Canberra, 10 December 1969
Confidential
Submission no. 41—Pay and Conditions of Service of Pacific Islanders and Members of the P/N.G. Division of the R.A.N.1
Subject to paragraph 2 below, the Cabinet gave approval to the recommendation of the Inter-departmental Committee (see Appendix ‘A’ to the Submission, Item 1) that there should be an addition to the active pay of all members of the P.I.R. and members of the P.N.G. Division of the R.A.N. (except cadet midshipmen) of an amount of 25 cents per day as a service loading, and agreed that this, and all the other recommendations of the Inter-departmental Committee, should have effect from 5 December 1969.
2. At the same time, it noted advice furnished by the Minister for External Territories and also by the Administrator to the effect that the introduction of the special allowance of 25 cents per day for the P.I.R., without some accompanying action in respect of the relative position of the Police, would give rise to the possibility of serious Police unrest. It therefore decided that there should be a Committee immediately established, at senior level, to look generally into the relativities, as between the P.I.R. and the Police, of allowances and other ‘fringe benefits’ and to recommend any adjustments in these relativities which it judges, on the evidence, to be warranted. The Cabinet decided further that the announcement of the special allowance for the P.I.R. should be delayed until it can be accompanied by announcement of the relativities enquiry.
3. It was agreed that the Committee should comprise, from the Territory, the Administrator or his nominee and representatives of the Commissioner of Police, the P.I.R., the Public Service Board and the Department of Labour, and from Canberra, representatives of the Departments of External Territories, Defence and the Treasury.
[NAA: A5869, 41]
1 Document 338.