New York, 4 June 1968
UN956. Confidential
Secretary-General
The following points emerged in a conversation which I had with the Secretary-General at a lunch which he gave in honour of the Australian Prime Minister at headquarters on 31st May./
[matter omitted]
3. In discussing the attitudes of the Australian Government and public to the United Nations, I reminded U Thant that the public were to a substantial extent influenced by the tone and content of resolutions passed by substantial majorities condemning Australia for what it was doing in its external territories. To the people of Australia, and also to the people of Papua–New Guinea, the contents of these resolutions were to a large extent unreal and indeed outrageous. The Australian taxpayer was asked to pay a sum getting towards dollars 100 million a year for the development of Papua–New Guinea, which he did willingly enough but he did not expect to b.e abused for it. Of some significance to the United Nations itself was the impact on the people of New Guiriea—a country which might well become a member of the United Nations—of things said in the United Nations about themselves which appeared to them to be false and offensive.
[matter omitted]
[NAA: A1838, 936/3 part 2]