PRIME MINISTER WEDNESDAY, 25 MARCH, 1981
From the Press Office
SUMMARY OF ABC'S 12: 30 pm NEW
The latest spy story in the London Daily Mail serial on spying
says a former British Labour Party-Chairman and MP, Mr Dr'. erg.(?)
was a double agent, working for the KGB and MI 5. The report
says he gave details . of the personal and political activities
of his parliamentary colleagues to both the KGB and MI 5.
He was apparently feeding information from the. time he entered
Parliament in 1942 to his retirement in 1974, and afterwards
when he became a member of the Houseof Lords. He died in 1976.
The Daily Mail story-says Mr Driberg was a well known homosexual
repeatedly caught either procurring or committing a homosexual
act in public places. But it is claimed that British intelligence
officials put a mantle of protection around him. The report
also says that both the M15 and the KGB knew he was working
for the other side and saught to use him for their own ends.
The Prime Minister is to be briefed by officials on. the Daidy
Mail report that a former head of MI 5, Sir Roger Hollis, may
have been a Soviet spy.
The Foreign Affairs Minister says the stand by the Opposition
leader on the B52s agreement with the United States indicates
a capitulation to the ALP's extreme left. He aiso says Mr Hayden's
stand calls into question the Opposition leader's competence in
foreign relations. Mr Hayden said yesterday that the B52 agreement
did not contain adequate safeguards, aid that a Labor government
would renegotiate it to rule out any possibility of the bombers
carrying nuclear warheads over Australian soil. In a statement
in Canberra this morning, Mr Street said Mr Hayden had made
blatantly incorrect assertions about the agreement. The word
of Australia's principle ally had been called into question.
Mr Street said Mr Hayden had made careless assertions relating
to the US undertaking that it would notify Australia of any
change in the role of its B52s staging through Darwin, and
to assert there was qo formal agreement was totally untrue.
He said, Mr Hayden, through his statement, had rejected a
bi-partisan approach to a matter fundamental to Australia's
security.
The Polish parliament is to hold a special-session on Monday
to discuss the threat of a national strike. The session was
announced after Solidarity said a four hour warning strike
on Friday would be followed by an indefinite stoppage next
Tuesday. The Communist Party secretary called the move an
invitation to self destruction, and Polish television said
parliament was being convened because of the gravity of the
situation.
Leaders of the 10 EEC countries have ended their summit meeting
with a warni4' that the Polis. people must be allowed to deal
with their problems without outside interference. The West
German Foreign Minister reported to the summit on his recent
visit to Poland and urged his partners to continue to help
the Poles. / 2
2
Immigration officials in Barbados say it is only a matter of hours
before a decision is made on the future of Ronald Biggs. His
finger prints and other documents are being sent from Britain.
The cost of food fell in Australia last month thanks-to a
significant drop in the. price of fresh fruit. The Bureau of
Statistics estimates that the cost of food by of 1% during
the month. It is the first drop in the monthly food index
since August 1979. when the decrease was .6 of 1%.
Africa's senior sports administrator, Mr Ordia, in Canberra
for talks with the Prime Minister this morning, has spoken
with new optimism of the planned Springbok of New, Zealand..
might be cancelled. Mr Ordia had separate discussions at
Parliament House with Mr Fraser and Mr Street. As Barry
Cassidy reports, they spoke of the threat of an African
boycott of the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane if the
rubgy tour of New Zealand went ahead.
Barry Cassidy
The Prime Minister and Mr Ordia agreed on one thing that ax4
danger to the Commonwealth Games arose from events over
which Australia had not direct control. In other words the
Springbok tour of New Zealand. But today after the talks
Mr Ordia refused to accept the tour as a fait accompli. So
had he been given new information?
Mr Ordia
No, I am very optimistic.
Question
What do you base your message on sir?
Mr Ordia
Human conscience. Common sense.
Barry Cassidy
If Mr Ordia's optimism proves false would Australia consider
banning New Zealand from the Commonwealth Games and save
a black African boycott?
Mr Fraser
I think that that is jumping far too far down a tank. I think
save the Games as though a boycott of the Games is imminent
and that is not the position.
The Reagan administration plans to double economic aid to El Salvador
this -year to more than $ 126 million. The extra spending is
to show an expression of faith in theGovernment of El Salvador.
El Salvador is also getting more than $ 35 million in military
aid and the economic package. would make it by far the biggest
recipient of American aid in Latin America. / 3
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The-American Secretary of State, Mr Haig, has asked Congress
for money to safeguard diplomats and safegjjard classified
information at American Embassies.
Telecom officials are holding talks with union representatives
in Sydney today in attempt to resolve a dispute which is
disrupting STD and. international calls. A telecom spokesman
said about 50 members of the telecommunications employees
association last week imposed industrial bans on repairing
equipment at the Haymarket exchange after a dispute
over shift allocations. Services are disrupted to the extent.
of 30% of its usual. capacity.