Papua New Guinea plans to boot out Australian officials working for its government to try to crack down on consultants taking a cut of its aid money.
PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill last week vowed to turf out all foreign advisers by the year's end.
He laments that so much of development assistance ends up "in the pockets of middlemen and expensive consultants".
"We don't want boomerang aid," he said in a statement on Monday.
Under current arrangements foreigners were occupying positions and doing the work that Papua New Guineans should be carrying out, he said.
"Then when (foreigners) end their contracts they do not leave behind capacity or skills."
Mr O'Neill is also frustrated the benefits of a PNG-Australia police partnership program are limited as Australian officers are unable to undertake frontline duties because of bureaucratic red tape.
"I cannot imagine being a police officer who is told that if they see a crime being committed he or she has to stand back and watch," he said.
Mr O'Neil wants to recruit a new batch of foreign police into line positions within the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, so they can lead by example and pass on knowledge and skills.
Australia has 34 public servants on secondment to the PNG government as well as more than 100 technical advisers helping national and provincial governments.
PNG's announcement took the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade by surprise and discussions are underway.
Comment has been sought from DFAT.
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