A.L.P. ALTERS POLICY ON EXPEDITIONARY FORCES

Grey River Argus, 2 October 1948, Page 5

A.L.P. ALTERS POLICY ON EXPEDITIONARY FORCES

Troops to go Anywhere

SYDNEY, September 30.

Scrapping a policy 32 years old, the triennial conference of the Australian Labour Party yesterday approved the sending of men and arms outside Australia. Delegates said that this was complete endorsement of the Commonwealth action in sending •arms to Malaya, and was a mandate to send troops anywhere for the defence of the Commonwealth.

Delegates declared that the Government should not be handicapped in view of the serious international situation.

The conference directed the Government to remove from the Defence Act the prohibition against the raising, except by approval in a referendum, of forces for service outside the Commonwealth.

The view was that Australia was bound to go to the defence of New Zealand and Pacific possessions, including the Manus Island naval base and such strategic Allied bases as. Guadalcanal. Australian obligations to the United Nations had also to be honoured. ’ The ban on the export of arms. Which was first introduced in 1916, was limited by the conference to the export of privately manufactured arms. The decisions of the conference do not conflict with its former reaffirmation of its opposition to compulsory military training. Any force raised for use beyond Australia would be voluntary.