EMBARGOED UNTIL 7.15 P. M. 11TH NOVEMBER. 1966
NATIONAL JROADCAST NO. 2
BY THE PRIME MINISTER, mR. HAROLD HOLT
The Policy Speech made last night oy Mr. Calwell
exposes fundamental differences of attitude between the
Government and Opposition. The choice you will make is not
simply a choice between leaders of different personality
or etvween parties which would maintain the same steady course
for Australia, but differ on some significant points of detail.
The issues go much deeper than that.
Each side has stated its view of kustralia's external
security. Each has now stated what it would propose to do
in the field of domestic security.
-e of the Government Parties see the menace of
iggressive Asian-based Communism as the treatest threat to
the security of our part of the world and to the way of life
we wish to live.
M'e have joined with others in the S -TO and ANZUS
Ireaties for our mutual protection. The added strength we
obtain carries a price of oblization on our part. That is one
reason why we are in South Vietnam.
The Labor Party pays lip-service to treaty obligations
but it declares for a course which would undermine them.
It would withdraw all Australian troops from South Vietnam.
The damage this would do to our relations with the United
States the greatest free power in the world and the one
most capable of assuring our security cannot be measured
but undoubtedly this relationship would be gravely weakened.
.' hen it comes to internal security we also see the
forward prospect in fundamentally different terms.
The Government and its supporters believe that better
living standards will flow from a strengthenin-economy
soundly based and directed to the well-oeing of all sections.
Mr. Calwell thinks that improved standards will flow
from greatly increased expenditures on social welfare with
little, if any, regard to the way in which these are to be
financed. From an earlier carefully documented statement made
before the election campaign was launched, Ir. Calwell
estimated his election undertakings to cost ' 300 million.
. e can now see that this is only a fraction of the total
bill. It is more likely to be closer to treble to the
amount he stated.
He has offered a programme so comprehensive and
so costly that the general reaction has been one of derision.
This general reaction was well expressed in the " Sydney
. orning Herald" Leader it oegan " It must oe said at
once that Mr. Cal-. ell's Policy Speech is far, far worse than
anyone could have feared. It is a monument of irresponsibility,
an irresponsibility which applies almost equally to the
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whole range of his proposals."
After deglin, critically with the external aspects,
the paper commented under the heading " Fantastic Promises"
that economically speaking this isThe most irresponsible
Policy Speech Mr. Calwell -s ever made. The same paper's
Finance Editor wrote " ie have never seen a list of
promises like this. If Mr. Cal'cwell's previous election
platforms were extravagant, this one is delirious."
Fost thoughtful people will share that verdict.
It is unthinkable that a country progressing so well
and fortified by its alliances should now by its free
democratic vote, hand itself over to a political leader and
party so lacking in realism.
( This talk will oe broaidcast bI the A. B. C. Network
at 7.15 p. m. Friday, 11th Iovember, 1966.)