New Order For Australia Is Visualised

Northern Advocate, 18 May 1943, Page 4

New Order For Australia Is Visualised

SYDNEY, This Day. “It would be for the people to decide how we will go about our postwar tasks and what the general pattern of our post-war lives shall be," said Mr Chifley, when concluding an address on post-war reconstruction. "I believe you do not want a return tc that go-as-you-please kind of economic freedom,, which meant for thousands of men and women only perpetual anc? miserable unemployment. “Cn 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 the main function of reconstruction would be to create conditions in which palliatives such as unemployment benefits, sickness benefits and pensions would become less and less necessary. The First Duty

The first duty must be to the men and women of the fighting forces, but it servicemen and munition workers were to be provided with new jobs in a 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, and hospital and medical services must be radically bettered. For the achievements of these objectives, there must be the utmost cooperation between the Commonwealth and the States. Cannot Stand Alone

“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 ininternal prosperity. It is the Govern ment’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. Finance Is Secondary

“In this address I have not discussed questions of finance in relation to reconstruction. The war has taught us that the real limits to achievement are physical, and not financial. It is manpower, materials and willingness to work which set a limit to what we can do. If we want a better Australia we will have to work hard for it.”