Blockades to be moved by force

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 6

Blockades to be moved by force

NZPA Sydney The New South Wales Government’ last evening took the first steps towards clearing the state’s roads of truck drivers’ blockades after a breakdown of talks yesterday afternoon. The New South Wales Premier (Mr Neville Wran) walked out of a meeting with the truck drivers and their legal representatives saying the men were not interested in settling their dispute. The Premier said the Government would go ahead with its emergency measures to remove the trucks by force and if necessary suspend the licences of the drivers involved. The emergency powers were rushed through Parliament last week but the Government has delayed proclaiming them as law while negotiations continued. Mr Wran said the legis-

lation would now be proclaimed last evening and the police would soon begin serving notices on obstructing trucks demanding their removal from the roads. The police are already escorting trucks through road blocks and the Premier said this activity would be stepped up today. Mr Wran said the blockading truckies had become “enemies of the Australian people.” The Premier further described the blockaders’ leader, Mr Ted Stevens, as an anarchist. The truck drivers began their blockades in New South Wales a week ago as a protest againsu road taxes. At one time about 100 blockades were halting the shipment of goods around Australia but many have been lifted as compromise settlements in other states have been reached.