ni-c
PRIWE M4INISTER 22 FEBRUARY 1979
from the Press Office
Summary of ABC รต " Newsvoice".
A Vietnamese deputy foreign minister has told newsmen in
Hanoi that the Chinese are gearing up for a bigger attack.
Vietnam is reported to have acknowledged the loss of Lao Cai, a
provincial capital which fell to the Chinese on Tuesday.
Since capturing Lao Cai, the Chinese have pushed another
8 kilometers down the Red River towards Hanoi, 28 kilometers
inside Vietnam.
On the eastern fronts, heavy Chinese attacks threaten the
provincial capital Gao Bong and Lang Son. Vietnam is
said to have deployed one regiment to the Northeastern front.
China's invasion of Vietnam has drawn sharp criticism from
the U. S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In major review of affairs at home and abroad, the Prime
Minister told Parliament today of his concern about events
in Vietnam and other world trouble spots. Spoke optimistically
about Australia's economic prospects in the year ahead.
Report from Duncan Fairweather on Prime Minister's speech.
Mr. Fraser interviewed.
Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hayden, shared Mr. Fraser's
optimism about Australia's economic prospects, but not
the policies the Government was employing to realise them.
Mr. Hayden interviewed: " There is plenty of room for
optimism about this country. It is a great country, great
people, enormous resources potential and we have risen to
great heights through the diligence and intelligence and
creativity of our people, but they need the right sorts of
policies and what I've been saying is that we need a change
of policy to make sure it is an optimistic year. As I
pointed out in the Parliament today, there are a very long
list of similar statements from the Prime Minister, right
from 1975 on. They have yet to be fulfilled. The latest
statements on what the Government is doing with interest
rates and the supply of money from the banks and so on
indicates that things are going to be a bit tighter".
Figures released today showing food prices soared in
January. Food group index went up by average of 2 percent
in Australia's seven capital cities, the highest monthly
increase for 18 months.
The largest manufacturing sector in Australia, the Metal
Trades Industry, today released a survey indicating increased
business confidence. Survey shows employment in the
metal industry is stabilising and predicts moderate to
substantial improvements in general business and employment
for the remainder of the year. National Director of
the Metal Trades Industry Association, Mr. Ken Fry, interviewed.
Federal Opposition has accused the Government of misleading
country people about the benefits of a domestic satellite.
Senator Susan Ryan said today the Government was promising
more than it could deliver. Senator Ryan interviewed.
-2-
New York, detectives are blaming gang fighting over the
control of illegal drug sales for murders of seven people.
Is biggest murder incident in New York's history.
000---1