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Mr Johnson Help
Mr Johnson
Dual role
likely for
top PNG
official
By GAY DAVIDSON
I The Department of
External Territories' Ad-1
ministrator in Papua
New Guinea, Mr Lcs
Johnson, is expected to
fill the dual role of in
terim "Head of State" for
PNG and top Australian
representative in Port
Moresby when self-go v
ernment is assumed on
December 1.
The position is to be
callcd High Commission
er, at the request of Papua
New Guinea and with the
agreement of the Austral
ian Government.
There has been no final
decision in Canberra on
who should be appointed,
but it is understood that
the Papua New Guinea
Government and its Chief
Minister, Mr Somare,
would welcome the ap
pointment of Mr Johnson
— particularly in prefer
ence to a career diplomat.
In the absence of sen
ior Cabinet ministers from
Canberra this week, and
also of the Minister for
Externa! Territories. Mr
Morrison, an immediate
decision is unlikely.
And it is likely that
no announcement will be
made until Mr Morrison
goes to Port Moresby in
the middle of next month
for talks with the Minis
try, Opposition leaders,
and the Constitutional
Planning Committee.
Continued on Page 3.

Dualrole

likely

Continued from Page 1

Mr Johnson, who has
been Administrator for
the past three years, first
went to Paptia New Gui
nea in 1962. He was Dir
ector of Education for
four years before becom
ing Assistant Administra
tor. He had actually re
signed from that position
and left the Territory in
1970 when the then Prime
Minister, Mr Gorton, ask
ed him to return.

Another appointment of
considerable importance
in both Canberra and
Port Moresby, and for
which also Mr Johnson
may be under considera
tion, is the top job in the
Australian Development
Assistance Agency, which
also is to come into be
ing on December 1.

The agency, which wilj
be responsible to the
Minister for Foreign Af
fairs (by that time Sena
tor Willesee), is expected
to take small numbers of
staff from several depart?
ments and a rather larg
er number from the dis
banding Department of
External Territories. Its
function will be the ad
ministration of all Aus
tralia's aid, the major part
of which will continue to
go to Papua New Guinea.

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