No Shortage Of Candidates
pp. 23-146 · Read in the full issue
For The Big Elections
From a NG Correspondent With election day in Papua-New Guinea still unknown t obviously not far away, six European candidates have an unced a definite intention of offering for the newly enlarged r, gislative Council and another two are strongly rumoured as ndidates.
LIVE councillors will be sleeted, and then elected, under le electoral college system. In November, 44-year-old Port >by carrier, Willie Gavera, be the first native candidate. He he would stand for Western i. Gavera, well known in 3by, was an Administration and Sydney University trained :al assistant at a Port Moresby fcal before he bought his own ess two years ago. e is the European position as s early in December:
Nites—
n New Guinea Highlands, lan )owns. n New Guinea Coastal, Lloyd lurrell (a sitting member). n New Britain, Don Barrett a sitting member). n New Guinea Islands, Paul lason, Bill Meehan, Peter lurray.
Idles —
n Western Papua, Craig Kirke a sitting member). n Eastern Papua, Bob Bunting a sitting member by appoint lent, not by election). ) points have focused out ing public interest in the ms. In the first place the elec will represent the first poll Papua-New Guinea was sub d into six instead of three rates. In the second place fates are announcing their in ns of offering, although nom ns have not even opened, low seems likely that the Ad trator, Brigadier D. M. Cleland, announce in January when lations will be accepted and election day will be held, on day will probably be in March, or possibly very late bruary.
The Biggest
election will be the biggest in number of electorates, the er of candidates and the num f voters. It will also be the ilection since the formation of ’erritory’s first political party United Progress Party. This fone has without doubt drawn candidates into the field, and ntensify voting interest.
Here is the present background to the poll, taken electorate by elec torate.
• New Guinea Highlands
represents part of the existing New Guinea Mainland electorate. The only man to announce so far that he will stand is well-known Mr. lan Downs, a former Administration officer who has become a highly successful planter. He recently re turned from a world tour in which he particularly inspected plantation and processing centres connected with tropical agriculture. Downs was an earlier elected member for New Guinea Mainland, and resigned dur ing the famous taxation issue walk out by elected members. He has announced his intention of stand ing as an endorsed candidate of the United Progress Party, and the party has accepted his offer.
• New Guinea Coastal,
which has Lae as its principal centre, represents the remaining part of the existing New Guinea Mainland. The only definite candi date so far is Mr. Lloyd Hurrell, who is the sitting member for Mainland, and who was elected only this year. Hurrell will stand as an
independent. The UPP is known to be seeking a candidate to oppose him. * NEW BRITAIN represents the island of New Britain. It has Rabaul as its principal centre, and j s par t 0 f the existing New Guinea
(Continued on p. 143)
ids electorate. Its only definite lidate so far is Rabaul planter Don Barrett, who is sitting iber for Islands and is one of three founders of the UPP. ■e has been some talk in Kokopo 3 centre of the New Britain ting industry—of nominating independent candidate. There been no announcement, how
1W Guinea Islands Is Made
of New Ireland, Bougainville Manus. It has proved itself the rise electorate so far by produc tive intending candidates—Bill lan for the UPP, Paul Mason ist the UPP, and Peter Murray an independent. (See story,
Mr. Mason thinks the UPP is “a dream that will not work for long” and says it is impossible for the party to insist on no discrimination between races because “it can’t be otherwise with a protected people, Protective laws discriminate between races”. , He also says he will support the mixed blood people, who have been “shockingly” treated, and also in sist on the right of P-NG public servants to acquire land in the Territory. • WESTERN PAPUA, based on Port Moresby, is the major part of the existing electorate of Papua, There have been no announcements from any potential candidate.
Sources close to Mr. C. P. Kirke, of Port Moresby, rumour strongly, however, that he will probably stand, Kirke is at present the elected mem ber for Papua. There is little doubt that Kirke would stand as an in dependent if he decided to offer himself. In this case, the UPP would not delay in endorsing a party candidate. * EASTERN PAPUA, is the re maining part of the existing elec torate of Papua, and no candidates have so far come forward. There is a good possibility that Mr. Bob Bunting will stand for election. His position at present is rather unique.
He is an appointed member of the Legislative Council, but he is also
one of the co-founders of the Ul There is some belief that the A ministration might be reluctant reappoint him because of the pa: affiliation, and if this were so ! only way of returning to the Leg lative Council would be by elect!
It is by no means certain, howev that his party affiliation would p: elude his reappointment. The A ministration is known to be cons ering the position.