AUSTRALIAN LABOUR POLICY Singapore troops home next year

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33073, 14 November 1972, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR POLICY Singapore troops home next year

(V.Z.PA. Staff Correspondent) SINGAPORE, November 13. The withdrawal of Australian ground troops from the A.N.Z.U.K. force in Singapore will begin in the middle of next year, if the Labour Party comes to power in the Australian General Election on December 2.

It has long been speculated that neither Britain nor New Zealand would maintain troops in Singapore if the Australians withdrew.

The withdrawal will be completed by the end of the year, if the Labour Party has its way. This is the clear inference that can be drawn from a foreign policy speech today by the leader of the Labour Party (Mr Gough Whitlam). It is the first time the Labour Party, which has long been committed to withdrawing Australian troops from the A.N.Z.U.K. force if it gained power, has put a definite timetable to the withdrawal. Mr Whitlam said the Australian battalion and the artillery battery in Singapore would be withdrawn at the end of their tours of duty. The present battalion, the Sixth Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, arrived in Singapore in July, 1971. The 106th Artillery Battery came to Singapore in December. 1971. The norma] tour of duty for these units is two years. This means that the battalion would be due for renlacement

in July next year and the battery by Christmas. The Australian battalion serves with the First Battalion, Royal New Zealand

Infantry Regiment, and the First Battalion, Royal Highland Fusiliers, in the A.N.Z.U.K. brigade based in Singapore as the three nation’s ground-force contribution to five-power defence arrangements with Singapore and Malaysia. There is a total of about 1630 Australian Army troops in Singapore. Of these, about 800 serve in various support units.

Reports of Mr Whitlam’s speech did- not specifically mention any troops but the battalion and battery. But observers saw it as highly unlikely that he would keep the logistics personnel in Singapore if the other troops were withdrawn. Because the A.N.Z.U.K. force’s logistics are based almost entirely on the Australians, New Zealand and Britain would have to increase spending considerably if they wanted to establish their own logistics division to maintain their battalions. Mr Whitlam’s policy statement was markedly different frota the Labour Party’s last formally expressed statement on the five-Power defence arrangements. Mr L. Barnard, the party’s deputy leader and defence spokesman, said in Singapore in May that there would be no precipitate removal of troops. Withdrawal would be “the subject of careful negotiations with Malaysia and Singapore.” Mr Whitlam’s statement leaves no room for negotiations, but says clearly that the troops will be pulled out next year, even though Australia will remain a partner in the defence arrangements and will continue to give Singapore and Malaysia training facilities and equipment. Reports of Mr Whitlam’s speech made no mention of the Royal Australian Air Force commitment to West Malaysia. Two squadrons of Mirage fighters are based at Butterworth, near Penang. (Other details of policy, page 17.)

Pukeuri back.—-Slaughter-men at Pukeuri freezing works were back on the job yesterday morning after a six-day stoppage over rates for kidney-skinning. However lambs are not coming forward in North Otago and there was only enough stock available for half a day with the single chain.—(P.A.)