Port Moresby, 20 September 1969
Confidential
Select Committee on Constitutional Development1
Please find attached programme prepared by the Committee’s Sub-committee for consideration at the next Committee meeting on October 6th.
Attachment
SELECT COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
1. Basic need
A united Papua–New Guinea. Outward symbols of unity—name, flag, national emblem, national anthem.
2. Direction of development
Form of government best adapted to needs of the Territory as an independent nation.
Existing forms of government in other independent countries involve advantages and disadvantages. These forms include:—
(i) Unitary or Federal system
(ii) Unicameral or Bicameral system
(iii) Presidential or Parliamentary systems
(iv) Ministerial responsibility to House or to elected President
(v) Ministerial or Committee systems
(vi) Other types of systems
3. Specific constitutional problems involved in modifying present constitution for the Territory
(a) Official Members
(i) Whether there should be any and, if so, how many and which ones
(ii) If there are any, whether they should vote
(b) Whether regional electorates should be continued.
(c) Whether educational qualifications should be required for candidates for election to regional or special electorates.
(d) Papua and New Guinea Act—Part (IV)2
(i) Limitations of Act
(ii) What developments are possible within Act as it stands at present
(iii) Powers of Administrator
(e) Ministerial Members and Assistant Ministerial Members—possible developments of system.
(f) Administrator’s Executive Council powers and functions—possible development.
(g) Territory Budget
(i) Present role of Commonwealth
(ii) A.E.C. control
(iii) ‘Split’ budget
(h) Commonwealth Departments and Ministerial representation, e.g. Army, Navy, D.C.A., etc.
(i) Role of Local Government Councils in a national system.
(ii) Political education in Papua and New Guinea
(i) Material at present being disseminated
(ii) Formulation of material by Committee
(iii) Use of existing channels of dissemination for material prepared by Committee
4. Problems of rate of political development
(a) Pre-requisites for effective control of Territory’s internal affairs in a situation of internal self-government and total self-government.
(i) Proportion of locally-raised public money and proportion obtained by way of external grant or loan
(ii) Proportion of indigenous to expatriate senior public servants
(b) Relationship between political development and economic growth of private industry
(i) Expatriate control of companies in Territory
(ii) Local equity participation in foreign owned companies operating in Territory
(iii) Encouragement of local investment in Territory companies
(iv) Wage policy in relation to economic growth and taxation
5. Programmes for visits
(a) Discussions with Minister for External Territories and possibly other Australian Ministers in Canberra—early 1970.
(b) Tour of Territory with specific questions relating to number 3 above. Possibly early 1970, depending on progress.
(c) Visit to overseas countries to note constitutional procedures in countries recently independent. Possibly mid or late 1970.
(d) Tour of Territory with more specific constitutional proposals—late 1970 or early 1971.
[NAA: A452, 1969/3605]
1 The Select Committee had met on 15 August and 9 September. At the first meeting, Arek was elected chairman and, following an offer by Johnson, the Committee asked that a request be made to the Government for an executive officer who might assist the Committee in its work. It was thought ‘highly desirable to have a man who would not be subject to pressures and could bring an independent mind to the work’ (attachment to memorandum, Administration (Hay) to DOET, 15 August 1969, NAA: A4S2, 1969/4055). Territories had already asked Attorney-General’s if it might provide a staff member on a temporary basis. In doing so, Ballard described the prospective officer’s duties: ‘The executive secretary would not be expected to press the Government’s policies. This would be the responsibility of the official members. It would, however, be hoped that he would be able to steer the Committee away from unsuitable ideas put forward by outsiders. It would also be hoped that the executive secretary would not regard himself as simply an adviser on constitutions framed in vacuo but would make himself aware of developments in the economic and social fields so that he could stress the need for political development which has regard for social and economic development’ (memorandum, DOET (Ballard) to AG’s, 14 August 1969, ibid.). Attorney-General’s nominated C.R. Morrison, the crown solicitor attached to the Snowy Mountains Authority. Morrison had worked as senior legal adviser in DOET, and in AG’s had provided advice on Nauruan Affairs (telex 8436, DOET to Administration, 28 August 1969, ibid.). At the second meeting, the Committee appointed a subcommittee consisting of Arek, Johnson and Morrison to draw up the Committee’s program (memorandum, Administration (Hay) to DOET, I 0 September 1969, ibid.).
2 Part IV covered the administration of the Territory.