PRIME NIINII; TER
MR. WHITLAM'S FALSE CLAIMS C ANBERRA
FOR PRESS 21 NOVEMBER 1975
THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA SHOUD NOT BE FOOLED BY THE OPTIMISTIC ~ I
NOTE WHICH MR. W~ HITLAMI ADOPTED IN HIS TEEVISED ADDRESS YESTEDAY.
IN -TfE PAST -WHEN -HE HAS SPOKEN OF ECONOMC ICECOVERY IT
HTAS BEEN FOLLO0WED BY MOPE INFLATION AND MORE UNE'IPT. OYMN'T,
IN 1972 IN HIS POLICY SPEECH MR. WHITLAM SAID: " LABOR'S
FIRST PRIORlITY WILL BE TO RE! TOZM GENUINE FULL EbWLOYElfr
WITHOUT QUAIFICATIQIN, WITHOUT HEDGING-.
IN 1115 MAY 1974 POLICY SPEECH MR. WHTITLAM SAID :' IJ AUSTIR. ALIA
ALONE THERE IS NO LrNEMPLOYrBNT; IN AUSTRALIA ALONE UNEMPLOYMENT
AND INPLATION DO NOT MARCH SIDE BY SID2".
WHAT IS THE REALITY TODAY? AFTER TIREE YEARS OF LABOR GOVERNMENT'.
AND EIGHTEEN N. IONTITS AFTER THAT SECOND CLAIM THE NUMBER OF
UNEMPLOYED TN AUSTRALIA IS 300,000 AND )= x1' ECTEb BY MR. WHITLa
TO RISE TO -400,000.
IN MAY LAST YEAR MR. WHITLAM CLAIMED-' OUR POLICIES AGAINST
INFLATION HAVE SUCCEEDED".
WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT INFLATION. SINCE THAT STATEMENT BY
MR. WHITLAM INFLATION IN AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN RUNNING AT RATES
AROVE DURING THE DECEM4BER QUARTER OF THIS YEAR IT IS OFCIcALLY PR7YICTED i
THAT INFLATION WILL BE ABOUT 5! ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE
WESTERN WORLD.
IN AUGUST LAST YEAR MR. WHITLAM SIAID. 3WE WfLL.. CERTAIN4LY
NOT PEP-MIT ANY GENEPRAL DOWNTURN IN THE~ BUILDING INDlUSTRY".
THE REALITY J.' 3 THAT TM{ J BUILDING INDUSTRY IS IN ITS MOST
DEPR~ ESSED STATE FOR YEARS MARKED BY BANXRUPTCY AND UN2MPLOYMENT~.
ALSO IN THE. SAME MONTH 14Ri WHITLAM SAID: " OUR WAR ON INFLATION
IS BEING WOND.
PRICES HAVE RISEN BY 20! 1 SINCE HE M4ADE THAT CLAIM.
IN NOVE. MBER LAkST YEAR HE FORECAST Ta1AT AUSTRALIA WOULD TUR N
THE CORNER By Tltl MIDDL. E OF' THIS YEAR.
WILERE ARE THE Si( iS OF THA~ T RECO'VERY WHLEN TFHE PROSPECT Is
400,000 OUT OF WORK IN THE NEW YEAR,.
IN APRIL' TfIS--YEAX-ffL" SAID ' WZ ARE NOW BEGINNING TO SEE
THE UPTURN WHICH TKE RAVE SOUGHT SO ERNESTLY"?
TU18 REALITY IS DEPRESSED INDUSTRtIAL PRODUCTION, S IAGNdANT
RETAIL SALES AND DECLINING MOTOR VEHIICLE REGISTRATIONS.
WHO CAN NOW BELIEV2 MR. WHITLAM WHN HE SPEAKS -OF RECO'VERY.
HE WILL NOTr BE BELIEVED BY THE THOUSANDS OF SCHOOL TEAV2i{ S
THIS YEAR WHO WILL NOT BE AB3LE TO V'IND WORK..
HE WILL NOT BE BELIEVE BY THE TROUSANDS OF UNIVERSITY AND
COLLE. GE GRADUATES WHO WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THEIR SiK" ILLS
OR Bly THE tHUNDR3DS OF SMALL RUSIN2.5S35S WHICH ARE GOING BAN"{ UPT.
MR. WHITLAM'' S 2\ DINISTIRATION IS CONDEMNED BY THE rrMBNATIONAL
MONETARY FUND WHICH IN JULY SAID THE ORIGINS OF THE AUSTRALIAN
RECESSION WERE TO BE FOkR7D IN DOIIESTIC OEVEULOPMENT9. ~ ii r
rI:
1* IF i E
I
3
TEE SAiE MOTN TITE ORCANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
AND DEVELOPMENT SAID THAT DOMESTIC FACTORS WERE PREPONDEPSANT
IN THE AUSTRALIAN RECESSION.
STILL MR. WRITLAM CLAIMS HIS BUDET POLICY VS WORKING.
WE HW HADW THREE YEARP OF MR. WHITLAM. THEY hAVE BE. N THREE
YEARS OF DARKESBS IT IS TI4E TO TURN ON THE LIGHT.