NEW GUINEA FUTURE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30085, 20 March 1963, Page 10

NEW GUINEA FUTURE

Australia To Remain (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Mar. 19. “Australia intends to remain in New Guinea and administer it until the people themselves know what they want. She will not declare in advance what should be done by a stated time,’’ said the High Commissioner for Australia (Dr. D. A. Cameron) to Wellington Rotarians. “A mission from the Trusteeship Council when it visited New Guinea made recommendations including one for setting up a target date for self-government. We say that this is unrealistic. “You cannot take a country like New Guinea and say that it will have independence in a given time. We feel that the people should be carried along to the time they themselves can say what they want,” said Mr Cameron. He described what Australia had done for New Guinea since World War 11. It had been necessary to build up a new administration. The whole place had had to be rebuilt and arrangements made for the people to be looked after. “Australia had tried to ensure that the land would not be alienated from the natives. Only 3 • per cent, of the land would go to the whites, the remainder to stay with the native people,” he said.