19 Nov 2002

Australia rejects claim it favoured PNG's Morauta administration

6:15 pm on 19 November 2002

The Australian government has denied it was more receptive to the former Papua New Guinea government of Sir Mekere Morauta.

The Australian High Commissioner to PNG, Nick Warner, says the Australian government gives the current PNG administration the same amount of financial assistance it gave to the Morauta-Ogio government last year.

His comments follow statements made by the PNG prime minister Sir Michael Somare that Australia was biased against his gvoernment by refusing emergency funding.

Mr Warner says his government last year redirected around 19-million US dollars worth of its aid money to the Morauta government.

The Post Courier reports Sir Michael as saying that Australian aid money provided Sir Mekere Moruata that helped him embark on a pre-election spending spree - a move which Sir Michael claims comes close to election interference.