Canberra, 15 April 1966
Secret
I feel that I should send to you, and through you to the Minister for Territories, what I might call a supplementary note in relation to Cabinet Decision No. 138, which refers to Papua and New Guinea—Ultimate Status.1 This was the subject of Cabinet Submission No. 71.2
The point is the possibility of eventual integration of the Territory with Australia as a State on equal terms with the present States. It may well be that the decision is not sufficiently specific on this point.
As you know, it was part of the Minister’s recommendation that such an association would be excluded—see paragraph 62(a). But the decision indicates that the Submission is ‘unendorsed’ and this could give rise to a belief that the question of integration as a State remains open.
Therefore I had better say that, as 1 saw it, the line of the Cabinet discussion would require that the New Guinea delegation receives no encouragement, and in fact receives discouragement, about integration as a possibility. Even though, as the decision records, the Cabinet has said that the ultimate arrangements will be for the people of the Territory and, if necessary, the people of Australia, at the time of independence, it also had in mind that it could be disastrous to allow the delegation to go back home with false hopes.
This confirms our telephone discussion. As I said then, I am sure the Minister is in no doubt about what I have just said.
[NAA: A4940, C 1724 part 2]
1 Document 34.
2 Document 25.