First P-NG 'victim' is the 'meat

'meat in the sandwich'

From JOHN RYAN, in Port Moresby

Australian public servant Robert Bryant has become the meat in the sandwich in New Guinea’s first major row over giving ‘Euro pean’ jobs to New Guineans.

Chief Electoral Officer R. R.

Bryant, 49, has just been “localised” by his Papuan deputy Chief Elec toral Officer, ex-journalist Simon Kaumi, 34 . . . meaning, in layman’s language, that Kaumi has been so well trained by Bryant that Bryant has worked himself out of a job.

But the complicating factors in this first major “localisation” case were fast approaching the hysterical stage at the end of April.

Kaumi had been offered a “plum” job as Conzinc Rio Tinto’s Person nel Officer on the Bougainville copper project—but he publicly declined the offer and decided to go on with his new job as Chief Electoral Officer. Kaumi’s basic pay jumps from $2,595 as Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, to $4,355 as chief,

Appeal caused trouble

Bryant, here since 1954 after being a major (with Korean service) in the Australian Regular Army, was promoted to a new job (Assistant Secretary) in the new Department af Social Development and Home Affairs. His basic pay moved from $9,220 (Chief Electoral Officer) to $9,556.

But 11 other Australians ap aealed, believing themselves better ;uited for the job. All 11 had greater Public Service seniority, and the Promotions Appeals Committee (an ndependent committee of public servants) found that three of the 11 vere better suited to the job given Bryant.

The Public Service Association then )egan demanding Unkles’s dismissal Vlr. Gerald Unkles) knocked it ?ack —Bryant was going to get the \ssistant Secretary’s job come what may.

The Public Service Association then )egan demanding Unkles’s dismissal o Australia, and lambasting the s ublic Service Board for ignoring he recommendation of the Pro notions Appeal Committee. The PSA telegramed Prime Minister

John Gorton, and sent Industrial Advocate Rodney Madgwick to Australia to seek Queen’s Counsel advice on whether the PSA could challenge the government in court.

And to top it all, the PSA ap pealed to Bryant to solve the entire issue by declining to accept his promotion to Assistant Secretary.

Bryant, perhaps understandably, was now no longer his smiling, affable self.

It seems quite clear that the As sistant Secretary job for Bryant is his special reward (from Canberra and the Public Service Board) for the concentrated four years of train ing he has given Kaumi.

Nobody has questioned Kaumi’s right to become Chief Electoral Officer—the only challenges are against Bryant’s “reward”, and those by the PSA against the govern ment’s decision to cut right across the traditional system of letting any public servant appeal against the government’s provisional promotions.

At month’s end, the PSA was clearly trying to force the govern ment into a policy decision affecting

all 7,000 Australian public servants in New Guinea. It wanted the government to activate the much vaunted Compensation Scheme (the golden handshake), which provides lump-sum cash compensation or a comparable job in Australia, for Australians “localised” in New Guinea. The principal ordinance exists for the compensation scheme, but nobody has yet got round to writing the essential regulations that will make it work.

But, at this stage, does the govern ment really want it to work? Many here believe it does not, and that Bryant will have to remain the un fortunate meat in the sandwich. Once localisation gets underway, there could be so many redundant Aus tralians in New Guinea that the government will have to step in with a sensible compensation scheme that will work. Meantime, Bryant is the first “victim”.

Simon Kaumi and Bob Bryant.

Photo: New Guinea News Service