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The letter
Mr Allan Fraser's letter is likely to hearten
his friends in the Parliamentary Labor Party
who would like to see him elected to replace
Mr Calwell.
Mr Fraser is unlikely to
make a final decision on
whether he will contest the
leadership until within a day
or so of the next Caucus
meeting — in about three
weeks. But his letter yester-
day makes it clear that for
the moment he should be
considered as being avail-
able.
The letter reads:
"I want to tell you how
much I appreciate the assur-
ances of support from the
ALP organisation in Eden-
Monaro.
"I shall be campaigning
in Dawson all next week,
and will confer with you
when I return.
"Let us not be side-
tracked from our objective
to establish membership
control of the Labor Party
with the respective functions
of the organisation and the
Caucus clearly recognised.
"Some people elsewhere
are being side-tracked into
name-calling and faction
fighting, but in Eden-
Monaro let us avoid that,
because it is a futile and
mutually destructive exer-
cise.
"Instead of turning
people away from us in des-
pair by wrecking the house
in fratricidal conflict —
there has been enough of
that, heaven knows — let
us set them the example of
building a better structure.
Then they will join with us,
and there are thousands
eager for this lead.
Continued
Page 4

'Prepared for any task'

Continued from Page 1

"The Federal Executive's
extraordinary decisions have
created the climate for con-
structive reform. We have
the ball and must not fumble
it. We must play the ball

and not the man.

"We are agreed that
neither the politicians nor
the officials shall be the pol-
icy makers, hut that the pol-
icy shall be made by a
broadly based Federal con-
ference including direct rep-
resentatives of each elector-

ate.

"We are agreed that the
parliamentary party shall
comprise men who accept
and work for that policy
and that they shall be free
from outside instruction or
intimidation in deciding
their course in Parliament.

"We are agreed that a
new emphasis must be
placed on the declarations
of personal rights and na-
tional strength, of social
justice and democratic prin-
ciples which are already
contained in the policy.

"In the meantime we are
agreed that Labor policy
does not prohibit a share of
public funds for non-State
schools and that the execu-
tive has so far exceeded its
authority that its actions

must be set aside.

"Here are for us the

things worth fighting for —
real things, things vital to
Parliamentary Government.

Executive's

right

"So let as not dissipate
our strength nor drive away
support by derogating per-
sonally those with whom we
disagree. For example I
have been replaced on the
ALP foreign affairs com-
mittee. This is not impor-
tant. The executive has the
right to decide those it will
appoint to its own commit-
tees. What is important is
that it must be recognised
that within the broad policy
decided by the membership
and presented to the elec-
torate the parliamentarian
must be free from any in-
struction from outside on
the course to be taken by
the party in the Parliament.

"If we stick to the real
issues and work hard to-
gether we may light a light
in Eden-Monaro which will

sometime flame throughout
Australia.

"I dedicate myself to this
task. In asking you to do
so I make it plain that I am
prepared to undertake any
task or serve in any capacity
in the party to achieve these
objects.

Yours sincerely,

ALLAN FRASER.

Mr Fraser's attempt to
focus party attention on
the question of membership
control was re-inforccd by
his brother, Mr J. R. Fraser,
the Labor Member for the
ACT, in his weekly radio

broadcast last night.

Mr J. R. Fraser said the
present contest in the ALP
was not solely a question
of leadership or of alli-
ances.

It was between the party's
general membership and its
Federal executive, he said.

Mr Fraser said he
greatly admired the stand
taken by his brother against
the party's Federal execu-

tive.

Recalling that he had
protested against the deci-
sions- made at last week's
meeting of the executive,
Mr Fraser said he had fully
supported the call for an
early meeting of the Fed-
eral Parliamentary Labor
Party.

"It seems now there will
be no meeting of the Fed-
eral Parliamentary Labor
Party until members as-
semble for the sittings of

Parliament in the second

week of March," he

said.

"I will be attending that

meeting, at which I shall
act and vote as my beliefs
and conscience dictate.
This is the only form of
dictation I accept.

"I tie myself to no man
and to no group within the
Parliamentary Labor Party.

"As I see it my duty is to
make up my own mind on
the issues which come be-
fore the party and to cast
my vote in accordance with
my beliefs and in the best
interests of the party and
its wide membership."

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