TEXT OF SPEECHES DELIVERED BY THE PRIME MINISTER
ON HIS OVERSEAS VISIT
2 JUNE TO 21 JUNE 1983
CONTENTS STATE DINNER GIVEN BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
MICHAEL T. SOMARE, CH, MP, PRIME MINISTER
OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA, PORT MORESBY 2 JUNE 1983
AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE CENTRE, JAKARTA 4 JUNE 1983
STATE DINNER GIVEN BY PRESIDENT SOEHARTO, JAKARTA-
4 JUNE 1983
OPENING OF THE AUSTRALIAN STUDIES CENTRE, LONDON-
7 JUNE 1983
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION, GENEVA 10 JUNE 1983
WASHINGTON PRESS CLUB, WASHINGTON 15 JUNE 1983
FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION, NEW YORK 16 JUNE 1983
EAST-WEST CENTER, HONOLULU 19 JUNE 1983
SPEECH B3Y THE PRIM~ E MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA,
THE HON R. J. HAWKEP A. C. t M. P.
A1f THE STATE DINNER GIVEN BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
MICHAEL T. SOMARE, CHP MPP PRIME MINISTER OF
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
2 June 1983
I THINK IT SHOULD BE SAID THAT THE DECISION TO MAKE PAPUA NEW GUINEA THE
FIRST PRIORITY IN ANY OVERSEAS VISIT I SHOULD UNDERTAKE AS PRIME MINISTER OF
AUSTRALIA WAS THE FIRST DECISION OF ANY INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE WE MADE AS
A GOVERNMENT. IN FACTP IT WAS A DECISION TAKEN IN PRINCIPLE EVEN BEFORE WE FORMED
A GOVERNMENT. ON THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTION NIGHT OF THE FIFTH OF MARCH,-PRIME
MINISTER SOMARE WAS THE FIRST HEAD OF GOVERNMENT TO MAKE PERSONAL CONTACT AND
CONGRATULATE THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY ON OUR VICTORY.
IN A NIGHT CROWDED WITH RICH MlEMORIES, THERE IS NOTHING I VALUE MORE
HIGHLY. WE BOTH AGREED THEN TO EXCHANGE VISITS AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY.
ACCORDINGLY THIS IS MY FIRST PORT-OF-CALL, ON MY FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT OVERSEAS
AS PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA.
BUT THIS VISIT HAS A PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE AND MEANING FOR ME AND AISO
ITS
MOR MY WIFE WHICH GOES BEYOND/ FORMAL AND OFFICIAL ASPECTSP FUNDAMENTALLY
IMPORTANT TO BOTH OUR COUNTRIES AS THEY ARE.
WE BOTH VALUE MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY THE CLOSE ASSOCIATIONS' AMD
FRIENDSHIPS WE HAVE DEVELOPED OVER MANY YEARS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA NOT THE
LEAST OF COURSE.-WITH PRIME MINISTER SOMARE HIMSELF.
IT IS AN ASSOCIATION WHICH GOES BACK NEARLY SEVENTEEN YEARS AND ONE
WHICH, IN EVERY SENSE.-HAS CONTINUED TO RIPEN AND DEEPEN YEAR BY YEAR.
REFERENCES ARE FREQUENTLY MADE TO THE HISTORIC PUBLIC SERVICE
ASSOCIATION CASE OF 1966-67.
AND IT IS TRUE THAT THE LOCAL OFFICERS CASE WAS OF SEMINAL IMPORTANCE
-THAT SEEDS WERE SOWN WHICH ULTIMATELY FLOWERED IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF INDEPENDENCE
FOR PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT I WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE INVOLVED AS AN ADVOCATE IN
THAT CASE, THE LEARNING PROCLSS THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE AND SHARING.
KNOWLEDGE WAS VERY MUCH A TWO-WAY AWAIR.
