MR LYONS’S PLAN TO RESTORE AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 76, 30 March 1931, Page 7

MR LYONS’S PLAN TO RESTORE AUSTRALIA.

PARTY DIFFERENCES SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, March 29. . Mr J. A. Lyons, who acted as Federal Treasurer during Mr Theodore’s retirement, has invited the leaders of all political parties and ordinary citizens to sink their differences and unite to form a true Commonwealth Party to restore external and internal credit by re-establishing the integrity of the Government. His finance policy included:— No direct repudiation of national obligations or debasing the currency. Preservation of the currency from political control. Restoration of a balanced Budget on the basis of equality of sacrifice, to be progressively effected as the financial capacity of the community permits. Reduction of Government expenditure to reasonable correspondence with the fall in the national income. Tariff preference to Britain and interdominion reciprocity. Encouragement of productive enterprise, securing the re-employment of the people. Immediate assistance to the man on the land with real money. Mr Lyons said: “My mates and I have been always Labour men. We have no party to-day. Conscience has impelled us to transfer our allegiance from the party we have long served to the people of Australia, because so many of them are in dire and dreadful need.” Bankers and others approve of the policy. Mr Bruce welcomes the proposals and promises his assistance. He says: ‘ The people must concentrate on returning men of character to Parliament to give effect to such a policy.”