Democratic Rights'

Spreading The Word Around Territorians 'Want Their Democratic Rights'

Administrator D. M. Cleland, of Papua and New Guinea lew to Territories Minister Hasluck in Canberra on March 15 vith the intimation that, if the Income Taxation Bill was intro luced at that session of the Territory Legislative Council, the ion-official elected members would resign, in a body.

n March 16, the Minister made !iblic statement in his own de e to the effect that taxation sures would he placed before a ial meeting of the Council on I 20, when members would be n the fullest opportunity to de them. He indicated to the ralian newspapers that income tion was not being forced upon ia and New Guinea and that eseniations by the Legco mem would have full consideration re the tax was enforced, le current session of Legco by adjourned to March 23 was ued to expire. )wever, by the time these events place, the March issue of “PIM” gone to press, and could not nent on the Minister’s tactics.

Instead, “PIM” issued the foL ig material as a pamphlet and ly distributed it by post to mem s of Parliament, Australian papers, broadcasting stations, residents of Papua and New ea. Latest development shown anel, page 79.

E statement made in Canberra >n Monday, March 16, by Terri ories Minister Hasluck, about opposition of the non-official m of the Legislative Council to ne taxation, is merely another iple of the cleverness and veness of this Minister, in deal vith the affairs of Papua and Guinea. e plain truth is that Mr. ick, who increasingly has shown le qualities of a Little Dictator he took charge of Territories, dng to force his ideas of tax upon Territorians, without any d for their opinions or reactions.

I of this is seen when the ve facts are given, in correct mce. e Minister, in 1958, ordered a ;w of Territory finances and ion incidence. This was made Government “economist” and course—presented a series of nents in favour of introducing le taxation. It contained state s and arguments which were -ccepted by those most directly srned —namely, the non-official lyers. e Review was presented at the

September session of the Legislative Council, but not discussed. Study ing it, Territorial recognised the usual smooth approach towards in come taxation. Not nearly enough consideration had been given to the fundamental differences between living costs in New Guinea and in Australia.

Case For Delayed Action

On January 31, the largest and most influential non-official deputa tion ever to come out of the Terri tory (representing all commercial interests) interviewed Mr. Hasluck in Canberra. The spokesmen argued not against income tax, which they regard as inevitable, but against the methods of introduction and of im position that seemed to be in dicated. They asked that, before this tax is introduced, the whole subject be investigated and reported upon by a competent, independent Commissioner or Committee, and not left —as proposed—to officials who are clearly carrying out the arbitrary will of the top bureaucrats.

Their case was so strong, and Mr, Hasluck’s apparent reaction so friendly, that they were confident this course would be followed.

The Review came before the Legislative Council on March 9.

Discussion was initiated by Terri tory Treasurer H. H. Reeve, who submitted numerous arguments in favour of income taxation. Non official members spoke strongly against the plan, in its present form.

Surprise and Fury

On March 11, the non-official members learned unofficially, to their surprise and fury, that the Administration actually had the new Taxation Bills all ready to in troduce on March 13, to be forced through by the official majority immediately; and also that the Bills had been prepared and in readiness “for months”. They concluded that, in accordance with official practice in this Council, the Bills were to be “popped on” the Council without notice, and without the non-official members being given any chance to study them, beforehand. They par ticularly resented the apparent fact that the Minister had not had the

rtesy to Inform them that the iments of the deputation had i set aside, and that the Tax s would be introduced at the •ch session.

Tiat, in such circumstances, was use of having the Review debated ;he Council? on-official members’ reaction s violent. The Administrator gadier D. M. Cleland) was in led that if the Bills were intro id as officially planned, the three :ed non-official members (Messrs.

L James, Dudley Jones and lan r ns, all eminent and influential ients of New Guinea) would in a body, and thus force an >sure of the conduct of the •itories Minister upon the notice be Australian public.

He Flew to Canberra ■igadier Cleland—an expert in ic relations—deemed the situa sufficiently serious to adjourn Legislative Council to March 23; on Sunday, March 15, he flew i Port Moresby to Canberra to er with the Minister, le Minister then announced it planned that on April 20 the icil will be called to a special sion “to consider the Aus an Government’s decisions on uues”; and his sentences are so led that the average reader will me that the Council has power ;cept or reject the Bills. That is so. When Bills go before that icil, they are a fait accompli so as the Administration is con ed. le Minister’s statement that “if decided to propose legislation i the Council reassembles on 1 20, that will be the beginning, the end, of the opportunity for :ouncillors to examine the de n”; and “the proposals were not introduce taxation into the itory, but to change the way s were to be raised”, are simply ion of the facts.

Will Be Law ie facts are that, once Bills J before the Council, they may egarded as law, so far as the itory is concerned —they never withdrawn or amended in any irtant particular; the Minister’s osals for what he calls a ige” in taxation are so profound far-reaching that they partake ie full character of new tax is; and it is obvious that no letent inquiry into the tax ■tion can be made before I 20. e Territorians are not seeking void or evade taxation. What are asking is a more com it and authoritative review of situation and of the incidence le proposed new system than hing they can get from the aucrats.

Unchecked Dictator

is not sufficiently realised in

Australia that Papua and New Guinea now are the happy hunting-ground of Canberra’s bureaucrats, led by Canberra’s un checked Territories Dictator, Mr Hasluck. It is that fact, rather than the introduction of income tax, that the unofficial minority in the Coun cil is rebelling against. The non official residents of New Guinea want at least some little voice in their government—in other words, their simple, democratic rights.

For years, private enterprise has been trying to establish new and

extended small-scale industries in New Guinea; but has been de feated at almost every turn by Mr.

Hasluck. He readily helps large corporations, but —always without clearly showing his hand —he with holds any effective encouragement of the individual European.

When his most promising young District Commissioner, Mr. lan Downs, took a personal interest in the selection and settlement of young Australian planters in the New Guinea Highlands, Mr. Hasluck fell upon him like a thunderbolt in 1954-5; the circumstances were such that Mr. Downs left the Public Service. (Unfortunately for Mr.

Hasluck, Mr. Downs is now himself a coffee-planter in the Highlands, and an elected member of Legis lative Council, and one of Mr.

Hasluck’s least merciful critics.)

Fought For Aid

For years, the Returned Soldiers’

League of New Guinea, led by Mr.

R. F. Bunting, fought for Govern ment aid in the settlement of suit able ex-servicemen in New Guinea; but they got absolutely nowhere, until Mr. Bunting and his associates went over the head of Mr. Hasluck and appealed to Mr. Menzies. Then, in 1958, £250,000 was granted by Australia for soldier-settlement in New Guinea. ...

The P-NG Legislative Council has been summoned to a special session on April 20.