FEDERAL LABOUR POLICY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 210, 21 September 1937, Page 7

FEDERAL LABOUR POLICY

-Press Assn.-

Leader Promises Adequate Defence CREDIT AND PENSIONS

(B.v* Telegranh-

-Copyright.)

(Received 21, 8.45 a..m) FREMANTLE, Sept. 20. The Federal electioit campaign was opened by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr J. Curtin, who outlined the Labour progjramme here to-night. He said that Labour stood for an adequate defence policy which would ensure effective proteetion for Australia, but that no compulsion tnust be exercised on any citizen for military service on any foreign battlefield. Labor would maintain the Australian Navy and strengthen aerial defences. There was need for more aero-. dromes, additional oil storea and the exploitation of oil resources, Supplies

for the armed forces must be assured, ' and munitions of all kinds must be manufactured in Australia. Mr. Curtin said that the Labour Party would maintain ' the Australian Navy but that it was foolish to say that Australia could sustain a seagoing navy adequate to Australia 's needs. Australia 's expenditure on defences which were within Australia 's ability to. sustain should be on those forms of defence which were beeocuing inereasingly important. The strength of Australian defence must lie in aviation, A member of the present Government, Mr. W. M. Hughes, had declared that aerial defence was the only defence within our capabilities, yet the Lyons Government thus far had provided only 96 planes, while there was, not far away, a Power equipped with a sea-borne plane strength of hot fewer than 300 planes. For a capital outlay of £7,500,000 Australia could have an aerial fleet of 300 planes. Labour would legislate for pensions for widows with dependent children, and £6,000,000 would be earmarked for the initiation of unemployment insurance. Also, pensions and repatriation loans would be liberalised. Reform of the Commonweaith Bank would be begun. in order to enable it adequately to control the credit of tlm nation, regulate rates of interest, and direct general investment and eurrency relations with internal markets. Financial assistance would be prov.hled for producers, and a national wheat pool would be created with the producers' approval. Other aims would be afforestation, unification of railways, proteetion for Australian industries and the introduction of a 44-hour week wherever possible.