Fed: PNG intervention in Aust's long-term interest: Howard

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2003
Fed: PNG intervention in Aust's long-term interest: Howard

CANBERRA, Dec 12 AAP - An $800 million investment in Papua New Guinea law and order
would pay long-term dividends to Australia, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

The government is to station 230 Australian police in PNG as part of the $800 million,
five-year package.

Mr Howard said the decision to station the police in PNG was part of the government's
new policy to directly intervene in the Pacific region.

"History will probably say the changed policy in the Pacific was a very, very important
decision and we've seen the latest manifestation of that with the long-term investment
in restoring law and order in PNG," he told radio 3AW.

"I know some Australians will say, `gee, $800 million is a lot to spend propping up
another country'.

"But it's a country next door to us and, from the long-term perspective, intervening
now to help PNG to continue in a viable, strong, expanding fashion is very much in Australia's
long-term interests."

AAP sw/apm/br

KEYWORD: PNG HOWARD

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