Money and power of miners in PNG political environment

From JAMES WANJIK

Papua New Guinea is a resource abundant country.

 Nature has blessed us.

God has placed us in paradise in the Pacific.

For only in PNG is the most beautiful Bird of Paradise.

She represents for us our pride as a people.
Politics and power of money are encroachments.

People of a thousand tribes came together as an entity called the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.
Only a mere 35 years ago a nation was born.

True leaders wanted us Papua New Guineans to have PNG for PNG people.

Only now we are beginning to develop nationalism.
Nationalism needed a cause.

We did not have any until now.

Money and power of miners are the causes.

 Politics of leaders are laid bare.
Leaders of PNG have lost worth.

They are working for money and position.

Fame, glory and self gratification are what leaders work for.

 Money is their end.

 It leaves people leaderless and powerless.
PNG is on a NEW WAY OF DEVELOPMENT THINKING.

That is, people will be source, means and end of development. People are making their stand.
Since 2002 people have witnessed politicians cease their duty and cede their authority to the miners.

These are some of the actions which are dangerous and abhorrent:
-Creation of Mineral Resources Authority for money in illegal tax in illegal production levy from miners made from people's resources;
-Land reform and customary land registration to end customary land tenure and introduce monetised economy in rural PNG;
-Liquefied Natural Gas for export for money and the tall order landowners and people opposition that is building up;
-Vision 2050 and promised money from LNG and tax holiday and other incentives for the prospect; and
-Environment (Amendment) Act 2010 that makes landowners leaderless and powerless and being treated to third parties by their leaders working for money.
May God help leaders to realise that people are leaderless and powerless and that they may pull out of a scheme to disempower and disengage people of their land and resources for money.

UP defined

From PAUL OATES 
Lovers of the English language enjoy this...

 It is an example of why people learning English have so much trouble. 

 Learning the nuances of English makes it a difficult language.
  .....

  This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.'

It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake     UP ?
 At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election.Why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm  UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and  fix UP the old car. At other times this little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses...
To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special!
And this UP is confusing:  A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped  UP.  We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about the word UP !
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary..
In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions

 If you are UP   to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding  UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, the earth soaks it UP . When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP. One could go on & on, but I'll wrap this UP for now because my time is UP !
 Oh...
 one more thing:
 What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at night?
 U   P !
Don't screw UP. Send this on to everyone you look UP in your address book. It's UP to you!
Now I think I'll shut UP. Whew!!!

The curse of Gulf province

By PETER MEMAFU

 

CENTENARY RECONCILIATION EVENT FOR GULF PROVINCE

 

109 YEARS OF GOD'S CURSE - IS THE GULF PROVINCE UNDER THIS CURSE?

Since 1973 Papua New Guinea had initially attained self-government and eventually gained full Independence on September 16th 1975.

Seeing as the rest of the country had also gained independence, the Gulf province was no exception.

 However, after almost 35 years of Independence, all development efforts, trials and socio-economic initiatives carried out within the Gulf province itself has not seemed to work or even progressed at all.

The motive behind writing this article is to identify the likely causes of Gulf province’s mishaps and correctly identify the remedies behind all our misfortunes experienced throughout the province over the last three decades.

 Leaders of the Gulf people also need to seriously look into dealing with our ill-fortunes and socio-economic demise of our people and work together to correct all this appropriately before any real development issues or initiatives are discussed or ventured into.

Gulf’s adversity had begun almost 109 years ago but the misfortunes were only realised much later when Papua New Guinea had gained its independence in 1975.

 It was 8th April 1901, the date of Reverend James Chalmers (known to the natives as TAMATE); Reverend Oliver Tompkins and eight natives who were murdered at Dopima village of the Goaribari Islands.

This terrible wrong doings also signifies Gulf province’s mission history but more evidently it paints some of Gulf’s major unfortunate past mistakes in history and has seriously tainted and cursed the Gulf province for more than 109 years.

The last brief phase of Tamate's service to New Guinea was spent visiting existing mission stations.