I THINK EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CASE SHARED IN A HEIGHTENING OF
CONSCIOUSNESS AND, FOR SOME AUSTRALIANS AT LEAST, AN AWAKENING OF CONSCIENCE
ABOUT THE TRUE NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUSTRALIAN AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
AS IT THEN EXISTED, AND THE GREAT HUMAN, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS INVOLVED
IN THAT RELATIONSHIP. SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I CAN ONLY SAY THAT I LEARNT MUCH MORE,' FROM THAT
EXPERIENCE THAN I WAS EVER ABLE TO IMPART TO OTHERS. I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL TO
THOSE MEN AND WOMEN IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA AT THAT TIME WHO TAUGHT ME SO MUCH.
WE MAY ACKNOWLEDGE, IN RETROSPECT, THAT THE LOCAL OFFICERS CASE WASTECHNICALLY
A FAILURE: AND WITH THE WISDOM OF HINDSIGHT-BY WHICH EVERYONE CAN
BE COUNTED WISE THE SETBACK WAS FOR THE BEST, IN TERMS OF THE STABILITY AND
VIABILITY OF AN INDEPENDENT PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
BUT FAILURE OR NOT, ITS CONSEQUENCES WERE TO BE OF TREMENDOUS SIGNIFICANCE.
IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT SO MANY OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE CASE ON
BOTH SIDES-HAVE BECOME THE LEADERS OF AN INDEPENDENT PAPUA NEW GUINEA. THE
LIST OF WITNESSES IS A VERITABLE WHO'S WHO OF PNG INDEPENDENCE.
NOR WAS IT A COINCIDENCE THAT PANGU WAS FORMED SOON AFTER A POLITICAL
DEVELOPMENT WHICH HAS A PARALLEL IN THE FORMATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY
S A DIRECT RESULT OF ANOTHER INDUSTRIAL FAILURE THE FAILURE OF THE GREAT STRIKES
OF j3O BUT PERHAPS ITS MOST IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCE WAS THE REAPPRAISAL IT FORCED
AUSTRALIANS SOME AUSTRALIANS AT LEAST TO MAKE ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PAPUA
NEW GUINEA AND OUR ROLE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
FOR SOME, IT WAS AN AGONISING REAPPRAISAL.
BUT FROM 1967 ON, WE SAW, IN AUSTRALIA, AND IN THE AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT,
THE FIRST CRACKS APPEARING IN THE WALL OF WHAT WAS CALLED 81-PARTISANSHIP WITH REGARD
TO AUSTRALIA'S ROLE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA AN ESSENTIALLY SPURIOUS BI-PARTISANSHIP,
A BI-PARTISA! NSAIPOF SILENCE, A BI-PARISA'SHIP OF INDIFFERENCE.
THIS PHONEY E3-PARTISANSHIP SERVED MAINLY TO ENTRENCH EXISTING
ATTITUDES AND INTERESTS.
F -3-
FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER 1967, AUSTRALIANS BEGAN TO QUESTION WHAT
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THE POLITICIANS AND/ ADMINISTRATORS WERE DOING IN THEIR NAME IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND ONCE THAT QUESTIONING BEGAN BOTH HERE AND IN AUSTRALIA
THE MOVE rOMUM INDEPENDENCE TOOK ON AN IRRESISTIBLE MOMENTUM A MOMENTUM
WHICH WAS GIVEN SHAPE.-SUBSTANCE AND DIRECTION BY LEADERS LIKE MICHAEL SOMARE
HERE, AND, IN AUSTRALIAo LIKE GOUGH WHITLAM.
I SAID JUST NOW THAT THE BIPARTISANSHIP WHICH EXISTED IN,-AUSTRALIA
PRIOR TO 1967 WAS ESSENTIALLY PHONEY AND SPURIOUS. IT WAS CERTAINL fY A NEGATIVE
SORT O-f BIPARTISANSHIP THE BIPARTISANSHIP OF APATHY, INDIFFERENCE AND TO A LARGE
EXTENT., IGNORANCE. BUT THERE IS NOW A NEW AND POSITIVE BIPARTISANSHIP IN AUSTRALIAA
BIPARTISANSHIP FIRMLY BASED ON A COMMON RECOGNITION OF THE PRIMARY IMPORTANCE
OF THE CLOSE AND ENDURING RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO INDEPENDENT NATIONS, AS
EQUAL PARTNERS IN OUR REG-LON.
