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DECISION TO CALL THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS AFTER A SITTING OF PARLIAMENT AT THE END OF FEBRUARY (PARA 4 OF MY TELELETTER OF 28 JANUARY), WHEN THE OPPOSITION WOULD HAVE OBTAINED FURTHER DAMAGING PUBLICITY OVER THE BUSINESS. AS IT IS, THE PRIME MINISTER'S DECISION TO CALL AN ELECTION ON 13 MARCH APPEARS TO HAVE
PUSHED THE STORY OUT OF THE NEWSPAPERS.
4=
MCLEAY OWED HIS POSITION AS SPEAKER TO HIS AFFILIATION TO THE POWERFUL NSW RIGHT FACTION, OF WHICH KEATING, SENATORS RICHARDSON AND LOOSLEY, AND LAURIE BRERETON MP, ARE ALL MEMBERS. BOTH RICHARDSON AND LOOSLEY HAVE EARLIER BEEN FORCED OUT OF KEY POSITIONS IN THE ALP MINISTRY AND PARTY FOR ALLEGED WRONGDOINGS.
ALTHOUGH MCLEAY HAS RESIGNED AS SPEAKER HE WILL CONTINUE TO STAND FOR PARLIAMENT, IN WHAT HAS BEEN REGARDED AS A SAFE SEAT.
5.
I HAVE COPIED THIS TELELETTER TO HONG KONG BECAUSE OF THEIR EARLIER CONCERN ABOUT MCLEAY'S APPARENTLY UNHELPFUL COMMENTS, IN HIS POSITION AS SPEAKER, ON DEVELOPMENTS THERE.
THERE. THERE SEEMS LITTLE LIKELIHOOD OF MCLEAY RESUMING THE SPEAKERSHIP EVEN IN THE EVENT HE, AND LABOR, ARE RETURNED AT THE MARCH ELECTION. HE WAS WIDELY REGARDED AS TAKING THE SPEAKER'S ROLE TO EXTREMES OF PARTISANSHIP
BEYOND EVEN THE RELAXED LIMITS SET IN THE PAST BY THE AUSTRALIAN
PARLIAMENT. AFTER THIS EXTRAORDINARY AFFAIR EVEN HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE NSW RIGHT WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO PRESS FOR HIS RETURN AS SPEAKER.
SIGNED.
PETER BECKINGHAM
J ·
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