Png Minister's Tirade Over Leaked Cabinet Paper
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday March 11, 2000
Port Moresby: Diplomatic tensions over a leaked Australian Cabinet briefing saying that corrupt interests were thwarting political reform in Papua New Guinea have dominated bilateral talks here.
The Age on Thursday published an article under the heading ``PNG stuck in a rut, Cabinet told".
At the opening of the conference yesterday, the PNG Foreign Minister, Sir John Kaputin, accused Australia of ```shouting from the rooftops" and lacking respect for PNG and its neighbours.
Since Sir Mekere's Morauta's Government came to power seven months ago, big gains had been made in terms of economic, fiscal and social reform and the Government was moving towards settling the Bougainville stalemate, Sir John said.
He said the reporting of Federal Cabinet's assessment of PNG discouraged the kind of Australian investment the country needed.
Sir John also suggested that Australian aid was being used to further Australian interests.
Mr Downer responded by saying that 64 per cent of goods and services purchased through the Australian aid program were bought in Papua New Guinea.
© 2000 Sydney Morning Herald