Australian Campaign Ending

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31225, 24 November 1966, Page 17

Australian Campaign Ending

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, Nov. 23.

The Australian Federal Election campaign will enter its final stages tonight before the black-out on radio and television broadcasts tomorrow morning until after the election. The three major party : leaders—Mr Harold Holt (Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party), Mr Arthur Calwell (leader of the Opposition and leader of the Australian Labour Party) and Mr John McEwen (DeputyPrime Minister and leader of the Country Party)—will complete their organised campaign tours with their final interstate meetings tonight. Each will spend the last two days before polling day on Saturday in or near his own electorate.

The election campaign, with only three days to go, has been plunged into turmoil with the three major parties engaged in internal strife. Mr Calwell and his deputy, Mr Gough Whitlam, are reported to be in dispute over withdrawal of Australian forces from Vietnam. Mr McEwen has accused an unnamed Federal minister and the West Australian Liberal Party of a “stab in the back” over the proposed scheme to develop the Ord river in north-west Western Australia. Reported Dismayed The Labour Party is reported to be worried by the differences between its two leaders, while the ruling Liberal Party-Country Party Coalition Government is reported dismayed at the fighting that has developed in the west between the Liberal and the Country Parties. The basis of the clash between Mr Calwell and Mr Whitlam are these two statements:

Mr Whitlam: “If as a result of consultations with Vietna-

mese and Americans the i Labour Party thought there still should be Australian troops in Vietnam they would be regulars.” Mr Calwell: “At no time, have we said that we will negotiate with the Americans or the South Vietnamese to prolong the stay of our regular troops in Vietnam. The basis of the LiberalCountry Party clash is a fight by Liberals in Western Australia to wrest seats from sitting Country Party members in spite of the coalition. On Sidelines The Sydney “Sun” political writer, Jack Allsopp, said today Mr Holt was sitting on the sidelines in an effort to isolate the Liberal-Country Party feud to the west. “Publicly he is refusing to intervene,” Allsopp said. “Privately he is exercising maximum pressure to stop the spread of ill-feeling.” Mr Whitlam’s dispute with Mr Calwell could seriously

I weaken Labour’s electoral chances on Saturday as a vital defence policy issue is involved, AUsopp said. I Liberal Party sniping at Mr .McEwen is not likely to affect the election result. Mr Whitlam is believed to have softened Mr Calwell’s hard line of withdrawal of all troops from Vietnam to save seats. It is believed he thinks . the electors will not stomach Mr Calwell’s proposals.

Arab Boycott.—Algeria and ' the United Arab Republic said ' today they would boycott this ' year’s Nobel prize award cere- 1 mony at which the literature 1 award will go to two Jews, j “The reason is that one of the 1 literature prize-winners undoubtedly was chosen for a 1 political reason, whether the : people responsible for thej) choice were conscious of it or | 1 not,” the Algeria Ambasador.l Mr Azis Hacene, of Algeria,! said.—Stockholm, Nov. 23. i