He was much encouraged by the arrival of a dedicated young helper, Oliver Tomkins. Together they planned an expedition to the Aird River delta.

The natives in that region were reputed to be fierce and unapproachable, even by Papuan standards.

No white man had ever seen them.

For a long time, Tamate had desired to make the dangerous trip there in order to win them for Christ.

On April 4, 1901, the mission steamer sailed to Risk Point, off the shore of the village of Dopima.

Immediately, natives surrounded the ship.

 Tamate promised to come ashore in the morning.

The next day, both Tomkins and Tamate went ashore, saying they would return shortly for breakfast.

After a certain interval had passed, as if by pre-arrangement, the natives who remained on the ship looted it, taking all of the stores of presents and Tamate and Tomkins's belongings.

The captain alarmed by the prolonged absence of the two missionaries and by the conduct of the natives, was further concerned when he saw a large number of warriors getting into canoes.

He suspected that the missionaries had been murdered and that the next targets were he and his shipmates.

He sailed away to report to the governor. 

His suspicions were confirmed a short time later by British investigators and the testimony of captured natives from the guilty village.

The missionaries had been clubbed, beheaded, and eaten.

 Both men were killed on 8 April 1901.

There is a stained glass window to their memory in the college chapel at Vatorato, Rarotonga including a copper beating at the Ela United Church in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

The news of Chalmers' and Tomkins' murders made headlines all over the world. Those who had worked closely with Chalmers were shocked and grieved at the news of his death, but felt strongly that he would have wished to die as he did - engaged in service to the natives of New Guinea. As an old friend wrote:” Hitherto God had preserved him; now he allowed the blow to fall, and His faithful servant to be called up home."

And on 18th March 1902 in Edinburgh, Scotland, a writer named Cuthbert Lennox wrote and published a book called “JAMES CHALMERS OF NEW GUINEA” and quoted Mr John Oxenham’s expression in the confidence that:” His name, Shall kindle many a heart to equal flame, The fire he kindled shall burn on and on, Till all the darkness of the lands be gone, And all the kingdoms of the earth be won, And one."

The writer will rejoice if this little volume, like a torch, renders humble service in helping to pass on the kindling flame to "many a heart."

 

FACTS ABOUT GULF PROVINCE

Gulf Province is commonly known to the whole country as the very, very least-developed province.

As compared to the rest of Papua New Guinea Gulf province is compared so poorly to the rest of the whole country.

However, when considering some historical facts and events of the colonisation wave throughout Papua New Guinea, so many Gulf people have extensively contributed immensely towards the advancement in terms of social, economic and political developments of our beautiful country and nation.

"I use to wonder why so many Kerema compounds sprung up in the several provinces across Papua New Guinea including Cairns, Australia.

“Then I realised that these compounds were used by Keremas who were carpenters, builders and other skilled tradesmen who were sent out to help build the rest of PNG."

 

PRE-INDEPENDENCE

People of Gulf were sent all over PNG to help build and develop the country.

Before independence the people of Gulf were scattered by the colonisation impact to help build and develop the rest of Papua New Guinea.

Our people went to almost all other parts of the country as carpenters; clerks; plantation bosses and laborers, leaders, cargo boys and teachers.

Over the years Gulf province has produced some of the best brains the nation has had to offer.

Its people have come to serve Papua New Guinea as chief executive officers, managing directors, departmental heads, senior statesmen and women, leaders, politicians, ambassadors, high commissioners.

Even two former Governors General and two previous Prime Ministers had come from the Gulf province.

Gulf under the colonial rule achieved so much progressive developments.

When we perceive Gulf’s social and economic developments during pre-independence and under the colonial rule, there were so much progressive developments that took place all over the province.

Gulf’s co-operative societies were booming, more and more money and services were going down directly towards the rural people within the village and community-based levels.

Well before independence, the Gulf province had continued to thrive with all its forest timber resources, its abundant marine as well as its potential prawn and fishery prospects. Social services such as education, regular health provisions, law and order including tourism, banking, and post office services, trade stores and as well as basic privileged benefits were once enjoyed by people of the Gulf province.

