Lessons from America

The United States of America last week celebrated a momentous occasion in history when Barrack Obama was sworn in as 44^th President.

His election shows that the American people wants change, youth, vision, dynamism, and transparency.

While the USA has opted for youth, Papua New Guinea has chosen to hang on to tired, old men who no longer have any more vision for the country.

Allow me to paraphrase from President Obama’s speech into the Papua New Guinea context:

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking Papua New Guinea.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost.

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.

And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do.

 All this we will do.