Defence Dominates Menzies’s Policy

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30287, 13 November 1963, Page 17

Defence Dominates Menzies’s Policy

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) MELBOURNE, November 12. The Prime Minister (Sir Robert Menzies) tonight asked Australian voters for an “authoritative Government to meet these turbulent times.” He said: “International tensions exist nearer to our frontiers than ever before.”

Sir Robert Menzies was delivering the policy speech of the 14-year-old LiberalCountry Party coalition Government for the Federal election, to be held on November 30. Asking for a “mandate for authority,” Sir Robert Menzies said: “Australia is at the crossroads.” He said his Government had precariously and unexpectedly survived on a knife edge with a majority of one for two years. Sir Robert Menzies offered new education grants, housing subsidies, increased medical benefits, higher child endowments for large families, and increased aid for “the man on the land.” This was in sharp contrast to promises by the Labour Party leader <Mr Cal well) of low-cost housing, more social services, including a complete national health scheme and higher pensions, redistribution of tax, expanded trade and control of overseas investment. Appealing to the voters for "authority,” Sir Robert Menzies said: “It is vital that Australia’s foreign policy and relations with foreign Powers should be clear and steady, and that the world should know that they are managed by a Government which has a clear mandate from the Australian people." “Suicidal Proposal"

He described Labour’s proposal to negotiate a nuclearfree zone south of the Equator, made by Mr Calwell last week, as a “suicidal proposal.” The Prime Minister said that if the proposal was adopted without general world disarmament, it would certainly "imperil the existence of both S.E.A.T.O. and A.N.Z.U.S.” Great Britain and the United States are our allies in S.E.A.T.O. and the United States in A.N.Z.U.S. Each is a nuclear Power. "The capacity of the United States in particular to use nuclear weapons has successfully deterred Communist aggressors in the past, and has thereby saved the free world.” he said. “The Soviet Union has great nuclear power; we may be sure that Communist China will have it before long.” Sir Robert Menzies said China and Russia were both north of the Equator, and Labour’s proposal, if successful, would seek to prevent the United States and Britain “from firing nuclear weapons from any point south of the Equator while leaving the

Communists free to fire into this zone without resistance. Labour policy is clearly one of suicide, and a lonely suicide at that.” On Malaysia, Sir Robert Menzies said: "My Government has made an express statement that we will join with Great Britain and Malaysia herself to resist armed attack upon the political independence and national integrity of Malaysia. “Labour in Parliament guardedly supported ’the concept’ of Malaysia, but proceeded to attach terms to any military support which they know to be unacceptable to Malaysia.” Sir Robert Menzies said: “The pledge we have given has already had a marked effect among our neighbours and our allies. “It is essential they should know as a result of this election whether the Australian people stand behind our clear-cut statement or prefer the ambiguous, uncertain, equivocating, fluctuating and almost mumbling attitude of our opponents." On defence, he said the Government's policy was to provide highly mobile, modern and well-equipped forces and maintain them in quality and quantity—“in such shape as to enable us to co-operate with our S.E.A.T.O, and A.N.Z.U.S. partners to both our satisfaction.”

Growth Objective Sir Robert Menzies said the prime objective of Government policy was "growth in all forms in public resources, in private business development, in rural production, in promotion of export trade and in widening opportunities for individuals." He listed the objectives of economic policy as a high rate of economic and population growth with full employment. increasing productivity, rising standards of living, external solvency, stability of costs and prices. These were already successfully being achieved, he said. Sir Robert Menzies said that Labour in an offensive effort “to buy” voters had made a "series of irresponsible bids” which would add hundreds of millions to the money in circulation without in any way increasing or cheapening production or supply. "They are offering an inflationary boom of unprecedented virulence,” he said. There were those who foolishly talked of another credit squeeze, but Australia’s fortunes were upwards and he “did not anticipate any such state of affairs.”