Will Lean

'New Guinea

Towards Asia'

From JOHN RYAN, in Port Moresby

That wily old Papuan gentle

man, John Guise, MHA, has got himself on BBC television with a

statement laying the guidelines

to the tough diplomatic job

facing Australia in South-East Asia during the rest of this century.

Interviewed in the House of Assembly, Port Moresby, by the BBC’s top current affairs man Kenneth Allsop, Speaker of Parlia ment John Guise made no bones about it.

“Australia must get used to the idea that an independent Papua-New Guinea would lean towards South- East Asia, not towards Australia.

Ves, I agree that Australia—the way she sees herself in this part of the world —has to change. Australia is a remote white country in a regional world of coloured people . . . her hinking has to change. We in Papua- Mew Guinea will lean towards \sia . . .”

Interviewer Allsop: Now what about ?apua-New Guinea? You must agree hat it is the most under-developed :ountry in the world?

Mr. Guise: I agree to this . . . >ut every man has the supreme right o govern himself. I know the vast najority of my people are against the Australian Labour Opposition -eader) Mr. Whitlam, but I am one •f the minority which believes that lie sooner we do it the better—self overnment in 1972 and independence y 1976.

Allsop: With your 700 tribes and 00 languages and many other bar ters, how will you meet the problems f self-government and independence?

Mr. Guise: There are problems •. • many problems, but if we poli cians go on thinking only about lese problems, we will all end up 1 a mental institution. We must irget our problems and (striking his ght fist into his left palm) get on ith the job! You see, we have been auditioned against thinking! We ave been conditioned against getting n with the job ourselves. We must art now] Allsop: What about your type of avemment?

Mr. Guise: I can tell you that this

Westminster system from your country (Britain) and from Australia will not work here. We must have a modified Presidential system . we must work out something that will work for this country.

Allsop: What about money after independence?

Mr. Guise; I think, with respect, that you will agree that Australia relies a great deal on money from the United States and that your own country, Great Britain, also relies on money from other countries. We in an independent Papua-New Guinea would also rely on money from other countries. Every country has to do this With respect, no country is really independent ... in this way, Australia will have to go on giving us large amounts of money whether S -fi ] ! kes ** or not *• -. s^e knows she will have to go on giving us money • • . because she wants a friendly Papua-New Guinea. If Australia did not give us the money, then we would have to look for it in other places • • • like Japan, Indonesia or even (Communist) China.

Ninety-eight Scouts from Papua-New Guinea were among 12,000 from all over the world at the ninth Australian Jamboree near Sydney in January.

Leader of the contingent was Richard Litau (right) from Manus Island, and helping in administration was Hebou Anisi (below). Assistant Lady Cubmaster for the Ist Ela Group, Port Moresby.

After winning camping awards at the jamboree, the contingent spent 10 days sight-seeing in Sydney.