Slate elections The proposal to contest the e.ections is the first on an agenda of 144 motions at ’h» conference of the Shires Asso ciation Copmanhurst Shire which submitted the olan to form a local government oArty has accused the Government of failing to take any steps to ease the burden it rates on property owners It alleges al’ aporoaches and appeals to the Govern mem for co-operation on rate problems have proved futile Elderly Care A new approach to the treatment of illness amuns elderly people is forecas in medical circles m Sydney Medical authorities say this could be one of the results of an important survey made on the pattern of chronic and g-U’e diseases among Australians

Results of 'he survey are now be ng analvsed and the data will be made available to ’he medical profess'on teaching hospitals and public health authorities The surves the firs* of h» kind tn Aux’ralta was eon ducted b» the Commonwealth Health Department in conjunction with the Aus raliao C-i lege of General Practitioners.

ft Involved 100 doctors in gener 3 i practice in various par's of Aus’raha During the past year they voluntarily re-

corded the pattern of illness among about 300,000 patients

Health authorities believe the survey will, among other things, reveal new knowledge on preventive medicine in old age. Recently, a Sydney doctoi said there was something fundamentally absurd about the way we treat our old people

He pointed out that people who are old rather than sick are being put into hospitals by doctors who cannot find anvwhere else to put them The doctor. who is deputysuperintendent of a State hospital which specialists in looking after the old. said one person in two over the age of 65 has a chronic disease or disability Oil Search The State Government is to intene fy its search for oil in New Soti’b Wa’es Five-sixths of the State Is now covered by oil search licences permits and leases Many American companies are included ’n 40 groups holding licences The Acting-Premier Mr J B Renshaw said this week that considerable assistance vss being given to oil companies in the form of petrological examination and mineralog cal examination of bore cores With the further stepping up of the Government's programme this assistance would be increased substantially. Traffic Fines On-the-spot traffic fines have yielded more than £1 million io revenue to the New South Wales G'vern ment since the was ntmduced a year ago This represents a boos’ to revenue of about £4OO 000 because a big proportion of offenders taking “instant penalties" would have faced Court fines under the old system

Unofficial estimate* now are •t.a-t the Government Is getting more than £2OOOO a week from on-the-spot tickets The system also is saving the Government legal processes Dffend’ng motorists are saving time and money by posting the fines