(Sadly) True

It's Just Too, Too

Papua-New Guineas Assist ant Administrator, Dr. John Gunther, made one of his un happier but, unfortunately, very true — pronouncements, re cently when he said that even if the three elected members of the Legislative Council resigned over introduction of income tax on April 20 (as they have threatened they will), the Coun cil would just “go on without them”

He said that resignations of elected members “could not be allowed to interfere with proper conduct of Government.”

Cynics might pick a bone or two with the Doctor over what constitutes “proper”, or even “Government”, but leaving ethics right out of the matter, the fact is that the Legislative Council does just pursue its merry way in spite of what the elected members feel or say. Even when the nine nominated members join them, there are still 16 official members left to force any bill through. That, of course, is the whole crux of the tax fight: Once it goes to Legis lative Council, what the Aus tralian government feels is good for P-NG will go through .

There might be a very dif ferent answer to the tax ana other hot questions if were were secret ballots in P-NG Legco. If it does come to a yea or nay vote on income tar at the forthcoming special Legco meeting on April 20, the official members will do the \ r sheep act of t/ie Can berra bell-wether. But its go ing to hurt them as much as it hurts other Territonans— right in the pocket.