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SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
PARLIAMENTARY DINNER IN HONOUR OF
THE PRIME MINISTER OF PNG
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RABBIE NAMALIU
CANBERRA, 2 SEPTEMBER 1991
Prime Minister,
Ministers, Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen
On behalf of the Government and the people of Australia, it
gives me great pleasure to welcome Papua New Guinea's Prime
Minister, the Right Honourable Rabbie Namaliu, and his wife
Margaret, to Australia and to Canberra.
We in Australia place great value on the warm, close and
regular contacts which are well-established between Australia
and Papua New Guinea. As two sovereign and independent
nations, each pursuing our individual national objectives, we
have built a close and valued partnership based upon shared
values and mutual interests.
This is, of course., your second official Prime Ministerial
visit to Australia., Rabbie.
Last year you and Margaret hosted a superb visit to PNG which
will always be for both Hazel and me a treasured memory. A
highlight of that visit was a trip to your beautiful home
province. Ministers from both our countries took part in the Australia-
Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum which took place here in
Canberra last February. I am especially pleased to see
regular and routine Ministerial, Parliamentary and officials
visits between our two countries.
And I want to take this opportunity to say how much I
personally value the warm contacts between you, Rabbie, and me
over the past three years.
The relationship between our two countries is built firmly
upon the strength of the interests we share. Fundamentally
this means the strength of our bilateral political and
economic linkages. But it also means, increasingly, seeing
ourselves as partners-in the Asia-Pacific region, and working
together to build our respective capacities to take advantage
of and contribute to this region's dynamism.
For Papua New Guinea, like Australia, this means looking
outwards taking internal decisions consistent with a stable,
open and internatiLonalised economy; developing a positive
international profile through constructive contributions on
regional and inter7national issues; and forming and
strengthening strategic regional partnerships.
Papua New Guinea's moves to diversify its political and
economic relationships already reflect a growing international
consciousness, and Australia recognises and welcomes this.
In particular, we admire the way that you have built on your
treaty of mutual respect, cooperation and friendship with
Indonesia to deepen and strengthen your relations with your
closest neighbour, and to work effectively with Indonesia to
manage cooperatively the situation along your common border.
This is an issue on which you and your government have shown
statesmanship of a high order. We are grateful to you for it,
because it will al. ways be important to us in Australia to see
close cooperative relations between our two near neighbours.
We see Papua New Guinea's candidature for the Presidency of
the United Nations; General Assembly this year as also very
much in line with this trend; and as a fitting reflection of
Papua New Guinea's; international standing. Australia strongly
supports Sir Micha~ el Somare ' 5 candidature, and we are working
actively for its success.
And by hosting the! forthcoming South Pacific Games, Papua New
Guinea will contribute to developing a sense of regional
cooperation through the important medium of sport. The
impressive preparations underway for this major event reflect
the spirit, energy and application of the people of Papua New
Guinea. Australia wishes you all the very best for a
successful Games.
Under your leadership, Rabbie, PNG has achieved much at home
too in recent years. I want to pay special tribute to the
skill and persistence ' that you have shown in achieving this
year the significant reforms to PNG's constitution for which
you have strived so long. By giving PNG more stable
government, these reforms are a major contribution to your
nation's future. I know you have further reforms under way,
and I wish you success with them.
We appreciate the magnitude of the difficulties you continue
to face on Bougainville. Thanks to your government, PNG has
managed the economic consequences of the crisis effectively.
As you know, Australia firmly supports your Government's
efforts to ensure your nation's integrity. Like you, we
believe that any satisfactory resolution of the Bougainville
situation must see Bougainville remain part of PNG. For that
to be possible, some political solution must be found which
will satisfy Bougainvillians' aspirations for more autonomy
while maintaining PNG's sovereignty. Such a solution cannot
be found by force. The resumption of talks on Bougainville is
a good sign, and in our view a politically negotiated
settlement remains the best way to achieve a comprehensive and
enduring solution. We have already offered practical forms of
assistance and we stand ready to assist in future.
Like Australia, Papua New Guinea is rich in natural resources.
