AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS - D.O.G.S.

PRESS RELEASE #16.

MASSIVE GAINS IN STATE AID TO CHURCH SCHOOLS IN AUSTRALIA ARE THE RESULT OF PRIVATE DEALINGS BETWEEN CLERICS AND MEMBERS OR AGENTS OF EXECUTIVE            GOVERNMENTS

The following is part of what you have not been told in the mainstream Press or elsewhere.

Here are a few examples

• Before State Aid was granted in New South Wales Cardinal Gilroy and Archbishop J. Carroll met with the Premier, Mr R. Heffron in 1962.

• In Victoria before the granting of State Aid in 1967, Sir Henry Bolte, the premier met with Bishop Moran in 1966.

• In the Federal sphere, the key to the election of Gough Whitlam in late 1972 was the meeting between Archbishop Jim Carroll and Mr Mick Young.

• The Liberal Senator and Minister for Education, Senator Carrick, in the late 1970s met with Bishop F. Carroll, Father Frank Martin, Father J. Williams, and Monsignor J. Bourke.

• Such meetings did not help the Liberals to survive into the 1980s. Before the Hawke ALP government was elected in 1983 there were certain dealings between a prominent Canberra personality and churchmen which assisted the Hawke Government to become elected.

• In 1998 there was a meeting that ensured the re-election of John Howard. This meeting was between certain bishops and John Howard. It was interesting to note how, as a result of this meeting, the Liberal National party massively increased State Aid , particularly to the Roman Catholic sector, far in excess of what the ALP thought would be a big enough bid in the auction. This meeting and behind the scene deals done in the last few years is largely the reason for the doubling of State Aid within eight years.

In conclusion, we note that the late Archbishop Jim Carroll, who was the greatest of the Roman Catholic political strategists and manipulators said, when he was asked about writing his biography "No one would believe it!"

DOGS have no illusions. Their reply to Archbishop Carroll would have been "Try Us!"