New P-NG-NNG Confere

An 'Important Difference’ In New P-NG-NNG Confere

From a Canberra Correspondent It is no coincidence that Australian Territories Mink Paul Hasluck has chosen this particular time to promise us so “target dates” for progress in Papua-New Guinea.

THE UN Trusteeship Council is not in session in New York, but a local trusteeship council of sorts is shortly about to sit in Goroka, New Guinea, and Mr. Hasluck without doubt has his eye on that.

The local show is the third P-NG - Netherlands New Guinea Administra tive Conference—the first of these co-operative conferences to be held in the Territory. The first conference was in Canberra in October, 1958, and the second was in Hollandia in March last year.

Mr. Hasluck’s target dates will probably be publicly announced be fore the conference date on August 21, or in any case they will be made available to conference delegates.

Mr. Hasluck said in July his target dates will not include dates for political advancement be cause “these are matters which in volve the choice of the people them selves. We believe that the decision of the people must prevail over the plans or wishes of anyone else.

“Furthermore, the time as well as the nature of the decisions by the people will come directly out of their own response to the efforts which we make to promote their political ad vancement.”

He said the Department of tories and the P-NG Adminis had been doing intensive wor] recent months in shaping d proposals regarding target dal educational, social and ec( advancement.

Material prepared had been examined by an inter-depart committee and a report had g the Commonwealth Governmei

No Publicity

“When we give target dal want them to be realistic and related not only to good wish to sound planning,” he said.

There has been no advana licity on the administrative ference this year. Whether thi avoid the usual sabre rattling paign that Indonesian leaders waged prior to the other conft nobody will tell.

There is an important differe this year’s conference. Delegat include two natives on each sid< Dutch certainly had a couj native “assistants” at last year' ference but this year the nativ hold some rank.

(Continued on p. 134)

On Their

Own!

New Zealand's full ownership of TEAL, previously an Australian- New Zealand partnership, was signed, sealed and delivered in Wellington in July at this ceremony.

Australian Minister of Civil Aviation, Senator Shane Paltridge (left) who signed the agree ment on behalf of the Australian Government, shakes hands with New Zealand's Prime Minister Holyoake, who signed for New Zealand. Look ing on is NZ's Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr.

J. K. McAlpine. Qantas and TEAL will begin competitive services across the Tasman in October. See p. 121.

The proposals for this development were made by the Dutch, who prob ably see some significance in establish ing the principle.

The Dutch view, which they have never hidden, is that the future of NNG and P-NG is as one entity.

They have wanted a consultative union, which Australia has rejected so far.

With the native people taking a regular part in these annual con ferences, in addition to a stepped-up programme of personal exchanges at all levels, the Dutch could attain their consultative union by default eventually.

And what is wrong with the idea, anyhow?

The Dutch have proved more right than Australia so far on the West New Guinea issue, and they could be right on this, too. The Dutch have told Australia at both previous con ferences that Australia did not have 30 or 40 years to prepare her Terri tory for independence.

At last year’s conference the Aus tralians were let into the secret, in formally, of the Dutch plans to an nounce a 10-year target date towards independence.

Australia was told that the Du couldn’t wait, and that it was j unfortunate if Australia found hen embarrassed on her side of the Te: tory because of the pressure of eve: Whether the Dutch have j similar bombshells for this sessi nobody knows yet, but if they hi they will probably be unloaded formally in the smoking room. Z conference itself will stick to a view of events over the past months, and discuss exchange pll for the next year.

Probably the Dutch will be cont with their new principle of nai delegates, and with reminding Australians with good humour fl they really haven’t as much time; P-NG as they think.

And they might decide to n chievously ask the Australian d» gates what they think Australia wa do if Indonesia mounted a large sc invasion of Netherlands New Gui: soon.

The Dutch know what they wo do. They would contain the invas just long enough to hand the wh mess over to the United Nations, they haven’t the military forces to able to do any more.

And with Indonesia in possess! as Australia knows, these annual c ferences would cease to be either operative or consultative.