Australia “paternalistic, insincere”

on aid to South Pacific Islands

Australia’s announcement in October, 1976, that it was quadrupling its aid to the South Pacific had been handled in a paternalistic and insincere style, a parliamentary committee was told in Canberra.

Mr Greg Fry, tutor in politics at the Canberra College of Advanced Education, was giving evidence to the inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence into Australian Commitments to the South Pacific.

Mr Fry criticised Australian policy in the South Pacific as being geared to what were seen as threats to Australian security.

The increase in Australian aid last year had followed on the Russian offer of economic aid to Tonga in exchange for a base for the Soviet fishing fleet, he said.

The approach by the Australian Minister for Industry and Commerce, Senator Robert Cotton, in announcing the increased aid had treated the Islanders like children, with little sophistication, no ability to see through Australian policies and willing to take what amounted to a bribe, Mr Fry said.

This was made worse by the Foreign Minister, Mr Andrew Peacock, claiming that the quadrupling of aid was not linked to the Russian threat.

This was obviously untrue, he said.

Ironically, Australian policy, aimed at achieving good relations with the Islands and thereby promoting Australian security, was actually pushing Australia away from its objective, he said.