Funding Debate
Malaysian and Australian officials debate over the funding bill for the jetliner search mission. Goverment lawmaker Joulani Johari says that the split will be 50-50. However, Australian representative Waren Truss says ‘I don’t want to give any indication as to where it’s likely to end up.” Australia’s bill will depend on when the plane is found and the amount of contributions from other countries. The countries involved in the search include the U.S., China, Japan, Britian, South Korea and New Zealand. Australia has a large responsibility in the mission because the jetliner was in its air space when it went off-course. Truss:
We’ve indicated our willingness to be a part of the funding arrangements…and we’re just talking about those things. The question of who should pay for what under the Chicago Convention was quite complex.