THE PRESENT LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN AUSTRALIA, ANDREW PEACOCK,
HIMSEL F PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN THE PROCESS WHICH LED TO INDEPENDENCE; AND FOR 1THE
MOST OF THE LIFE OF THE PREVIOUS AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT, THE PIVOTAL ROLE IN
ESTABLISHING AND CEMENTING THE RELATIONSHIP WHICH NOW EXISTS BETWEEN US AS TWO
INDEPENDENT NATIONS, PARTNERS AND NEIGHBOURS.
SO AT THE PERSONAL AND POLITICAL LEVEL, THERE IS NOTHING AT ALL SPURIOUS
ABOUT THE NEW BIPARTISAN RELATIONSHIP TOWARDS PAPUA NEW GUINEA. IT IS DEEP. IT
IS GENUINE. IT WILL ENDURE.
SO IN A VERY REAL SENSE, I CAN SPEAK IN PORT MORESBY NOT ONLY ON BEHALF
OF THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA BUT ON BEHALF OF THE PARLIAMENT OF AUSTRALIA AND
ALL THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA.
BUT SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY FOR THE GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED
A PATTERN OF CONSULTATION AND CO-OPERATION AND PERSONAL CONTACT WHICH I AM
CONFIDENT WILL CONTINUE TO CHARACTERISE OUR RELATIONSHIP FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
MY FOREIGN MIN4ISTER, MR HAYDENP HAS ALREADY VISITED PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
HIS VISIT ALSO WAS MADE THE MORE FRUITFUL THROUGH HIS LONG AND CLOSE PERSONAL
ASSOCIATION WITH PAPUA NEW GUINEA. t ' wan-~ v.' ir~
A VISIT BY THE DEFENCE MINISTER.-MR SCiO. LES IS PLANNED FOR LATER THIS MONTH.
I LOOK FORWARD IN PARTICULAR TO WELCOMING MR SOMARE TO CANBERRA FOR THE
SOUTH PACIFIC FORUM MEETING IN AUGUST.
I WOULD BE UNWILLING TO CHARACTERISE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PAPUA NEW
GUINEA AND AUSTRALIA AS A" SPECIAL" RELATIONSHIP. SUCH DESCRIPTIONS TEND TOO
OFTEN TO CONVEY OVERTONES OF PATRONAGE OR CONDESCENSION,, AND THE EXPERIENCE
OF ' SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPS" AROUND THE WORLD HAS NOT BEEN ALTOGETHER HAPPY.
RATHER, I WOULD SAY THAT THE RANGE OF OUR COMMON INTERESTS -ECONOMIC.-
STRATEGIC, POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND REGIONAL, AS WELL AS THE ASSOCIATIONS OF HISTORY
AND GEOGRAPHY DO MAKE OUR RELATIONSHIP EXCEPTIONAL, AND EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT,
OR BOTH OUR COUNTRIES.
A PRINCIPAL FEATURE OF THIS EXCEPTIONAL RELATIONSHIP IS THE PLACE WE SHARE
IN TWO OF THE WORLD'S REGIONS OF TREMENDOUS EMERGING SIGNIFICANCE.
WE BOTH BELONG TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC REGION. WE BOTH BELONG TO THE WEST
PACIFIC REGION THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIC REGION IN THE WORLD TODAY.
IN THIS CONTEXT.-I WV-TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE MY NEW GOVERNMENT
PLACES ON THE SOUJ11H PACIFIC FORUM NOT ONLY THE FORUM WHICH IS TO HAVE ITS
FOURTEENTH MEETING IN CANBERRA IN AUGUST.-BUT WHAT THE FORUM REPRESENTS.
IT REPRESENTS OUR RIGHT THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLES OF THE SOUTH PACIFICHAVE
OUR VOICE HEARD IN MATTERS VITALLY AFFECTING OUR FATE AND FUTURE, AND THE
FUTURE, THE VERY LIVES, OF OUR CHILDREN.
