EMAROED: Do not broadcast or publish before
8 Monday, 20th November, 19619
AUSTRALIANCOUNTRYPRTY 196. FEDERA ELECTIO
OPENING SMEECH
by
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN McEg. YEN
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
MINTISTER FOR TRADE
LEADER OF AUSTRALIAN COM--TR PARTY
at
SHEPPT ON, Victoria
? Lth NOVEMBER, 126
8 MONDA& YO 20th NOVEMBER 1961.
As I address the Australian people tonight I'm conscious
that I speak with a dual capacity. I speak for the Government, as
Mr. Menziest partner and Deputy Prime Minister. At the same time and
without any sense of rivalry, I speak as Leader of the Australian
Country Party. For 12 years the Liberal Party and the Country Party have
* joined in partnership to compose the most long-lived, and the most
stable Government our Country has ever had,
Mr. Menzies is a very great Australian a world figure.
He's given leadership to this country during itts most dranatic
period of industrial and, economic development.
There's never been the slightest note of discord in our
partnership. Compare that with the deep cleavages within the Labor
. Party. This great partnership is dedicated to the pursuit of the
very broadest national policies, not narrow sectional ones.
Tonight I am to speak of the policies of our partnership
and the objectives we still aim at, and in particular of the
specialised contribution which the Australian Country Party brings
to the good Government, development and the general well-being of
Australia. When policies are being spoken of at election timne, the
formula for composing an or'thodox speech can become a very simple
one : to denounce the opposing party and its policies, and to
outline an attractive list of proposals, and then beg to be elected.
Ilm not going to do that.
I shall speak of course of the principles which will
always guide us. 2.
.2.
And I shall stress how in our every action wetre dedicated
to the principle of partnership and co-operation for the coto~ on goal
of national progress and national security; partnership between the
political parties, comprising the Governnmcnt; partnership between
town and country; between primary and secondary and service industry;
and partnership between Australia and our great Allies and trading
partners around the world.
I shall refer to the Opposition only to bring out a point
of comparison.
POLICY OBJEC TVES.
Above all we're determined that this country shall be
free and remain free. And scarcely less important we want
Australians individually to enjoy the maximum of freedom to shape their
own lives within their own country.
Communism is the ultimate denial of personal freedom.
Therefore we denounce Communism. The Country Party was the first
political organisation in Australia to demand that Communism be banned,
Secondly, we recognise that the doctrines of Socialism, as
embraced by the Australian Labor Party, with the whole concept of
economic, industrial, and personal controls is contradictory to our
idea of maximum personal freedom. So we oppose Socialism as being a
contradiction of our concept of a free and self reliant Australian
nation. We support the United Nations as the international
instrument seeking to establish a world of law and peace, and we
reinforce our own strength by contributing in every manner to the
cohesion of the Q ueen's Commonwealth? and by Treaties and understandings
with our great friend, the United States, and our partners
in S. E. A. T. O. and A. N. Z. U. S. alliances to safeguard our part of the
world* / 3
We want to be strong; we want to be free; we want to
be secure; so we abhor CGomunism abroad and at home. And we
vigorously oppose Socialism in Australia*
To have our country strong and robust, there's nothing
more important than that there should be a widespread sense of
pride in the country. So we aim to avoid disunity. N~ ational
cohesion and economic strength are greatest where there is full
equality of opportunity. ' f4tree constantly broadening the
opportunity for better education, and contributing by health policies
to the prospect of avoidance and cure of illness and disability.
Some Australians will want their security in jobs; others will want
to make their own employment in farm or business. Our policies cover
Oboth. Thatts our idea of a real land of security and
opportunity. That's the' kind of Australia wetre aiming to build*
I've been illustrating our policy objectives by talking
about what we see and plan for our fellow 10J million Australians
0their security and their happiness*
ECONOMIC FACTORS.
0 But let me now turn to the economic facts of life upon
which security and prosperity really depend. ', Ie live in a
competitive world maybe an envious world. And 10 million
Australians of our day have the job of developing a Continent. The
population of Australia must be built up fast7 and with the right
type of people. How better could I illustrate what we want to do than to
point out in the 12 years of this Government the Australian
population has grown with the aid of a record migration programme
from 7,900,000 people in 1949 to lO 2 million people today. And
today we find in every walk of life our new fellow Australians
con tributing most valuably to the progress of the nation. / 0
.4e
The Country Party wants the maixiiuum number of migrants to become
landowners and bring stability, pride and skill to land o,,; nership.
