'Out Of P-NG

In 10 Years'

“Australia will try to give P

NG representative self-govern

ment by 1968 and complete its

political independence by 1972

at the latest.”

MELBOURNE journalist Osmar White said this in the Melbourne Herald on February 5. He thus started a lot of rabbits running—see the story above and also p. 21.

The main points of White’s article were : • No official announcement of the target dates was likely to be made until after next year’s P-NG elections, but there would be an all-out effort to stick to the timetable. • Native under-secretaries would be appointed to various departments after the elections. They would be trained for full ministerial responsi bility. • A new P-NG Parliament in 1968 would have its laws subject to assent only by the Australian Parlia ment, and the native under-secretaries would then become full ministers. • Main task of the 1968 chamber

might be to devise a constitution so that P-NG would be a self-governing nation within the Commonwealth. • There was “every indication that powerful elements within the Menzies Government would like to achieve political separation in P-NG by 1972 at the latest”. • In Canberra, foreign affairs ad visers “had long been urging that Australia withdraw from P-NG as soon as possible”.

'Sheer Speculation/

Says Mr. Hasluck

In Rabaul, NG, on February 9, the Minister for Territories, Mr. Paul Hasluck, replied: “The report that political indepen dence by 1972 is planned for Papua and New Guinea’ is sheer speculation by a singularly ill-informed person.

“The gossip and guesses on which the speculation is based have no sub stance in any governmental proposal or planning. I ask the inhabitants of the Territory—and by that I mean in habitants of all races—to cast from their minds the false and mischievous gossip that Canberra is planning early withdrawal. I assure them that it is not.

“The policy of the Australian Gov ernment, frequently reaffirmed, is that we will stay in Papua and New Guinea as long as the people of the Territory need our help. No one, other than the residents of the Terri tory, can tell us when to go. Aus tralia has her own rights and respon sibilities here, and will maintain them and relies on the support of her allies to help maintain them.

“We have committed ourselves to do our utmost to advance the people of the Territory towards self-govern ment and we have also committed ourselves to protect their freedom of choice.

“Whether they choose indepen dence as well as self-government is a matter for them, and we will not force them into independence or our selves abandon our responsibilities to wards them.

“We have refused to give target dates for political advancement be cause we respect the right of the people to choose.

“In keeping with our traditional views of progressive constitutional change, we look to the legislature of the Territory to express the will of the people of the Territory.

“The proposed enlargement of the Legislative Council and the introduc tion of representative government, as recommended by the Council itself, will help the Territory legislature to do so.”