Port Moresby, 16 January 1967
46. Confidential
Following is summary [of] matters which were discussed informally in Administrator’s Council on 12th and 13th January.
Recruitment expenses2
On the basis of a personal report by Guise of discussions with the Public Service Commissioner (a sub-committee had been formed at last meeting to conduct such discussions, but had not been able to meet) members of the Council showed some sympathy with Administration’s position which is that the present appropriation of DLRS 200,000 will not be sufficient to enable the Administration {even to approach its} recruitment target for {1966/67 of 366 new} appointees and 500 replacements. Members did not predict reaction of the House of Assembly to a request for additional funds for recruitment but left the impression that if the approach were made as a request for supplementary appropriation on the basis of underspendings in other votes and not … of a restoration of the DLRS 50,000 cut there would be a good chance of acceptance and at any rate members of the Council would support it … 3
[ matter omitted ]
Bougainville
Two reviews were made—the first in broad terms of the progress in negotiation of an agreement and the second of the situation on the ground. There was a full discussion in which all members participated and the impression was left that there would be no serious objection to ratification of the agreement in the House provided it could be placed before the Council again in the first instance and provided its shape was as now envisaged. There was {general agreement on the vital} need for the CRA and for the Administration not to let a minority interfere with policies which were in accordance with the law and had the backing of the House of Assembly. The discussion covered fully the role of the missions. Members offered many suggestions as to possible action on the ground to ensure that the Administration’s point of view gained increasing acceptance. They felt that the Administration position would gain strong support in the House of Assembly at the next session. The assumption behind the discussion was that there would be no serious objection to the approval of the Lapun amendment. Secretary’s telegram of 13th January4 had not been received during the meeting but our first impression is that this would not cause Council members to revise their attitude of support.
[ matter omitted ]
[NAA: A452, 1967/1347]
1 Hay had begun his tenure as Administrator on 9 January (for background, see Document 66JUL27). In discussion with Warwick Smith prior to his arrival, Hay had stressed the ‘necessity for consultation with Papua–New Guinea institutions’; he believed it essential for ‘major decisions [to be] supported’ by these institutions, an objective involving ‘some finesse on our part—that having been a characteristic somewhat lacking in the past’ (Hay interview, 1973–4, NLA: TRC: 121/65, 3: 1/2–3). In his inaugural speech, he emphasised the Administration’s detennination to listen and stressed the responsibility of officers to ‘play their part in solving social problems which … need to be solved if Papuans and New Guineans and Australians are to maintain their traditional friendship’ (9 January 1969, NAA: A1838, 936/317/1 part 3).
2 See Documents 68–71.
3 In the February meeting of the House, members restored the $50,000 and approved a supplementary sum of $10,000. At the same time, a number of members stressed the importance of increasing local recruitment and training (E.P. Wolfers, ‘January–April 1967’, in C. Moore with M. Kooyman, A Papua New Guinea political chronicle 1967–1991 , Bathurst, 1998, p. 6).
4 It related to the amendments to the Lapun bill sought by DOT (see editorial note entitled ‘Lapun’s bill and the situation on Bougainville’).