Subject: PNG
E&OE
CURTIS: Martin Ferguson welcome to ABC News 24.
FERGUSON: Thanks very much for the opportunity to speak to you.
CURTIS: What do you know, what’s the latest you’ve heard about what’s happening in Papua New Guinea?
FERGUSON: The Australian Government is closely monitoring the situation in Papua New Guinea and during the course of the day I’ve spoken to the Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd. The advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs to Australians in Papua New Guinea is to avoid travel around Port Moresby today. I am also just advised that domestic flights in Papua New Guinea have now ceased.
CURTIS: And how is, how do you characterise, how are officials characterising what is happening in Papua New Guinea? Is it, can it be called a mutiny?
FERGUSON: Our High Commissioner has obviously been in contact with representatives of the government. Our position is clear – there is no place for the military in a Papua New Guinea situation and that the sooner that we return to the normal constitutional political process, the better for Papua New Guinea.
CURTIS: Have Australian officials made any contact at all with the Colonel at the centre of this or with Sir Michael Somare?
FERGUSON: Our High Commissioner has obviously been speaking to people involved in the situation. I am not aware as to whether he has spoken to former Prime Minister Somare but clearly his responsibility has been to convey firmly the position of the Australian Government is that the sooner we return to a, I suppose, normal situation, normal political processes and adherence to the constitution, the better for Papua New Guinea, a close friend and partner of Australia.
CURTIS: It does seem clear though that Papua New Guinea is still a way away from returning to a normal constitutional situation, is there any role, any formal role for Australia to play in this?
FERGUSON: There is no formal role for Australia to play in the current situation in Papua New Guinea. Our responsibility is to monitor events. But in doing so we have also conveyed from the Australian Government’s point of view a very firm view that Papua New Guinea’s way forward is to rely on the normal constitutional political processes that have served them well for many, many years.
CURTIS: Is there any danger of Papua New Guinea going the way of Fiji or is it simply less able for that to happen given the way that the military is structured?
FERGUSON: Well Papua New Guinea has got a proud history of constitutional democracy. Our responsibility is to monitor the situation, to indicate our view as a government, a close friend and partner of Papua New Guinea, but at the end of the day it is the responsibility of the Papua New Guinea community itself to return to what is the appropriate situation – a strong adherence to its constitutional and political processes.
CURTIS: Papua New Guinea’s military and the Australian Defence Force have close ties. Papua New Guinea defence force members are regularly trained in Australia. Is the Australian military keeping in contact with the Papua New Guinean military?
FERGUSON: Historically Australia has had close military ties with Papua New Guinea, especially from a training point of view. At this stage it is the High Commissioner’s responsibility, as he has during the course of the day, to convey the view of the government which is that there are well established constitutional and political processes in Papua New Guinea that have served the country well, a close friend and partner of Australia, and the sooner we restore those processes the better for stability both economically and socially for all Papuans.
CURTIS: And is it Australia’s view that Peter O’Neill is the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and that Sir Michael Somare should step aside from any claim he continues to have on the position?
FERGUSON: Peter O’Neill is the recognised Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. His position has been established through the constitutional and political processes that operate in Papua New Guinea and clearly our High Commissioner has appropriately been discussing this matter with him.
CURTIS: Do you see the situation in Papua New Guinea being resolved soon? Is that Australia’s hope?
FERGUSON: It’s not for me to comment. I hope it is resolved sooner than later and I think they should understand that they have got very well-established and respected – domestically and internationally respected – commitments to constitutional democracy and I think everyone should be having regard for that at this point in time.
CURTIS: Martin Ferguson thank you very much for your time
FERGUSON: Thank you very much.
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