OUR VOICE THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLES OF TH4E SOUTH PACIFIC DEMANDS
TO BE HEARD ON PRESSING POLITICAL ISSUES LIKE THE FUTURE OF NEW CALEDONIA.
WE DEMAND TO BE HEARD ON QUESTIONS CONCERNING NUCLEAR TESTING AND THE
DUMPING OF NUCLEAR WASTE QUESTIONS THAT ARE LITERALLY A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
FOR THIS GENERATION AND FOR GENERATIONS YET UNBORN.
4 OF COURSE, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FORUM GOES FURTHER, TO A WIDE RANGE OF
PRACTICAL MATTERS. IT H4AS MADE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN AREAS OF IMPORTANCE TO
THE REGION's DEVELOPMENT FISHERIkS.-TRADE.-SHIPPING AND AVIATION.
AUSTRALIA IS CLOSELY INVOLVED IN CO-OPERATION IN THE REGION IN THE
MATTERS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.-TRADE PROMOTION,, AND DEFENCE.
MY GOVERNMENT HAS REAFFIRMED THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO
INTRODUCE A NEW FIVE-YEAR $ 300 MILLION AID PROGRAM FOR THE SOUTH PACIFIC REGION.
THE IMPORTANCE AUSTRALIA ATTACHES TO THE ROLE THAT IT CAN'PLAY IN THE
SOUTH PACIFIC SHOULD IN NO WAY BE THOUGHT TO REPRESENT ANY IDEA OF OUR SELF-IMPORTANCE.
WE OPPOSE THE IDEA OF HEGEMONY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD: AND WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT IN THE
BUSINESS OF SEEKING IT FOR OURSELVES IN OUR OWN REGION.
WE SEEK A RELATIONSHIP BASED ON MUTUAL CONFIDENCE, CONSULTATION AND
CO-OPERATION AS BETWEEN EQUAL PARTNERS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
AND OUR APPROACH TO OUR WIDER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SOUTH PACIFIC
CERTAINLY APPLIES TO OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP WITH PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
I I SHOULD BRIEFLY MENTION TWO IMPORTANT BILATERAL MATTERS TORRES
STRAIT: AND AID.
THE TREATY RELATING TO THE TORRES STRAIT, WHICH WAS SIGNED IN DECEMBER
1978, WAS THE OUTCOME OF DETAILED AND COMPLEX NEGOTIATIONSP AND IN ITSELF
REFLECTS THE CLOSE CO-OPERATIVE SPIRIT BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
I AM HOWEVERP CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT THE TREATY HAS YET TO BE RATIFIED.
I WISH TONIGHT TO AFFIRM MY GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO RATIFY THE TREATY
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SECOND.-I THINK
AID TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA
RELATIONSHIP SYMBOLISES
RESPONSIBILITY WHICH HAVE IT CAN BE FAIRLY SAID THAT THE NATURE OF AUSTRALIA'S
BETTER THAN ANY OTHER ASPECT OF OUR MANY-SIDED
THE MUTUAL TRUST.-CONFIDENCE AND SENSE OF MUTUAL
CHARACTERISED OUR RELATIONSHIP SINCE INDEPENDENCE.
WE APPRECIATE THE ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES THAT HAVE LED PAPUA NEW GUINEA
* TO REQUEST A VARIATION IN THE CURRENT ARRANGEMENTS. A DECISIOIN,, ANNOUNCED
IBY BILL HAYDEN ] DRING HIS VISIT.-TO MAKE AN ADDITIONAL $ 10 MILLION AVAILABLE
AS AN UNTIED CASH GRANT FOR 1982-83 REFLECTS THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S
CONCERN TO HELP THE GOVERNMENT OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA SUSTAIN A SOUND PROGRAM OF ECONOMIC
MANAGEMENT AND STABILITY, UNTIL THE TERMS OF AUSTRALIA'S RESPONSE TO PAPUA NEW / 6
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GUINEA'S REQUEST COULD BE FULLY CONSIDERED.
