Vote-Less

Voice Less And

Sad Condition of Papua and New Guinea

THE European residents of Papua and New Guinea—especially the non-offi cial class—have little hope of escap ing from the shackles of bureaucracy.

They are doomed, it seems, to live per manently in the power of officialdom, without representation in the Govern ment, and without recourse.

Australia proposes to amalgamate the two Territories. As the plan vitally af fects the interests of thousands of pri vate people. Sir Hubert Murray suggested that it might be submitted to a referen

dum of Europeans in the two Territories.

The Australian Minister for Territories (Mr. Harrison) said that that was “un necessary”. He said that the commit tee which would be appointed by the Government to advise on the amalgama tion, could take evidence from anyone who desired to give it.

The Minister’s attitude gives point to certain emphatic views expressed recent ly by the “Rabaul Times”. Commenting on the indifference of New Guinea re sidents regarding a proposed new ap pointment to the Legislative Council (which is advisory, composed non-offi cially of the Administrator’s nominees, and dominated, in any event, by the block vote of departmental heads who sit there ex officio) the newspaper says: “Admittedly, little more can be accom plished in a Chamber with a packed of ficial vote, which is always carefully in the majority. Under present circum stances, we can expect little else whilst Canberra controls the minutest detail of administration policy, leaving nothing for the local legislators to decide on their own initiative. It would be an em barrassing position if, during one bright session, the official members failed to vote ‘en bloc’ and the Government suf fered a defeat on some important "issue framed to further some Canberraistic scheme, originated for the edification of the Geneva critics—which is the ‘raison d’etre’ of half our legislation”.

Because residents of the Northern Ter ritory of Australia must pay Australian taxation, they are given a vote-less rep resentative in the Federal Parliament.

He may speak, but he may not vote: and it is an interesting commentary on politicians and their ways that the Min isters practically ignore the Northern Territory representative and his repres entations.

As Papua and New Guinea do not pay Australian taxes, they are not regarded as having any claim to Australian Par liamentary representation. No one could quarrel with that—if the Territories had any kind of local self-government. Nom inally, the Territories are governed from Port Moresby and Rabaul by Adminis trators accessible to the lightly taxed Eu ropean residents—a system that might have much to commend it. Actually, they are governed from Canberra, by a bu reau of capable but hard-boiled and unsympathetic officials.

The voices at Moresby and Rabaul are the voices of Murray and McNicoll; but the hands which hold the reins are the hands of Australian bureaucrats, whose names, even, are not known.

It is an extraordinary condition of af fairs. Little wonder that New Guinea residents are quite indifferent about their Legislative Council.