VISIT TO NEW GUINEA 1970
LAE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS
Speech by the Prime Minister, Mr. John Gorton 9 JULY 1970
Opening remarks not recorded....... and one part of the Territory can
help another. As roads go inland from a town like Lae, the town is helped by that
road and the country opened up by that road is also helped. It is mutual assistance.
So I hope the Territory will progress as a unit the coastal areas, the highlands
and the islands. Clearly this Territory is on the road to self-government and at the end
of the road which it is now travelling, self-government will be attained. Thereis
no turning back on this road. It must be progressed step by step, but at the same
time it is not for the Australian Government to dictate to the people of the
Territory the speed at which they must travel along that road,
So I think it quite wrong to say that at a given year 1972 or 3 or 4 or
any given year, the Australian Government will impose on the people of the Territory
self-government whether they want it or whether they don't. And as long as I am
Prime Minister, we will not seek to impose our will on the people of the Territory
in that way. But at the same time, if and when the time comes, as ultimately it will,
when the people of the Territory themselves, the majority of the people say they
wish complete ' nternal self-government, then at that time they will get it because
we do not wish to help to administer and govern a country against the wishes of
the majority of its people. And we wouldn't do it, ary more than we would get
out and stop helping to govern a country against the wishes of the majority of the
people in it. Having said that, I now want to refer to the new steps which have been
taken along the road which I have described steps which were announced in
Port Moresby a few days ago. There is going to be a transfer of power for decisionmaking
from Canberra to the Administrator's Executive Council and with this
transfer, the House of Assembly will achieve powers additional to those it now has.
In future, money for the recurrent expenses of the services in the Territory and
money for minor works will be negotited as to amounts between the Australian
Government and the Administ ration in the Territory So there will be available
for these purposes, the sums raised inside the Territory fo: which the House of
Assembly will decide the taxation rates, the amounts raised inside the Territory
together with that amount negotiated as a recurrent grant from Australia. It will
then be for the Administrator's Executive Council to apportion between the
Departments the sums of money to be spent for those purposes. And in carrying
out this work, in carrying out this apportionment, the official members of the
Administrator's Council will be present, will give their advice, will give the
benefit of their experience, but will not vote on the decisions made by the rest of
the Administrator's Executive Council.
And in those fields which are handed over to this area of decision by
Ministerial Members, the Australian Government will not exercise its power of
veto over ordinances passed by the House of Assembly provided they fall
within this area. / 2
I think this represents a quite significant transfer of authority to the
Ministerial Members and to the House of Assembly, and I believe it is essential
that the House of Assembly, the Ministerial Members and the people of the
Territory fully realise that as authority is transferred, so is responsibility
transferred, and as authority is increased so does the need for self help and
provision to carry out programmes from internal sources.
This does not mean that there will be a cessation in any way of Australian
aid. I believe that in the future of this Territory for a long time ahead, there is
going to be a need for that Australian advice, that Australian experience, that
AustraLian help which has brought the Territory so far in the last twenty years.
There will also be a need for Australian capital which will enable the Territory
to develop as it has in that time.
And so to finish because I would like to give some time for questions
and for discussion to sum it up the Territory is the road to selfgovernment.
It will be best for all parts of the Territory if that road were travelled
as a unit. Australian help in that travelling will continue, bt there will be from
time to time additional authority provided for the people of the Territory, yet noone
can say at what particular date complete self-goverrnment should come, because
it should only come if the majority of the people in the Territory wish it.
There is very much to do for the future of this country and I express the
strong hope that that will be done by a partnership of the coastal people, of the
highlanders and the people from the islands, of people whether they come from
New Guinea or Papua or from Australia, and that working in harmony to build and
to achieve, we will be able to give this country the economic base which must be
there for full political stability and that we can avoid any divisions which will
hamper the task which together can be so well done.
That is all except for a wish I have to congratulate the Members of the
Local Councils upon the work which they are doing which is so significant to the
people of this Territory and to wish them well in the future. Thank you.
In answer to a question about investment, Mr. Gorton said:-
We think the Papua/ New Guinea Territory r-eeds investment for development
just as Australia needs investment for development. WVe would like to see as
much of the equity in the new development held by the local people, if it is possible.
At this stage it seems quite unlikely that a significant amount of such
investment could be bought from the savings of the local people and that is one of
the reasons why we are setting up a-n investment corporat:. io which can buy equity
in new enterprises or expanding enterprises and retain that equity for the good of
the people of the Territory until the time comes when it can be sold to the
individual people of the Territory.
So we believe investment is needed. We believe the Australian Government
should retain control over the size and form of overseas investment because the
country can be subjugated economically if we don't, but we impose it under that
control and we would wish to see as much of it as possible either immediately,
which is unlikely, or in future retained for ownership of the New Guinea people, the
Territory people. I think that is about all I have to say on that subject but, as you
know, 20 per cent of the new development in Bougainville was bought by the
Administration for the good of the New Guinea people.