By Steve Lewis and Jeremy Roberts
Australia will pour an additional $800 million into Papua New Guinea to prevent it descending into anarchy and corruption, in a significant expansion of Canberra's interventionist foreign policy to bring about regional stability.
Hundreds of police, lawyers, economists and other public servants will be sent to PNG to try to stem the systemic corruption and financial mismanagement, which has plagued Australia's nearest neighbour in recent years.
Amid concerns Australia's financial support would threaten PNG's sovereignty, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer yesterday outlined details of the plan, which he said ushered in a "new era of co-operation" between the two countries.
Australia will oversee the appointment of a new solicitor-general and other senior judicial and policing figures in the troubled country.
Under the rescue plan, up to 230 Australian police - drawn from the federal service and the states - will work with PNG's forces in Port Moresby and in the former disputed province of Bougainville.
Almost 20 Australians will be posted to PNG's law and justice agencies, including the position of solicitor-general and five prosecutors in the Prosecutor's Office. Expatriate judges will also be appointed to PNG's national and supreme courts.
The federal Treasury and the Finance Department will provide the bulk of 36 people to work in key economic, finance and spending agencies in a bid to ensure the country is better able to manage its budgetary position.
Mr Downer, who is meeting nine PNG ministers at the Australian PNG Ministerial Forum in Adelaide, also announced that 10 officials will work to streamline PNG's immigration and improve border and transport security.
He said Australia was "very committed" to the bilateral relationship.
Mr Downer said the $800million package would "make a decisive difference to the law and justice, and the law-and-order situation in Papua New Guinea, and be crucially important for investment in the country and for business confidence and obviously for the security of people in the country".
The $800million would be spent over five years and was in addition to the annual $330million in aid.
While PNG Prime Minister, Michael Somare has raised concerns about Australia's new foreign policy, Foreign Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu was more positive yesterday.
He said after signing the agreement that law and order were "a major issue, an issue of serious concern".
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