from Pommie
Within three months of a general election the “ustrelian Labour Party has lost one of its strongest characters in the House of Representatives when Mr. Jam Benson left the party after disagreeing with its policy on Vietnam. The Labour Party would withdraw .ustralian forces from Vietnam: lir. J3enson would not, and he made his point of view euite clear in a svecch in Tarliament last week.
Recently he became a sponsor of a new "Defend .ustralia Committee" which includes M.P.s in the Liberal Party and Democratic Labour Party. Last month the Labour Party vroscribed the committee and gave its members until yesterday to resign. Mr. Benson refused, and his expul- Sion from the party followed.