FILL?
before 7.30 pm
MDIARELASEL" Y Saturday, 9th February
* Speech by the Acting Prlne. f& Un-1ter and Minister for Trade
and Resources, the Rt. Hon. J. D. Anthony, at the
Official Opening of the 6th Macquarie Merino Field Days,
Warren, Saturday, 9th February,* 1980
I am pleased to be with you here this evening at the
Sixth Macquarie Mlerino Field Days. First of all, I commend
the organisers of the Field Days for the interesting and
varied programme which has-been arranged over these two
days, and for the enormous amount of work they have put into
the preparation. The Macquarie Merino Field Days are one of the most
important events in the annual calendar of the Australian
wool industry. The Warren/ Trangie district is one of the
major high quality sheep-breeding areas in Australia, and it
includes some of the most famous studs that have helped
build this great industry. I am also heartened to see that
more recently-established studs are participating in the
field days, and helping to continue the high standard of
breeding which has charactjrised this area for so many
years. Days such as these provide an important and necessary
opportunity for woolgrowers to examine sheep from some of
the most important merino studs in Australia. They also
provide an opportunity for an examination of the latest
developments in sheep equipment and technology.
The Government is very conscious of the importance of
maintaining a strong and efficient Australian sheep and wool
industry. The wool industry alone contributes more than
per cent of Australia's total export earnings,, and it is
expected that wool export earnings in 1979/ 80 will top a record
$ 1,700 million. The Bureau of Agricultural Economics has
forecast that auction prices for wool in 1979/ 80 will on
average be 11 14+ per cent higher than those of last season.
The buoyant conditions for wool prices are now being 3tflected
in higher returns for stud sheep and I understand tha-, at
the recent Adelaide and Perth ram sales, prices were about
per cent up on last year. I am hopeful that on the
trends so far, the sheep and wool industry will have a very
good year in 1980. / 2
Although the outlook for the industry is buoyant, there
are immediate problems which have to be overcome. The
Government fully shares the industry's concern at the continuatiov:
of the present strike by the Storemen and Packers Union,
which has stopped movement of wool from stores throughout
the country. This dispute is currently before the Conciliation
and Arbitration Commission and the continuation of the
strike is not helping to achieve settlement of-the issue.
As we have said so many times before, the procedures ofi
. the Arbitration System should be allowed to work without the
economically damaging effect of strikes.
A problem of fundamental-concern to all Australians at
present is the instability which has been introduced into
the world political and economic situation by the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan. The Australian Government has
condemned this invasion as totally without justification and
a violation of acceptable international standards of conduct.
The Government takes the view that the Soviet Government
must be shown that the frea5 world will not tolerate continuoed
Soviet expansionism.
It is essential that any measures which Australia and
other free nations decide to take to influence the Soviet
Union's attitudes make a real impact. That's why Australian
Government strongly holds the view that the Olympic Games
should not be held in Moscow. An Olympic Games in Moscow
will be a massive propaganda victory for the Soviet system
and will be seen by them as an endorsement of Russia's
policies and actions. We hope that a large number of free
world nations will decide to stay away from Moscow.
With regard to trade, the Government is co-operating
with other major grain-exporting nations to ensure that the
United States decision to significantly restrict its sales
of feed grains to Russia is not prejudiced by increased
sales by other exporters. At the same time, the Government
does not support the concept of a food embargo on the Soviet
Union, and we are continuing to ship existing wheat and
coarse grain contracts. Trade in other important agricultural
areas, including wool, is being continued on a normal basis.
There has been som'e speculation that the Soviet Government
may seek to discriminate against Australia in future purchases
of wool because of our strong stand against their foreign,
policies. / 3
There has been no evidence to date that the Soviet.
Government intends to take any such action, and I expect
that they would have difficulty in obtaining the necessary
quantities and grades of wool from other supplying countries.
A halt to normal trading contacts with the Soviet Union
would be a major step, which could only succeed if the major
free world trading nations decided that co-ordinated action
of such magnitude was warranted. No such decision has been,
taken. We have agreed with the United States not to make up
the shortfall caused by the U. S.-refusal to fill a contract
for feed grain for the Soviet Union. We have agreed to
operate with the the EEC and Canada to make this move
effective. We have placed what is for the moment an interim ban on
the export of strategic minerals to the Soviet Union
materials which could materially aid the Soviet war effort.
It is an interim ban until we are able to examine the matter
more fully.
There hav e been calls from some quarters for an extension
of such trade bans to inclkde wool. I have strenuously
resisted these calls, as H'das the Government, and for good
reason. The point that must be considered is that ineffective
sanctions against the Soviet Union are obviously pointless.
In the case of wool, I simply do not believe it would
be possible to ensure that no wool sold by Australia would
end up in Soviet hands. To ban wool exports to the Soviet
Union would be an empty gesture, and a gesture which could
well result in us slicing off a nose to spite a face.
We have moved for sanctions with grains, where we should
not sabotage the successfull United States efforts, and with
strategic minerals, where we are dealing with materials
directly vital to Soviet war efforts.
In all cases, our efforts have been directed at achieving
maximum impact on the Soviet Union.
The question troubling many people is basically thisare
we not asking our athletes to carry most of the burden
of our protest over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
. I have said clearly, several times, that I and all
members of the Government fully realise just what we are
asking our athletes to sacrifice. / 4
The Government did not call for a boycott of the Moscow
Games without deep thought, and without realising what it
would mean to young Australians who had been training for
years to compete for their nation at the Olympics.
Taking all these things into account, the Government
could still not escape the fact that an Olympic boycott is
the single most telling blow the free world can strike to
demonstrate its opposition to Soviet expansionism.
There is not the slightest doubt that if the athletes
of the free world attend the Moscow Games, the Russians will
see this and broadcast it to the world as an acceptance
of their actions in Afghanistan and a triumph for their
foreign policy.
A boycott of the Moscow Games by a significant group of
countries cannot be hidden from the Russian people, and the
Soviet Union's captive states.
It will be a tremendqs blow to Russian prestige, and
will bring home to the Russians far more sharply than anything
else the world's concern over Afghanistan and the implications
of the situation there.
Of course our athletes would be extremely disappointed.
For them it would be a real sacrifice.
But, as hard as it might seem, I believe we simply have
to face up to the fundamental questions in this issue.
Where do you draw the line? How far do you let the
Russians go? How much bloodshed must there be before
people are prepared to stand up and be counted?
Are gold medals, as important and significant as they
are, more important than people's lives, their freedom, and
peace and security?
These are the questions people have to ask themselves,
and answer.
The Government will continue its strong
opposition to the continued Soviet presence in Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister will be reporting on Tuesday on the
results of his important discussions with the President of
the United States and other major free world leaders. His
report will provide a basis for co-ordinating the steps
which Australia must take to strengthen collective security
in the Indian Ocean region.
I have no doubt that these are critical days for the
maintenance of democracy. The Australian Government believes
that it is only through strong, co-ordinated action by free
world Governments that the Soviet Union will come to see
that its aggressive expansionary policies will not succeed.
I hope that all Australians will unite in supporting the
Government's stand on this vital issue.
It is with great pleasure that I declare this Sixth
Macquarie Merino Field Days open.