The West Australian, January 27, 1975, p. 4.

Sydney: A new political party, which sees government as an evil, was officially formed in Sydney on Saturday.

It is called the Workers Party — but espouses a free-enterprise, laissez-faire philosophy.

Its president, Dr John Whiting of South Australia, said: “If the Government got off the backs of Australians we could be the richest country in the world. Governments can bankrupt and destroy us.”

“Every government intervention is an invasion of personal liberty.”

DIRECTORS

The four other party directors are Dr Duncan Yuille, a former secretary of the General Practitioners’ Society, Mr R. Barros, a Sydney lawyer, and the party’s economic adviser, Mr Mark Tier, author of the pamphlet Understanding Inflation.

The West Australian mining magnate, Mr Lang Hancock, was the party’s guest of honour at its inaugural dinner at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday night. But he has declined to join the party.

He said he would be too much lead in the saddle.

“I have a lot of enemies and I think I would do more harm than good by becoming involved,” he said.

The party is supported by Mr John Singleton, whose advertising agency produced the anti-Labor television commercials for the last Federal election.

The party plans to run candidates in the next elections, and will concentrate primarily on the House of Representatives.

Dr Whiting said that the party had a membership of more than 100.

“What we stand for is the productive workers, the employers and the employees, anyone who gets off their backside and works,” he said.

The party wants government activities reduced to the control of the armed forces, the police and the courts.

NO TAX

This would mean no taxes, no tariffs, no subsidies or bounties and no welfare payments.

“We are not interested in human leeches, parasites, no-hopers, scroungers and bludgers,” Dr Whiting said.

“We are interested in the productive workers. These are the people who are being destroyed by Government.”

The party supports the abolition of all laws against drug use, censorship, gambling and any sexual activity.

However, abortion has been excluded from the platform.

The party believes in complete private education, but goes one step further. It believes that education should not be compulsory.