And the immense potential of your country is still largely
untapped. Great opportunities lie ahead for you, but it will
be crucial to your long-term economic prosperity that you
harness and manage your resources carefully. The Porgera Gold
Mine, which I saw during my visit last year, the Chevronmanaged
oil field and other mineral developments will lead to
very substantial revenue flows by 1995-96. The right balance
in investment and expenditure strategies will be the key to
the effective long-term utilisation of your resource wealth.
Investment promotion, such as your United States " Roadshow",
will also contribute significantly to the creation of
important investment and commercial partnerships for Papua New
Guinea. But despite the pr. omise of many good things to come in the
future, we cannot underestimate the enormity of the problems
and challenges that face Papua New Guinea right now in social
and economic devel~ opment. The problems are, of course, for
you to resolve, just as it will be for you to reap the rewards
of meeting and ovetrcoming the challenges that face you.
Prime Minister,
I know from our many conversations on this subject, and from
the evidence of the work you have set in train within your own
Government, of thE-committed approach you are taking to Papua
New Guinea's sericous law and order problems. Both our
Governments understand the need for security if development is
to proceed, and for development if security is to be
maintained. I heartily endorse: your Government's decision to give priority
to law and order and internal security and to provide a
comprehensive plan. of action in the context of your
forthcoming budget that will see a shift of resources to the
areas of real need.
We recognise, as I know you do, that hard decisions and strong
leadership will be required to create for PNG the institutions
it needs to meet its current urgent law and order needs.
As I said to you today, Australia's commitment to your
country' s sovereignty and independence means that we cannot,
and would not, presume to tell your Government how Papua New
Guinea should org anise its law and order priorities and
programs. But we are very willing to cooperate with you in areas where
we can best help, and where your government takes the lead in
establishing commitments and setting priorities.
That is why I am pleased that we have signed today an Agreed
Statement on Security Cooperation which sets out clearly the
principles under which we cooperate, the priority areas for
our assistance, and new procedures which will ensure that all
our cooperation in this area is part of a comprehensive,
integrated and planned approach to internal security.
Australia and Papuia New Guinea, as partners, neighbours and
friends, share a relationship based on firm and unshakable
foundations. The conclusion of the Joint Declaration of
Principles in December 1987 provided a comprehensive framework
for the conduct of our relations now, and into the next
century. The Treaty on Development Cooperation, concluded in May 1989,
has laid the groundwork for the more professional delivery of
development assistance. One of the major tasks facing us now
is to ensure the right content and balance of development
assistance to ensure the maximum long-term benefits. In line
with Papua New GuiLnea's stated goal of achieving fiscal selfreliance,
AustraliLa and Papua New Guinea have together
reaffirmed our shared commitment to the gradual phasing out of
budget support by the year 2000. At the same time,
Australia's project aid to Papua New Guinea will increase
forging mutually beneficial links between our two countries
based on focused and practical assistance directly related to
your specific development needs.
I am confident that with continuing close cooperation between
us on these issues, we can achieve the best possible
arrangements to carry us into the next century.
The nature of the relationship between Australia and Papua New
Guinea, solid and enduring though it is, is changing, and will
continue to change into the 90s and next century. The habit
of dependence has been well and truly broken. New generations
will develop different perceptions of each other from those
which marked, and sometimes marred, earlier relations between
our countries. Both our countries will look increasingly
outward to devel. oping and strengthening our place in the
world and this can only enrich and strengthen our own
bilateral relations.
At the political level, I believe we have gone a long way to
developing close and cooperative contacts within a more mature
relationship. But I would very much like to see this
translated across the full spectrum of our contacts
including between business people, young political leaders,
and academics. I am pleased to see increased sporting
contacts between us and especially we look forward to the
forthcoming Kangaroo tour of Papua New Guinea.
As in any partnership between two independent nations, there
will be times when our interests diverge. This is nothing to
be afraid of. We both recognise our legitimate rights to act
in our own national interests as we see them. But Papua New
Guinea can be assured that the solid foundations of our
relationship remain secure, and that Australian commitment to
the relationship is enduring.