Aust. Govt Attacked On Woomera Issue

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31976, 1 May 1969, Page 15

Aust. Govt Attacked On Woomera Issue

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) CANBERRA, April 29. The Australian people were entitled to know the extent to which they were being made “hostages” by the establishment of American installations in their country, the Leader of the Federal Labour Opposition (Mr Gough Whitlam) said today.

He was opening the Opposition’s attack in the House of Representatives on Government secrecy over the purpose and consequences of joint defence installations in Australia.

The Opposition’s urgency motion arose from last Thursday’s brief announcement of a joint Australian-American defence space communications facility on the Woomera testing range. Mr Whitlam said the Australian people were entitled to a clear statement of the benefits and risks involved in partnership with the United States under the A.N.Z.U.S. Treaty. “They are entitled to realise there is a price for protection,” he said. “They are entitled to know the extent to which hosting these various installations makes hostages of us all. “They are entitled to know whether we receive any guarantees at all under these arrangements and if, as is more likely, we receive none, just why such guarantees are not feasible or credible. “If the Government believes that our co-operation with the United States increases nuclear risks to Australia, it has a duty to devise improved civil defence arrangements to meet those increased risks.” The Minister of Defence (Mr Allen Fairhall), who said he could see no reason why the Woomera facility should be singled out for nuclear attack, added that compliance

with the Opposition’s demand for information would negate the entire- proposal. Australia had a clear obligation, under the A.N.Z.U.S. Treaty, to agree to the United States request