VISIT TO NEW GUINEA 1970
RABAUL QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK
Speech by the Prime Minister, Mr. John Gorton 9 JULY 1970
There is division amongst the Tolai people.... brother's hand is raised
against brother, and instead of people sitting down to try and reach friendly agreement
by discussion, people are hurting and beating those who disagree with them.
Peace is better than that kind of fighting, agreement by discussion is better
than name-calling and hurting each other, and yet this happens today inthe Peninsula.
And why? There has been some disagreement over whether there should or should not
be a Multi-Racial Council or a Local Council. We have said and I have said on behalf
of the Australian Government that we wish to discover what it is that most of the people
in this Peninsula want by way of a Council.
If most of the Tolai people on the Peninsula wish not to have a Multi-Racial
Council, then we would be prepared not to have a Multi-Racial Council. If most of the
Tolai people on the Peninsula want a Multi-Racial Council, then we would be prepared
to have that. But we need to know what it is that most of the people want.
I said that some months ago to one of the leaders of the Mataungan
Association, Mr. Kaputin. I said " Let us have a referendum. Let the people vote.
Let them say what they want." And I repeat that offer to all the people of this
Peninsula today. But such a vcte would need to be a secret one because when people already
are beating each other some may be frightened to come out openly and say what they
think for fear of being hurt. So the best way is a secret vote, and is this not handing
over to the Tolai people the solution of this problem? I think it is.
So I would speak not only to the people gathered here but to all those through
the length and breadth of this Peninsula. And I would say to each one of them: Sit
down in your own house, talk to your neighbours quietly. Ask yourself Would it not
be better to have unity than division? Would it not be better to have discussion than
fighting? Would ic not be better to find out what most want and then agree with what
most want?" I ask all those living here to do that.
I have been told by some I think a minority-but by some, that what is wanted
here is self-government now, but self-government for what? For New Britain? Because
New Britain has many other races than the Tolai. And if not for New Britain, then for
what? For the Gazelle Peninsula only? Is that asked for?
If it means self-government for the Gazelle Peninsula, what will the results
be for the people who live here? They will have left the Territory. They will no
longer be one unit of what is to be a nation. They will not have the right to share
in riches discovered in copper in Bougainville, or riches which may be discovered
in oil in Papua or in the industrial development of all the rest of the Territory. They
would have no right because they would be gone. Do they want that?
Is it not true that there ar.-many Tolai ncin who go to Papua, or to New
Guine-a or to other parts of the Territory and who wiork to high positions in the
Administration or in the Police Force or in industry. Surely Tolais would want
that opportunity to continue, would not want to break off from) what should be a
united nation. There have already. beens very great steps towards transferring more
power to the people of the Territory, announced less than a week ago, and ultimately
there will undoubtedly be self-government for all. But those who tell you that
the Gazelle Peninsula or the Tolai people would be better se-parate are telling you
untruly and would damage your opportunity for work and would damage your
opportunity to shai-e in the wealth of the whole natior.
And I would like all the people in the Peninsula quietly, in their own
houses, talking to their relatives and their friends, again to consider on this
matter whether what I tell you is riot true. And if you come to the conclusion
that it is true, that it is to your advantage and] to the in.-teres-, t of all the Tolai
people, then let that voice be known by casting votes for those who agree with
you in the House of Assembly, by letting the wishes oZ the people be known to
Councillors and tD others who will be influenced by what you say.
So I have spoken to you of the Multi-Racial Council, I have spoken
of why I think it would be bad for the people here to have self-government now,
if indeed that meant anything for an area of this size, and I know that these are
problems and that there are other problems to do with land tenure in the
Peninsula. I have asked the leaders ol the Mataungan Society to come to see me, to
talk about these problems, to try to solve them, to see if we can reach agreement.
But they have refused to do this. They have refused to exchange ideas. I would
like those Tolai who live on this Peninsula to let it be known that most of the people
want these things to be discussed in a friendly way, want them to be resolved,
want there to be a stop to beatings, to hurtful na me-call ings, to spitefulness and
to divisions. Do not think that there would be any support from Australia fox those who
have caused divisions in this country. I know another politician came here some
time ago and indicated that there might be such support. This is the Leader of
the Opposition. He is not in the Government he can do nothing. And this
should be known to all the people in this Territory.
And for the last things I Shall say to you, I say this. We must, while
we are here, see that the law is observed for the protection of all people here.
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3.
We want to stay and help in the Administration and the Government and the
provision of funds to the Territory including the Gazelle Peninsula, for as long as
we are wante... and we will do that. When most people wish us to go, which I
think would not be until we have helped to build up the inductries, to build up the
economic capacity of this Peninsula and of all tne rest of the Territory, if people
then wish us to go, we would be haT; pp: y to go. For we have no wish to administer
or govern one minute after most of the people in the Territory want us to leave.
And for the rest, I hope and I believe that the people here and in the
rest of the Territory will for the years ahead want that kind of partnership Vhich
has Shvwn such progress in twenty years, will want to have more and more say in
the running of their government, as they will. And that when the Tolai can heal
the division within themselves, then we c~ an all shak&% e bands as brothers and
tackle the task of construction instead of destruction which lies in front of us and
which we want to do together.
Thank you for listening, both townspeople who are here and the Tolai
who are here. I1h ope that my words, and my suggestions and requests for
peaceful co-operation, will be heard far beyond the confines of this meeting and
will help for the future prosperity o! the Gazelle Peninsula if the majority of people
here agree that what I have said is the best path for us all to follow.
Thank you.