Port Moresby 3 September 1969
7103. Confidential Immediate
During Minister’s stop over in Moresby he held discussions with Kelloway, Police Commissioner,1 Head of Special Branch2 and myself.3 Police Commissioner expressed the view that on existing reports the planned build up would be able to hold the situation in Rabaul. He also said that it appeared possible to further reinforce the Rabual police by up to an additional 500. Plans for this end will be made immediately. Minister feels that use of a Hercules would greatly facilitate move of this nature and asks that this be placed before Fairhall.
2. Minister has stressed absolute necessity of getting specific support from the House of Assembly for any moves which involve use of P.I.R.
3. Minister has also directed that consideration be given to other possibilities of peaceful solution of differences between Mataungan Association and the Council. These include the establishment of a commissioner (for which there is already some support in the House of Assembly as distinct from a House Select Committee on which opinion is lukewarrn).4 The appointment of a commissioner could be simultaneous with suspension of Council and installation of a manager but need not be in the event that the Council is in fact able to carry on. The Administration will urgently examine this. The timing of a decision of this kind will have to be carefully considered in relation to the state of law and order. It is the Administration’s view that appointment of a commissioner would not necessarily assist restoration of law and order at the point of breakdown and that the first essential is to guarantee law and order before other kinds of measures are set in train. Once law and order are restored then the way is reopened to the kind of compromise solution earlier in question, namely the enlargement of the number of wards in the Council by agreement between the Council and the Association.
4. In summary, a request for a final decision on the use of the P.I.R. is not imminent unless the situation takes a very serious turn for the worse in Rabaul, but we would request that the state of readiness now instituted be maintained.
5. The Minister will return to Canberra today, E.T.A. Fairbairn 2045.
[NAA: A452, 1969/4146]
1 R.W. Whitrod.
2 D.P. Sheekey.
3 Barnes and Kelloway had been in Mt Hagen and were met at the airport in transit to Canberra. Warwick Smith was also in PNG, visiting Daru.
4 In a statement to the House of 2 September, Johnson had said: ‘It may be that the House would wish to set up a Select Committee to inquire into the solution of the pressing problems at present dividing the people who live in the Gazelle, particularly insofar as they affect things which the Administration or the House itself, for example, by legislation, can do’ ( House of Assembly debates , NLA: Nq. 328.952 PAP, p. 1646). Hay later provided Besley more detail on the background and reactions to the suggestion: ‘[the] question of a select committee had been discussed with [the] Secretary who agreed with it. In fact there have been suggestions for [a] commissioner rather than [a] select committee from Members of the House who are somewhat lukewarm about getting themselves involved in what they would prefer to see as an internal Tolai matter. If any proposal emerges from the House, therefore, it is likely to be for [a] commissioner’ (telex 7129, 3 September 1969, NAA: A452, 1969/4146). Besley had earlier expressed to Hay a preference for a commissioner, as it would ‘be more helpful and more likely to lead to an acceptable solution’ (telex 8592, 2 September 1969, NAA: A452, 1969/2889). For other earlier Territories plans for an inquiry, see footnote 2, Document 309.