Our policy is to aid that.
Where some displacement from employment has occurred it
has been in the course of building a base sounder than ever before
for real maximum employment opportunities, I undertake that we will
pursue industrial policies which do provide a job for everyone* ' 7e
know that jobs must come from expanding industry.
A real job is found in industry not in a politician's
* speech. There's no comparable instance in history where such a
0proportion of people from outside have been added to the national
population without creating friction or minority or nationalistic
groups. During the life of our Government the unsurpassed skill of
the Australian agriculturalist, backed by his scientific and technical
0 advisers, has raised agricultural output by nearly half with
practically no addition whatever to the rural workforce,
The average Australian farrier produces twice as much food
as his counterparts in the United States and the United Kingdom. But
this very efficiency in production does reveal that the land
industries are not the place where new jobs can be found for the
millions. But there must be jobs, and factories and service industries
must provide them* I have been pointing this out for years,
Manufacturing industries need adequate policies of tariff
protection. There's evidence that that has been sustained for today
there are 41/ 1 more factories in Australia than when we ca-lue to power,
and the value of factory production is running at a rate 31 times
greater than it was 12 years ago, and there are about three quarters
of a million more jobs*
Incidentally increased employment in secondary activities
increases the farmers best market the home market.
Australia's rate of industrial expansion is phenomenal.
My colleagues and I have worked without stint for 12 years to bring
about a balanced development and a secure Australia. Tell not let up.
As a by-product of our growth, and economic and political
stabilityg industrialists throughout the Free World are increasingly
coming to Australia as a new base for their operationso and so adding
to the broadness of our industrial base and to the up-to-dateness of
Wur technical skills, making new products we previously imported.
Now our Government is putting it with ever increasing
Sirectness to manufacturers, that they must also export to contribute
to the nation's economic needs as well as to their own.
Last year we faced a real problem. There was concentration
upon speculative and non-essential activity with offers of very high
interest rates, inflation of costs and values a threat to our stable
* and solid base for expansion.
Over a period our export prices had been declining. If last
0year there had been the 1953 level of prices, the greatly increased
quantity of our exports would have earned us œ 400 million more than we
actually received. That in a nutshell is the situation which led us last year
to introduce the economic policies which have been distasteful, and
let me be frank. hurtful to many. But today we're confident that
these inflationary and speculative pressures at home have been arrested.
A policy about expanding Australia would be empty and
meaningless words without an assurance that sufficient overseas funds
will be earned to provide the import needs of Australian factories.
6-.
This is essential for maximum employment. Without it migration could
not be sustained. This is why we had to act last year to curb
speculative spending and at the same time we've worked tirelessly to
offset low prices for primary products.
Take examples the Japanese Treaty has contributed
enormously to holding wool prices, and wie stand ready to discuss with
the wool industry its desires for the future as soon as the results
of the present enquiry have been studied by the industry and the
Government. The wheat industry has been protected by the Stabilisation
Plan, fair prices at home and overseas negotiations.
0 For the dairy industry, its Stabilisation Plan, with
Government subsidising both the industry and the consumer at home, and
* the Goverument doing all possible to sell to best advantage overseas.
Both the wheat and the dairy plans will ba renewed as they
expire, but after consultation with the industries and the State
Governments. The sugar industry is sustained by a fair home price and
overseas agreements. Indirectly the groat canned fruit industry is
protected by an arrangement with the sugar industry.
Beef producers have eivjoyed high local prices through
the support of the Long Term Mcat Agreement and the negotiated entry
to the United States high price market. The benefits of Government
help as mentioned have been worth scores of millions of pounds in
each case to the wool industry, to the dairy industry, and to the
beef industry. Under our policies Tobacco growing has been raised to an
important and profitable industry, with the result of very fast
expansion in recent years.
This year much leaf has not been bought at the auctions.
