Canberra, 3 July 1968
Top Secret
When Malcolm Fraser and you and I had our talk last October about the size of the PIR 1 we agreed that a strength of about 3,000, including ARA members, would be reasonable and that the question should be put to Cabinet. Army was to prepare a joint submission in consultation with the Departments of External Territories and Defence.
Subsequently it was suggested—and the suggestion appeared reasonable—that the Defence Committee ought perhaps to be consulted before the matter went to Cabinet.2
What with one thing and another I find that since our agreement in October last no Cabinet Submission has yet been prepared and in the meantime the strength of the force has increased from about 2,200 native members plus 550 ARA to about 2,450 native members plus 650 ARA.
I should be grateful if you could speed up a decision on the PIR strength and if further recruitment could be stopped pending such a decision.
[NAA: A452, 1968/2441 part 2]
1 Document 145.
2 For background, see editorial note ‘Pacific Islands Regiment: ongoing debate over its size and role’.