Papua and Publicity

“In Grip Of Canberra”

EARLY in March the Papuan Govern** ment gazetted a new regulation under the Public Service Ordinance, by which officials of the service are forbidden in most explicit terms to supply to newspapers any information or photographs gathered in the course of their official duties, except with official permission.

It has been decided that in future Government reports and statements will be issued from Canberra to all newspapers simultaneously.

The Papuan Courier, which is published in Port Moresby, has protested in the strongest terms against this new rule. It asks why it should have to pay radio charges between Canberra and Port Moresby on information about Papua, and urges that such information should instead be released in Port Moresby, which is Papua’s administrative centre, and Aus tralian newspapers could then pay transit charges on whatever part of this informa tion they required.

The Papuan Courier heads its article “In the Grip of Canberra.” Most residents will agree with the point of view ex pressed. Papua managed its own affairs between 1889 and 1934 without hindrance from the Commonwealth Government. But in 1934 the first ready-made ordinance came along from Canberra, with an inti mation that it was to be adopted, and since then the practice has grown of sending from Canberra ordinances which have been fully drafted and concerning which the Legislative Council is given no voice.

The latest examples of this Canberra procedure are the Petroleum Bill and the Shipping Bill, both of which were forced through in the face of strong opposition from the non-official members.