We will work with the Industry to ensure that there is established
a market at fair prices to growers for leaf acceptable to Australian
. smokers. Many other crops tobacco, peanuts, cotton, fresh
fruit, deserve and have received our consideration as has of course,
the dried fruit industry. All contribute valuably to production,
save imports, and provide employment.
In these fields particularly our fellow New Australians
are demonstrating their skills and willingness to work hard.
FTUR1E OBJECTIMES. ? Te aim to continue in the future what we've done in the
past to support the rural industries and I include mining.
The special tax depreciation allowvances for rural
industries will be renewed by our Government for a further period*
We've established the Development Bank, Today it has
resources of capital and money borrowed for re-lending totalling
* about œ-50 million. It will be quite especially the job of' the Country
Party to see that this great new institution will be kept in necessary
funds to enable it to function.
The Country Party is.. pledged to-mnaintain-and-s-pport the
interests of country people and it is pledged to do this for no
narrow sectional reason. It's pledged to do it because the prosperity
and expansion of the farma sector forms the very basis of national
prosperity and expansion.
We'll maintain the concept of partnership with both
primary and secondary industry in export development.
Our Trade Comissioner Service is being expanded
continuously, Government funds to support overseas trade publicity are
at record levels@ Of major importance it'll be my job to press negotiations
with overseas countries to help our trade. Here, I think it is not
unfair to recall that every Labor spokesman in the Federal
Parliament spoke against the Japanese Trade Treaty, But this Treaty
has proved of monumental importance in supporting our exports, as
well as improving relations between the Australian and Japanese
peoples and Governments.
.8.
Anclthe-safeguards provided to protect Australian
manufacturing industry against Japanese competition have proved to be
adequate. Such a major departure from previous pnlicy as the
concluding of the great Treaty with Japan cannot be undertaken by
people devoted to narrow sectional interests. Only a Government such
as ours will, strike out boldly and think in terms of' a new departure
when circumstances demand its
Efficient Australian agriculture doesn't carry a
* workforce of millions. For millions of jobs to sustain our migration
as well as for the young people growing up, manufacturing activity in
Australia must be strong and expanding, We will prAvide adoquate
0protection for it. Last year our Government supplemented the well tried
Tariff Board system with the new arrangement enabling a temporary
tariff to be proclaimed after 30 dayst enquiry.
Already important industries, such for example as the
WBruck Mills at' Wangaratta, have enjoyed the protection of this.
The great consultative bodies on e~ or and
W cur established by our Government provide a meeting point
where Government, manufacturers and farmers are constantly sitting
around the same table joining in planning the best for our country.
To encourage export, novel taxation incentives have
been devised. Under them, the cost of searching for and deveoping
a market overseas is predominantly borne by the Government. Success
in achieving increased exports to a certain formula brings a reward
ef complete freedom from all pay roll tax liability.
.9.
Recently I announced that we'd successfully negotiated
the establishment of' two new shipping services to South America.
We believe we will feel justified in supporting the
establishment of warehouses to carry Auistralian goods for sale, in a
number of important centres around tho world,
' Ae look to the steel industry to become a more important
and continuous export earners And our decision to reconstruct the
railway line from the great iron ore deposits near Kalgoorlie to
Fremantle is related to this.
Likewise, having found enormous mnarkets for Australian coal
in Japan, we're now as a Goverment financially helping the ' State
Governments of New South W'ales and Queensland to improve harbours and
port facilities* In the same line of thinking wetve undertaken to aid the
construction of important roads right across North Australia so that
beef cattle may be brought economically to the meatworks on the coast
or to the fattening areas.
My own Country Party has long advocated decentralisation.
I'm in no doubt that if in appropriate areas New States were brought
into existence, this would represent a major contribution to
decentralisation. WAe believe decentralisation to be good, and safer,
for the whole country and we'd like to see the family growing up in
the country to be able to stay together by being able to find jobs in
the country towns and its industries.
COMMONMAKT But whether we live in the town or the country there's
one recent development which must deeply concern all of us.
Three months ago the United Kingdom decided to apply to
join the European Common Market., If she does join it, it'll be one
of the great events of history. Her action projects an absolutely / 10.0
.11.
economy. And I put it to you that matters of such complexity and
importance affecting the future prosperity of everyone of us, can
best be handled by a Government as broadly representative and
as balanced in its interests as the present coalition between
the Liberal and the Country Parties.
