‘ONE COUNTRY’ PROPOSAL

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30715, 2 April 1965, Page 12

‘ONE COUNTRY’ PROPOSAL

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyrighl) LONDON, April 1. Britain should unite with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada as one country, the British weekly news magazine, "Time and Tide,” proposed yesterday. At the moment Britain was on the way to becoming a “backyard of brick and concrete.”

“Young people soon will not see. let alone live upon, the good earth.” said the magazine.

The article, by the magazine’s editor, Mr William Brittain. said: “Invite ten million adventurous people now in Britain tn live in Canada, nine million in Australia, and one million in New Zealand.” The four countries could join economically and politically into one, he said. Statesmen of the four countries would form a Cabinet meeting in each country in turn.

The first prime minister would be Canadian. Australian. or New Zealand. “Britain need not waste 25 years of gambling on a possible mythical doubling of living standards.” Brittain said. “Canada, Australia, and New Zealand need not wait 25 years for a doubling of population.”

“Properly spread so that

the people can flourish, these 85.750,000 can become a very great market the richest in the world,” said the article. White Papers

A strong hint has been given that next week’s British Budget could seriously affect the economies of Australia and New Zealand.

Publication of three White Papers yesterday showed that the Government was deeply concerned with the amount of capital going for investment abroad.

Immediate indications were that this rapid flow of funds overseas would be curbed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Jim Callaghan, in his Budget next Tuesday. This could come as direct restraint or by weighting corporation tax.

This curb on overseas investment would follow hard on the heels of a similar restraint instituted by President Johnson.

England and America have been investing about £l6om in Australia a year. New Zealand also draws targe capital investment sums from the United Kingdom.

TOTERS in the Malagasy Republic went quietly to the pons in the first universal suffrage presidential election since the country’s independence in i 960. President Tsiranana is opposed bv two candidates.