“LIVING DEATH”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27241, 18 November 1949, Page 7

“LIVING DEATH”

Socialist Regimentation Australian Country Party Leader’s Attack Rec, 10.10 p.m. BRISBANE. Nov. 17. “ On December 10 you will be called upon to make your final choice—a Government pledged to foster and defend the philosophies of expanding freedom for the individual, or a Government pledged to make you a pawn of a powerful State by a process of dictatorship, control, and conscription,” said Mr A. W. Fadden, Leader of the Australian Country Party, in a policy speech delivered at Boonah, Queensland. “ If you choose the latter, then your ballot paper will be your last will and testament, disposing in your own lifetime of your liberties and property, and condemning your children and your children’s children to a living death of Socialist regimentation,” he said.

Mr Fadden added that the objective of the Labour Party was identical with that of the Communist Party, in that both worshipped the ideal of the all-powerful State. As the Prime Minister, Mr Chifley, requested, he should be judged on his record, “ because if you do you will help purge Australia of the creeping paralysis of Socialist failures and be the sudden death of Communist chaos.” Petrol Controversy

Outlining the course of the petrol controversy, he charged that, while criticising the farmers and others for building up petrol reserves and stating that there would be no war for at least five years, the Government had forced private companies to hoard 50.000,000 gallons of petrol for defence purposes. . Yet, before Russia entered the war and when the Battle of Britain was in progress, the Labour Party actively opposed petrol rationing. The Country and Liberal Parties were convinced that there was a strong case for the abolition, of rationing and that sufficient petrol could be obtained to end rationing without detriment to Britain. If sterling petrol were too

expensive for competitive prices in relation to dollar imports, it would be subsidised. The Opposition slogan was: “Empty out the Chifley Socialists and fill the bowsers.”

The Liberal and Country Parties, he said, would adopt a positive and dynamic approach in financial matters designed to secure the necessary dollars to relieve the acute shortages which prevailed. Labour had made poor use of its opportunity under the International Monetary Fund. Rural Development

The Opposition parties proposed a gigantic and vigorous scheme of rural development for which £250,000,000 would be raised by public loans in addition to moneys hypothecated for the Snowy River scheme, which would not be interfered with. The Commonwealth would finance the scheme and administer it through a special Minister and a national works council comprising representatives of the Commonwealth and the States. Local governing bodies, regional authorities, and the people would all be linked as full-time partners because of the Opposition belief that the greatest degree of local responsibility was the true foundation of democracy. The Country and Liberal Parties, continued Mr Fadden, had a concrete policy of stabilisation for primary industries which would make them profitable again, reduce production costs, and cheapen products to the consumer. For wheat, dairying, and other primary industries There would be incentive guaranteed minimum prices for at least 10 years. The object would be to restore to the producer control in the disposal of the goods produced.

The policy called for a progressive reduction of taxation commensurate with national economic and financial policy. This would entail an overhaul of the present complicated system of taxation and assessment laws. The Country Party wholeheartedly supported the leader of the Liberal Party, Mr R. G Menzies, in his social service policy, including extension of child endowment payments to the first child.