Tonight Itm giving an account of 12 yearst work, of
the phenomenal growth of our country in that period.
It's the story mf transformation into a modern nation.
The transformation from long years of slow population increase
into a dramatic period of population growth. The transformation
of rural industries from conditions where so often they provided
only a precarious livelihood into a situation of Prosperity and
stability with amazing advances in productive capacity.
Today 72% of the people are voluntary subscribers
to a national health scheme. In 1949 Government funds DrAvided
fœ 300,000 worth of life saving drugs and pharmiaceutical benefits.
And last year under our Government œ-28 million was provided for
this purpose. This is the story of the transformation of a country
where there used to be continuous tension between Government and
industry into one where a new concept of partnership has been
deliberately developed and is operating.
The transformation of a country ridden by Socialism
into a country where people are free to shape their own way of
life with the broad aid of Government not under the tight
control of Government, This has had results. Australians now own the
biggest proportion of homes to population in the world
of the nationts families are home owners. Our Government
has provided œ C780 million for housing./ 1.
.12.
We've seen the transformation from a Federation where in
1949 the State Governments were allotted œ-208 million from
Commonwealth revenue and Commonwealth Loans that year, to the
current position where last year they received œ 5 93 million.
And Australia is now the tenth greatest trading nation in
the world, and the Australian voice is heard, and increasingly
heeded, in the world's highest Councils.
Ours is a country where savings bank deposits have more
than doubled; where the production of steel has more than trebled;
where wool production has increased by 50%. It's a country whose
motor car ownership has been extended from 1 car to every 7 people
12 years ago to today 2 cars for each 7 people. Where television,
under plans already approved, will in a few years' time be acCcsible
to more than 90% of our people. Where aged and invalid pensions
and other social services are provided, not at the yearly rate of
million as in 1949 but at the present rate of œ 358 million a
year. The 1950ts have been for Australia a great and historic
period of unbelievable growth and prosperity.
For the Liberal-Country Party Government, the 1950' s
have been a period of remarkable achievement. We are fully
confident that this perofrmance will be equalled during the 1960' s.
By adhering to some general policies which produced the dramatic
expansion of the 1950' s I believe that by 1970 our population
will increase by another 2 million people, to give us about 12jmillion
Australians. I foresee then another million jobs
million Jobs by 1970. An increase in private investment by
about a third to a level of œ-2,000 million a year.
I see an increase in rural production taken at today's
values of from œ C1350 million worth to œ C1600 million worth by 1970.
I can see the value of work done in our factories increased by
and I predict a rise of two-thirds in the value of our
mineral exports. / 13-.
.13.
What is our policy, you ask?, That is our policy.
It will produce results like that. It's there to be seen; to be
felt; to be experienced. It's not a policy of small devices. It's
a policy of broadq imaginative thinking not one to favour a section
at the expense of others* A policy to serve and benefit equally
and I repeat equally the whole nation. A policy of broad national
co-operation such as can only be achieved by a partnership in
Governmentt of parties representing every section of the community.
It's not a policy which has a beginning and an end. Itts a policy
which has no end, for there will be no end to our planning and our
work to develop this wonderful country of ours and keep its people
* free, prosperous and happy.
We really are working to try to shape Australia as we
* believe the Australian people want it shaped. Wetre certain the
prosperity and growth of Australia is inseparable from the stability
of the country industries. So we're sure that the Country Party will
continue to make its full contribution to the continuing success of
our Government and to the welfare of all Australians, no matter who
0 they are; whether they live in the town or the city; or work on a
farm or in a factory.
All I ask now is that you give our Government and the
Country Party the opportunity to continue to make our contribution
in our day to the security, health, happiness, and prosperity of all
Australians new and old,
.14.
For the continued development and prosperity
of a free Australian people, we ask you to return our Government
to office. For the House of Representatives vote for Government
candidates the Country Party and Liberal Party candidates.
Do not forget the importance of the Senate on
this occasion. We must have a majority there to be really in power.
Vote for the Senate candidates of the Country
Party and the Liberal Party who stand as Government supporters.