PRIME MINISTER

FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, 27 JUNE 1982

CAIN GOVERNMENT TACTICS - A NEW POLITICAL LOW

The Cain Labor Government's threat to discriminate against the  people of three Federal Minister's electorates by reducing  their health services is a new political low in Australia.  Never before have the people of an electorate had their lives

and well-being directly threatened in this way. It is a form  of political gangsterism which Australians will not stand for..

Compared with its base tax-sharing grant last year, Victoria  got a 16.8% increase this year. How much is enough for Mr Cain?  The Cain Labor Government is also the beneficiary of an extra  $55 million of untied grants and borrowing authorities negotiated

last year by the previous Liberal Government. These are funds .   available to Victoria alone, but Mr Cain has not mentioned them.

The kind of threats now coming from the Victorian Government  against people in particular electorates are not good enough  for the conduct of relations between the States and the  Commonwealth. We all know that these are the tactics of the

Socialist Left. We all know that these are the tactics of  the B.L.F. We all know that this is why the B.L.F. has earned  the antagonism of nearly every citizen in this State. Mr  Cain is in effect threatening to penalize the people of particular  electorates if the. Members representing those electorates .

don't do exactly what Mr Cain wants. He won't get away with  it. The people of Victoria will rebel at the first opportunity.

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