Papua New Guinea
The events of the last twelve months in Papua New Guinea have been extraordinary and unexpected – even by the standards of the ‘Land of the Unexpected’.
The Prime Ministership has been declared vacant. The Governor-General has been suspended. The Chief Justice has been arrested. Governments have been declared invalid. The judiciary and the legislature have been in dispute.
As startling as these events may be, in the midst of this turmoil, in many ways, PNG deserves considerable credit.
Continue reading "Fresh elections could pave a pathway to PNG prosperity" »
One element of the Rugby World Cup came through loud and clear. This was a Pacific event.
Three Pacific island nations competed to rapturous receptions. When the Tongan team arrived in New Zealand they were greeted by 10,000 members of the Tongan community who lined the streets from Auckland airport.
From Papua New Guinea to Samoa to Niue there were Pacific players representing teams from Wales to Australia to the All Blacks themselves.
Continue reading "Let’s include our neighbour in the fun and games" »
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stephen says:
They look like fine young men. We should encourage their education, then bring them here. Read more »
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Dan says:
I love the idea and support 100%. My brother in-law is from PNG and he tells me the interest in rugby league is massive over there. They love it. He reckons you would find a Qld state of origin flag in the some of the remotest jungle huts!. He also… Read more »
Last Friday, 16 September, Papua New Guinea celebrated the 36th anniversary of its independence.
The last 36 years has been an endlessly fascinating journey for a country with which Australia has had an abiding interest. Yet you wouldn’t know this from our media. With less Australians based in PNG since Independence it seems PNG’s profile in our national discourse has diminished and this has to change.
So last night PNG’s Independence Day was marked in the Commonwealth Parliament through the inaugural PNG Independence Day Oration.
Continue reading "Our nearest neighbour is 36 and growing stronger" »
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esteban says:
Mendi Southern highlands? Read more »
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Nic says:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10753391 Yet another example of why I want nothing to do with the country. All you ever hear of it are these kind of terrible stories Read more »
A couple of Sundays ago in Port Moresby, Stephanie Copus-Campbell – the head of AusAID’s program in PNG – invited me and a colleague to accompany her on a regular Sunday activity.
Every Sunday, Stephanie goes to the local supermarket and buys $70 worth of oranges which she then takes to the AIDS ward at the Port Moresby hospital.
HIV infection rates are high in PNG and while antiretroviral drugs are available, people still come to this place to die.
Continue reading "Touched by the angel of the PNG AIDS ward" »
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Not a great white hope says:
Great comment Cranky. To be honest, I wonder how many of the comments posted under this article were written by AusAID communications staff. The author had best leave these coms staff to do their job rather than taking on the role as a defacto AusAID cheerleader. Mr Marles, a much… Read more »
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Cranky PNG watcher says:
This is such a ludicrous hagiographic article. Written by the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Islands Affairs - a man who should be keeping AusAID accountable, not being a suckhole. Does anyone else see a problem here? Let me affirm the obvious - people in PNG are very hard done by,… Read more »
It has a population of 6.3 million. It is one of Australia’s two really large recipients of aid.
We are its largest trading partner. It is our 19th. It’s about 400 times closer to us than New Zealand.
Yet for some reason our media and public discourse doesn’t seem to rate the importance of Papua New Guinea. On this website a search on Papua New Guinea yields 23 hits compared to 35 for Spain, 76 for South Africa and 94 for Iran.
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Fred says:
Why are we the big wealthy neighbour not helping more to integrate the 10 000 asylum seekers on the border with the west? Read more »
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stephen says:
Are you suggesting that we are part of a larger ignorance : America and South America, and England and Ireland etc ? Well I think you’re right, and I’ve often said that we ignore these closer states at our disadvantage. One of the signs of cultural ignorance (and indeed immaturity),… Read more »
Papua New Guinea was granted full independence from Australia today in 1975.
And it’s Thursday at The Punch, what else is on your mind? Share it here.
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New Guinea, geographically as well as historically, is Australia’s closest relative. Separated from the mainland during the last glacial period, the waters filled-in what now separates them: 150km of the Torres Strait.
Despite being endowed with enviable mineral stores, economic and political exploitation has left New Guinea housing many of the poorest people on earth – particularly in the western half of West Papua.
Amidst a program toward independence from the Dutch, the international community neglected West Papua in order to realise a business deal between U.S. mining company Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (“Freeport”) and Soeharto – at the time an Indonesian army general.
Continue reading "Rio Tinto: A tale of rampant capitalism" »
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Nicholas A.J. Taylor says:
Hi Keith, Rio Tinto held a share in Freeport-McMoRan (US) for some years - it was eventually sold along with their proportional representation on the Board, but their stake in Freeport (Indonesia) was retained in order to continue to access the Grasberg mine. Despite this change in arrangement, Rio Tinto… Read more »
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Keith says:
Nick. Since you’ve spent so many years in the investment industry, tell me have you ever been a shareholder in mining companies? Have you ever held any shares in financial institutions who were also shareholders of these companies? If you did, did you take any responsibility with your little ‘control’?… Read more »
It’s Tuesday @ The Punch
Today in 1973 Australia and Papua New Guinea is granted independence from Australia.
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James says:
It was breifly a Queensland colony - but the UK Foreign office made us give it back so we didnt antagonise the Germans. Read more »
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James says:
PNG was not a colony before its independence. It was a trust territory under the United Nations. Read more »
I am fortunate to work in an industry whose whole raison d’être is saving the world. Saving the world used to be the job of clusters of environmental NGOs.
But, and I’m going to be frank here, apart from some spectacular tactical victories and some incredible work by groups like Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd, at their very heart such organisations simply can’t direct the necessary levels of finance that saving the world needs.
Charitable organisations simply don’t have the ability to restructure the world’s economy, affect the baseline drivers of deforestation, or roll out millions of wind-farms and solar panels in the short time needed. Saving the world has become an industry. And some people either can’t accept that, can’t understand it, or can’t find a way to adapt to fit into this new world order.
Continue reading "Media’s carbon confusion is grist for the lumber mill" »
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Loz says:
I have a keen interest in the CPRS, REDD, and carbon trading in general. However I do not claim to understand the complexities of these issues… What is that saying - only fools are sure of themselves? One thing I do believe - reducing our emissions, helping the poor to… Read more »
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James says:
which, under the current model I can’t ever see happening. Not adequately enough anyway. Read more »
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