POST-WAR AUSTRALIA

Grey River Argus, 18 May 1943, Page 2

POST-WAR AUSTRALIA

Reconstruction Tasks FEDERAL TREASURER’S ADDRESS.

(Rec. 9.30) SYDNEY, May 17. “It will be for the people to decide how we will go about our post-war tasks and what the general pattern of our post-war lives shall be,’’ said the- Federal Treasurer, Mr. J. B. Chifley, concluding an address on post-war reconstruction. “1 believe that you do not want to return to that go-as-yjou-please kind of economic freedom which meant for thousands of men and women only perpetual and miserable unemployment. On the other hand you do not want your lives continually hedged round by controls, restraints, and directions. ‘“The Australia we look forward to is very much the Australia we always know,” said the Minister. “There- were many good things in pre-war Australia we do not want to lose. Upon these we propose to build. There were some things which were bad. Those things we hope to change.” Mr. Chifley said that the mam function of reconstruction would be to create conditions in which palliatives such as unemployment benefits, sickness benefits, and pensions would become less and less necesary>. The firt duty must be to the men and women of the fighting forces; but if servicemen and munition workers were to be provided with new jobs in the better post-war world, there were a number of problems which must be tackled. Farmers must be given greater stability of income, and farming methods improved in efficiency to reduce the dependence- of the primary industries uopn subsidies. There must be an effort to decentralise secondary industries, bringing new markets closer to farmers, and providing a variety of occupational outlets for farmers’ children. A greater number of new homes must be built within the income capacity of the average worker, slum clearance must be undertaken, and an intensive national works programme instituted. The nutrition standard must also be improved, and hospital and medical services radically bettered. For the achievement of these objectives there must be the utmost co-operation between the Commonwealth and States. “In planning reconstruction at home we do not intend to forget our responsibilities to the rest of the world,” said Mr. Chifley. “We must recognise that our internal policy has a direct effect upon the economic prosperity of other countries, and that our* prosperity, depends equally on their "internal policies. It is the Government’s view that our most important contribution to the prosperity of other countries is to maintain the Australian people in full employment at the highest possible standard of living. In this address I have not discussed the questions of finance in relation to reconstruction. The war has taught us that the real limits to our achievement are physical and not financial. It is manpower, materials, and the willingness to work which set the limit to what we can do. If we want a better Australia' we will have to work hard for it."