MR SOMARE AND I DISCUSSED THE AID ARRANGEMENTS THIS AFTERNOON. WE AGREED
ON IMPORTANT CHANGES FOR THE REMAINING THREE YEARS OF THE FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENT.
THE ARRANGEMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE FRASER AND CHAN GOVERNMENTS IN 1980 WERE
SOUND IN PRINCIPLE.-AND SATISFACTORY FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES AS THEY THEN APPEARED.
THEY PROVIDED FOR UNTIED CASH GRANTS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE UNDER A FORMULA THAT
IN RECOGNITION OF THE HUGE CHANGE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA'S CIRCUMSTANCESt AND OF
PAPUA NEW GUINEA'S OWN EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE EFFECTS OF INTERNATIOkAL RECESSION
WITH DOMESTIC RESTRAINTP THE RATE OF REDUCTION OF AID OVER THE REMAINING THREE
YEARSM~ ILL BE 1 PER CENT, 2 PER CENT.-AND 3 PER CENT.
IN RECOGNITION OF AUSTRALIA'S OWN BUDGETARY PROBLEMS, WE HAVE AGREED
THAT THE REDUCTION IN4 THE RATE OF AID SHOULD BE INCREASED AGAIN SHOULD IMPROVEMENTS
1IN ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA MAKE THIS POSSIBLE WITHOUT THREATENING
THE RESTORATION OF ECONOMIC STABILITY AND GROWTH. THESE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE NEWLY
AGREED RATES OF DECLINE IN AID WILL BE MADE AUTOMATICALLY IF PAPUA NEW GUINEA'S
MINERAL REVENUES EXCEED SPECIFIED LEVELS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
MR PRIME MINISTER, DISTINGUISHED GUESTSt FRIENDS ALL, I THANK YOU AGAIN
FOR YOUR WELCOME TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA, AND THE WARMTH OF THE FRIENDSHIP AND
HOSPITALITY SHOWN TO ME, MY WIFE AND MY PARTY.
BECAUSE OF THE LONG ASSOCIATIONS I MENTIONED EARLIER, AND THE MANY CLOSE
FRIENDSHIPS WE HAVE FORMED OVER THE YEARSP IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT I SHOULD MAKE
ANY VISIT TO PORT MORESBY AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA WITHOUT SOME GLOW OF NOSTALGIA.
AND REMEMBRANCES OF THINGS PASTt ON OCCASIONS LIKE THISt ARE OF COURSE MADE
RATHER THE WARMER WHEN WE REFLECT ON THE CHANGE IN POLITICAL AND PERSONAL FORTUNES
WHICH HAVE BROUGHT MICHAEL AND MYSELF TOGETHER IN THIS PLACE IN OUR RESPECTIVE
POSITIONS. FOR BOTH OF US, AT THE VERY LEAST, IT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING TWELVE
MONTHS. BUT IT IS NOT REALLY TO THE PAST THAT EITHER OF US LOOK -IN PERSONAL TERMS OR
POLITICAL TERMS, OR IN TERMS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES. WE
LOOK TO THE FUTURE. AND DESPITE THE MANY DIFFICULTIES WHICH BOTH OUR COUNTRIES
ARE NOW EXPERIENCING, WH] ICH BOTH OUR COUNTRIES AND GOVERNMENTS ARE TACKLING IN A
BOLD AND POSITIVE WAY, WE CAN HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE -I CERTAINLY HAVETHAT
THE FUTURE HOLDS TREMENDOUS PROMISE FOR THE WELLBEING, PROGRESS AND STABILITY
OF THESE TWO GREAT COUNTRIES PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND AUSTRALIA, SO DIFFERENT IN SO
MANY WAYS, BUT SHARING IN SO MANY IMPORTANT ASSOCIATIONS, HISTORICAL.-GEOGRAPHICAL,
REGIONAL, INSTITUTIONAL -SO MUCH IN COMMON.
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