By Backbench[?]

Minister Should Go[?]

Strong Critici[?]

fPHE Australian newspap August 27 headlined an upon Territories Minister I in the Australian Parliamt Liberal back-benchers R. C. and M. L. McColm.

Mr. Wheeler described the ment and anger of Terri tori ans the procedures followed Minister in introducing incoi ation, as he had observed it in Papua and New Guinea

and July.

Mr. McColm insisted th Hasluck had created such bad between Territorians and A tration that he should be u to another portfolio.

The following are the main made by Mr. Wheeler: A threat to security was being by the assembly, around Port Mon Rabaul, of colonies, in consideral bers. of unemployable, detribalise* —“classic breeding-ground of tro' Native labour contracts had bee* way affairs. The employer disobey peril; but there was no practical enforcing the terms of a contrac; native, if he chose to walk out.

There should be more effec: operation between the governing « Canberra and the Territorians. “ we like it or not, every white there, official or non-official, is a i tative of Australia. This is where weakness lies, particularly in our' to the non-official European pot The inept and almost disastrous of the recent income tax proposal up this very weakness. In spite 01 researches, the Canberra bun failed completely to grasp the stances and views of the private

"Locusts"!

“It is not difficult to pinpo basic weakness of our admi tion,” declared Mr. Wheeler, officials regard the private and the settlers as interior their islands paradise—me; are there on sufferance an will be eliminated in due ct; In line with that, sal Wheeler, was the Minister’s o tion of a large section of th ness community as “locusts”

The Labour Opposition si; “Hear, hear!”

“That proves my point,” ree Mr. Wheeler. “Members o applaud the term. The So believe it to be correct.”

Mr. Hasluck sharply chas Mr. Wheeler. Could he qui source of his information, of taking material fromi irresponsible newspaper.

Mr. Wheeler said the stas

(Continued on page 147)

de by the Minister when ig a conference organised Australian Institute of Science, in Canberra, in f, 1958. Mr. Hasluck had out that a large proportion iants’ sales to Territorians lanced by the growing ental expenditures in the 7] and Mr. Hasluck then nd I say quite bluntly that the people who come to me juise of solid pioneers and men of private enterprise la and New Guinea are he locusts, in the sense that gathering what they have ti”.

Hasluck interjected: Fair Wheeler said that the had later realised the lone by his unfortunate and set out to correct it eech he made at Newport ). lasluck shouted: I have lade a speech at Newport ife! ?r points by Mr. Wheeler:

p riva te enterprise was responsible for a good deal of the Territory s progress; and only by encouragement of such could the Territory reach its proper place in the economic life of the Pacific.

Pree enterprise must give service; and, in return for service, a man who risked his capital was entitled to a reasonable profit. That was the difference between Liberal philosophy and the doctrinaire views of the Socialist.

The Minister’s policies had created grave doubts in the mind of the Territorian about his future security, and it was time to re-shape and re-state the Government’s policy in relation to New Guinea There now was a serious revulsion of feeling among Territorians against Canberra control.

Mr. Wheeler recounted the

developments and incidents which

led up to the Taxation Rebellion,

and recalled that On May 12. in Parlidmonf * ■ ’ 111 Kli ’ . ® had Urged- in Vain a PUDIIC inquiry into tile whole position. There was no inquiry. c.ul. / m • White SettleiS Place 111 P-NG “What I feared has happened ” he went On “Somehnriv hnH n

Hof* Vi* v a

date (for the introduction of the taxation measures) and there COUld be no delay!

“As a result W 6 have lost the goodwill Of the European settlers and this loss Of goodwill is being conveyed inpvifnhlv tn thP nntivp meVUaDly t 0 lfie native ’ , I am convinced that the economic and political future of the Territory lies in partnership with the European settler. He will be

not as a temporary guide jtructor, but as a permanent

f the population.”

i doctrine placed upon us the re- Ity of seeing that the native was ;ated; and Australia’s administra lials had shown a great capacity ,rge this responsibility, srritory should have a representa a in the Commonwealth Parlia its present constitution, the P-NG it Council was only “a toy Parlia rrying out policy decisions made srra”. constitution was needed, to give presentation to non-official classes, opean and native, latives now were becoming traders. tax assessor had a formidable getting taxes from Chinese and lives, with their primitive book present conditions, the European pould not remain long in New “Yet everybody will admit that e settler’s influence on education, ical services, his example to the ly his mode of conduct, and his to teach them how to work and lltivate their crops, all are wanted erritory”, Wheeler ended his well ;d, sharply-pointed speech plea that the Prime Minister lenzies) should go soon to ‘rritory, and examine the n for himself.

iioval of Minister Sought

' in the session came Mr. i, with his argument that, h Mr. Hasluck was quite in his objectives—the care Ivancement of the natives — sriod of usefulness as a r for Territories had ended, position had arisen through ilete lack of good public re between Minister, Depart and Territorians. The ;r had been badly advised, ich theory had been applied ot enough practical know- McColm quoted a speech by >hop of New Guinea, on the ires followed by the Minister •oducing the Taxation Bills, >ort of his argument.

Minister has almost corn ignored this Parliament at the same time, maintain tat the final responsibility ? tax legislation lies in the of this Parliament,” said Mr. n.

McColm reviewed a series of surrounding the introduction ition in P-NG to support his hat the Minister had either adly misunderstood or poorly The Minister could very have met the people of New i and explained to them his is and the procedures he had iresent conditions continued, i, there could be a disastrous between Australia and the

Territory—and that was why he had made his very serious state ment.

Minister Defended The following day, a West Aus tralian member, Mr. F. C. Chaney, who obviously knew little about conditions in Papua and New Guinea, made a speech in which he strongly defended and warmly praised the character and ac complishments of Mr. Hasluck.

This speech was prominently dis played in the newspapers of October 30: but it had no bearing on con ditions in Papua and New Guinea.

The burden of Mr. Chaney’s song was that so long as Mr. Hasluck maintained “the confidence of the people to whom New Guinea be longed,” it didn’t matter what Terri torians or Backbenchers thought of him. (See Commentary, p. 21),