Agendum 805 CANBERRA, 23 February 1945
SECRET
BRITISH COMMONWEALTH TALKS ON CIVIL AVIATION Immediately before and after the International Civil Aviation Conference held at Chicago during November and December, 1944, conversations on Civil Aviation affecting Commonwealth countries were held at Montreal and also at London. [1]
The Minister for Air and Civil Aviation has submitted to me a Report, copy of which is attached. [2]
On page 11 of the Report, the Minister has listed the following matters for decision, with his recommendation that the Australian Government agree:-
(i) Whether the Australian Government will have a representative on the Commonwealth Air Transport Council (paras. 4(g), 814, 28, and Appendix I). All other Commonwealth Governments have agreed.
(ii) Whether, in the operation of the U.K.-Australasia service via India, the Australian Government will stand firm in the decision taken that the service should not be operated by a joint operating corporation representative of the U.K., India, Australia and New Zealand, but should be continued on a parallel operation basis by selected U.K. and Australian operators.
(iii) Whether the Australian Government will join with the New Zealand and United Kingdom Governments in the formation of a joint operating corporation for a trans-Pacific civil air service (paras. 4(d), 15-20 and 33).
(iv) Whether standard clauses on the lines of those prescribed in Appendix II should be adopted for inclusion in any bilateral agreements negotiated with other countries (paras. 4(b), and 21- 26). [3]
JOHN CURTIN Prime Minister
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1 See Documents on Australian Foreign Policy 1937-49, vol. VII, Documents 329 and 373.
2 Not published.
3 The recommendations were approved by Full Cabinet on 26 February, but with the substitution of the word ‘Australia’ for ‘Australasia’ in proposal (ii).
D. McVey, Director General of Civil Aviation was appointed Australian representative to the Commonwealth Air Transport Council (CATC) which first met in London 9-14 July.
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[AA:A2700, VOL. 14, ii]