Canberra, 7 June 1967
SECRET
I refer to a letter addressed to me on 25th May by the Minister for Defence expressing agreement on the need for a high level review of various matters relating to the local defence forces in Papua and New Guinea and suggesting that the Defence Committee would be the body to undertake such a review.2
After giving careful thought to the Minister’s suggestion, I am afraid I cannot share his opinion that the Defence Committee, even bearing in mind that the Secretary, Department of Territories, and the Administrator of Papua and New Guinea could be co-opted, is appropriately constituted for the kind of review I consider to be needed.
As I mentioned in my letter of 23rd March, 1967,3 I entirely agree that full weight must be given to military aspects, but the considerations which caused me to write to the Minister for Defence in the first instance are, I feel, essentially civil and political in nature, rather than military.
Our international obligations and indeed, in my view, our own national interests require us to develop in Papua and New Guinea a self-governing state which will be both stable and democratic, with institutions having the fullest possible degree of acceptance by all sections of the community. It is in this context, rather than in the context of defence, that I feel the future of the local defence forces in the Territory should be examined and it was this which led me to suggest consideration by an ad hoc group in which the civil and defence viewpoints would be properly balanced.
I would be grateful therefore if you would further consider my earlier suggestion as regards the composition of the group that should carry out the review.
[NAA: A452, 1966/4989]
1 Acting Minister for Defence.
2 See footnote 6, Document 1ll.
3 Attachment B, Document 1ll.