1972-1974
- Component identifier:
- Series
- Content Summary:
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Following the elections of February-March 1972, the Papua New Guinea House of Assembly appointed the Constitutional Planning Committee on 23 June 1972. Its task was to make recommendations for a constitution for the self-governing territory, with a view to eventual independence. The Chief Minister, Michael Somare, was the ex-officio Chairman, but it was controlled by the Deputy Chairman, Father John Momis, the Member for Bougainville. All members of the Committee were Papua New Guinea Members of the House of Assembly. John Ley was the Legal Officer of the Committee.
In November 1972 the Committee consulted with the newly formed took over the Government Liaison Branch of the Chief Minister's Office (the GLB). By agreement the GLB set up district study groups to discuss constitutional questions, including such matters as citizenship and the relations between central, regional and local government. The first interim report of the Committee was tabled in September 1973 and the second in November 1973, with strong emphasis on national citizenship, district level government and the need for effective mechanisms for ensuring the personal financial accountability of leaders.
In June 1974 the full report was tabled in draft form, together with a minority report by Somare and Deputy Chief Minister John Guise. For several months there was a deep division between Somare and his Government, on the one hand, and Momis and the other members of the Constitutional Planning Committee, on the other. The principal areas of difference were on citizenship, the head of state, the powers of the legislature, provincial government and investment principles.
The series contains minutes and records of meetings of the Constitutional Planning Committee, reports, submissions, notes, drafts, discussion papers and newspaper cuttings.
- Immediate source of acquisition:
- The papers were donated to the National Library by John Ley in December 1997.
- Names:
- John F. Ley
Contents
Access and use
- Parent Restrictions:
- Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2185665).
- Parent Terms of Access:
- Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
- Location of this collection:
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Parkes PlaceCanberra ACT 2600, Australia
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