P R I M E  M IN IS T E R

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FOR MEDIA .  o q . SUNDAY 9 NOVEMBER 19 80

ELECTORATE TALK

Last Tuesday Americans elected a new President.  Governor Reagan  will be sworn in early in the New Year and with him a new  Republican administration will come into office. I have  congratulated President-Elect Governor Reagan, on behalf of the  Government and people of Australia. He has the good wishes of  all of us. .

The job of the President of the United States is a truly onerous  one.  The problems he faces concern his own country. They are  also of great significance to the democratic world. Vie have  common objectives and common ideals in wishing to preserve the  kind of freedom and liberty so important in a democratic society.

At this time in the transition of power in the United States I  would like to say something about the relationship between Australia  and our traditional friend and ally. There is a long tradition  of close ties between our two countries.  Indeed, it will be my  objective to work for a continuing strengthening of that relationship.  Because of the unsettled world we live in, a strong relationship  between the United States and Australia and our regional neighbours

is of continuing significance.

The United States is the unchallenged leader of the free world  and the cornerstone of the Western alliance. Its role is of the  utmost importance to the peace and Well-being of the world and  to the security of Australia. In shouldering its world burden,

the United States made an enormous.  contribution to the recovery of  post-war Europe through what was called the Marshall Plan. It  also showed great generosity and wisdom in the post-war reconstruction  of Japan. For many years, it has provided large amounts of aid for  developing countries.

In our part of the.world,  for thirty years the United States has  been the largest partner in the Anzus Treaty, which.is vital to  Australia's security. In the years following World War II the  United States was enormously strong by comparison with other

countries.  Economically,  militarily and in terms of political  influence, the United States was the predominant power in the world.  For many years, United States power and strength tended to be taken  for granted. Because the United States was scu strong, it was often

left to carry the burden of safeguarding the interests of the free  world. .  .

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However, over the last decade there have been important changes  in the position of the United States relative to other countries.   Within the NATO Alliance, the economic and political balance  between the United States and Western Europe has changed

substantially.  Western Europe has resumed its position as one  of the major economic centres of the world.  Japan's importance  has grown greatly. A number of developing countries,  especially  in Asia are establishing a new strength. OPEC has emerged as an

important factor on the world scene, with great power to influence  the economies of industrialised countries through its. oil pricing  policies.

Thus the world has changed greatly from, that of the earlier postÂ­ war years when the United States had unparalleled overall military  and economic power. Now Soviet conventional superiority is matched  by nuclear parity or as some.judge even by nuclear superiority.

As a result of many events over twenty years, the United States'  confidence in its own special leadership role has been to some  extent eroded. It is important that it be re-established.  As I  have indicated on other occasions it is important that the Western

alliance be strengthened. It must also adjust to the current  realities of world power and influence.

Europe is wealthier, Europe has more power and an undoubted voice,  quite different from the years when the alliance was first formed.   It is not good enough for other countries to sit back and allow  the United States to carry the burden of defence of the free world

alone. That applies to the powerful countries of Europe.  It  applies also to middle ranking countries such as Australia.

Without having any unreal view of what a country Australia's size  can achieve, there is much that we can do. We need to pursue  adequate defence policies as we are. But in addition where we  have shared objectives and concerns, a common understanding of the  problems and dangers in the world, then we have an obligation and  responsibility to state our own views. If the course is difficult,

it is not good enough to leave it to the United States alone. An American President needs the support of Congress and of people.  That can be more easily sustained, if it is also known that there

are other countries with similar views, with shared objectives.

We do not support the United States simply because it is the  United States or because there is an Anzus Alliance. We support  the United States when we believe it to be right, when out of our  own analysis, our own judgement, we share United States' concerns

and objectives. In particular, with Soviet conventional and . strategic military power at an all time high, it is essential  that we have a strong and vital United States working in close  co-operation with her allies.

Over recent years there has been a very close relationship between  the United States and Australia. I established a close working  relationship with President Carter and I hope to do the same with  President-Elect Reagan. .  ‘  .

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It will be an advantage that his views on containing Government  expenditure,  on giving people greater freedom to choose,  and on  the paramount importance of reducing inflation - views which ~   have been given such overwhelming endorsement by the American  people - are also views which I and my Government have held and  pursued vigorously for the past five years with the support of

the Australian people. None of this means that we have similar  views to the United States on all things. Of course we do not  and ive cannot. We have our own perspectives.  And if there are  differences of view then they will be stated. But in recent  Ã¢ÂÂ¢years we have developed a close identity of view on the main

challenges confronting free societies in the 1980s. .

I look forward to working very closely with the new United States'  administration, building on the traditional strength and solidarity  of Australian/American alliance.

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