AUSTRALIAN VISIT BANNED

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32392, 3 September 1970, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN VISIT BANNED

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) CANBERRA, Sept. 2. A visit to Australia by the American Negro comedian, Dick Gregory, would not be in the national interest, the Minister for Immigration, Mr Phillip Lynch, said today.

Mr Lynch was defending the Government’s decision to refuse Mr Gregory, a leading civil rights and anti-Vietnam war campaigner, a two-week visa for tourist purposes from September 13 This would have brought him to Australia during the country’s second anti-Vietnam moritorium campaign, and moritorium organisers had said Mr Gregory was to have addressed their rallies.

Mr Lynch told the House of Representatives today that Mr Gregory had said that the pur-

pose of his visit was to be “sightseeing.” “It must surely be obvious to any member of this House

that that reason must be seen as not bona fide, not genuine and in fact spurious in intention, having regard to recent press publicity as to the real reason for that gentleman’s visit to this country.” Mr Lynch said. Mr Lynch said that the Government’s policy was to allow maximum freedom of travel to Australia and persons were not prevented from entering the country because their political views were different to those of the Government.

“This is, of course, subject to the essential consideration of Australia’s national interest,” he said. “This Government is not prepared to allow the entry to Australia of persons whose activities are stated to be contrary to that national interest, and where their stated purpose for visiting Australia is not judged to be bona fide. “In the Government’s view this applies where the inten-

tions are related to a onesided, distorted anti-war moritorium campaign inimical to the objects for which Australian troops are fighting in Vietnam,” Mr Lynch said.