Australia Shirks Her

Islands Duties

The time for Australia to give aid to the Islands is right now, says this correspondent, an Australian business leader.

The Australian Parliament is not noticeably shy about exercising powers granted under the Constitution. It has used these powers freely and fully, and sometimes, as in the case of taxation, to the dismay of the States. However, the Australian Parliament has never exercised its power to legislate with respect to the Pacific Islands.

Under Section 51 (xxix) of the Constitution, the Australian Parlia ment is granted power in respect of external affairs, and under Section 51 (xxx) Parliament is granted power to make laws with respect to rela tions with the Islands of the Pacific.

Both of these powers are very wide.

Under the first, the Commonwealth has taken many positive measures including the creation of the Depart ment of External Affairs; but under the second it has taken virtually no action whatever.

Politics in mind

It has been said that Section 51 (xxx) is unnecessary because the power involved is already contained in the External Affairs power, but if that is so there has been only a modest performance on the part of the Department of External Affairs in regard to relations with the Islands.

The Founding Fathers inserted Section 51 (xxx) presumably with economic and political relations in mind. There is no doubt that the power would entitle the Commo wealth Government to set up a Pacific Islands department if it wished (and could happen when Papua-New Guinea becomes independent). Un questionably the power authorizes various forms of aid to Islands people although this power is also implicit in the external affairs power.

Curiously, Section 51 (xxx) is the only power out of 39 specified in Section 51 that has never been used by parliament. Like the princess of the fairy tale, it sleeps, waiting for some political Prince Charming to give it the kiss of life.

The people of the Islands however,

cannot afford to be so uninterested in this matter of relations. Although they are not concerned with Aus tralia’s Constitution or Parliament, they want to know whether Australia is prepared to do something to help them move ahead socially and economically.

The Islands people know the Commonwealth is spending money in Papua-New Guinea, and they know we give aid to Asian countries under the Colombo Plan. They read about the thousands of Asians in our educational institutions and about the admission of Asians as migrants.

Knowing all this they ask themselves, “Why are we being overlooked?”

We are now stepping up our aid to the Pacific Islands (for example, more flour is going to Fiji), but the Islands. apart from Papua-New Guinea, do not get much aid in total.

It is argued, of course, that Aus tralia has a bigger political stake in Asian countries. The Islands, they say, are not politically important.

Mal-distribution of wealth

But if an independent Islands ter ritory should accept aid from Russia or Communist China in the future we would presumably express some concern. Our assistance given then, in circumstances of political pressure, would be very much less appreciated and we would deserve the cynical comments we would certainly receive.

The time to give aid is right now.

Naturally, someone is always ready to tell us that the Asian people are hungrier than the Islanders. This is certainly true, not least because of the mal-distribution of wealth in the

Asian countries and their extravagant spending on armaments, diplomatic offices, public services, etc.; but in any event the problem of Asia is truly a world one whereas the Islands are in Australia’s own sphere of influence. However, nobody believes that charity alone is the reason for Australia giving aid to Asia.

In any case there is no question of Australia giving less to the Asian countries than she is now, in order to provide something for the Islands.

Our aid programme should be ex panded to accommodate the Islands.

Australia has always tended to look far afield and ignore problems on her doorstep. It is only recently that Australia has begun focusing attention on her own Aborigines who have been sadly neglected, while hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into Papua-New Guinea and Colombo Plan countries. We must now do something about re lations with the Islands, as the Founding Fathers intended.

Particular areas requiring aid from Australia are Western Samoa, Tonga and Gilbert and Ellice Islands.