Thirty five (35) years after independence and Gulf is totally deprived of everything.

One would say that time itself have literally stood still over the whole of Gulf province. There is hardly any form of social or economic developments or even any infrastructure improvements in Kerema, or the whole of the province itself.

Gulf saw the end to co-operative societies, which resulted in less money flowing into all the rural areas.

All basic services begun to decline and come to a grinding halt.

Poor health and education services were now more evident, while the increase in unemployment and social disharmony just continued to grow and grow with very poor and unmaintained roads, air and sea infrastructure networks.

Gulf province has become a spectator even though it is rich with so much in abundant natural and marine resources.

Gulf has enormous potential in prawn resources but unfortunately most of it is been constantly ripped off while all our small businesses and other commercial activities have virtually come to a standstill.

To date Gulf has not progressed at all and yet the province itself still has vast prospective in one the richest marine and timber resources PNG has to offer.

 It still has an endless venture for tourism and agriculture and now its shores are used as exit points for the lucrative oil and gas fields of the Southern Highlands.

The Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) project is happening at our doorsteps while we the Gulf people continue to remain passive spectators in our very own turf.

 

CONSIDERATIONS FOR GULF TO MOVE FORWARD

Is the whole of Gulf Province cursed and if this so, what does the Word of God tell us about this curse?

It would appear that the whole of the Gulf province remains under a generational curse from God Almighty Himself.

 This curse or misfortune as referred to within the context of God’s Word is directly related to the shedding of innocent blood (i.e., the blood of the two Reverends namely, Oliver Tomkins and James Chalmers or AKA Tamate).

Several biblical references point to bible text or scriptures that may support this curse in the Old Testament (OT) Bible in the Books of 2ndKings 24:3, Jeremiah 26:15 and Joel 3:19 as quoted here:

Manasseh has spilled innocent blood and filled Jerusalem – OT 2nd Kings 24:3-4 Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood, which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive.

As Prophet Jeremiah faces death, he speaks these words: OT Jeremiah 26:15 Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.

Land becomes defiled because of innocent blood shed – OT Joel 3:19 But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.

How did this curse come upon the gulf province?

In order for God’s curse to take effect over the land and its people, the land itself would have to be owned by the people living on it.

In this case and during the time that innocent blood was shed, the land itself did not belong to the natives but remained as a colony property of Great Britain and later was transferred as a territory of Australia between 1901 and 1974.

When did the generational curse start?

In this instance it may be understood from the biblical context that the curse would only come upon the people if they legally owned the land.

However in such cases the curse had not taken effect until 1975 when PNG gained its independence from Australia.

 For more than 74 years after the murders of these missionaries the land remained the colony of Great Britain and later Australia until 16th September 1975 when it was handed over to its native owners.

Was PNG blessed and/or cursed all at the time of Independence?

September 16th 1975 Independence had been a huge blessing to the rest of Papua New Guinea which had helped freed us and our land from our colonial masters.

However, in the case of Gulf province, the land was already doomed because little did we know that it had taken on a generational misfortune because of the innocent blood of the slain missionaries.

After our Independence, all colonial land within Gulf (including many parts of PNG) were given back to the traditional landowners but some of the land had already being tainted with God’s curse that had followed through after 10 decades of our generations.

Is there any hope for the Gulf province?

Yes there is hope in God because He alone pardons our sins and will heal our land when we reconcile with Him by asking for repentance and total forgiveness for all our forefathers wrong doings.

The Old Testament Bible in the Book of 2nd Chronicles 7:14 reminds us that, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Having read and was told of the story of Tamate or Reverend James Chalmers who was one of the slain Missionaries so many times and in many different versions we as the Gulf people must really be held responsible for their deaths.

And it would only be fair that the Gulf provincial government also take on the leadership responsibility of the Centenary Reconciliation Event for the province and country as a whole.

Therefore, and in order for the Gulf province to really move forward and start talking about real social, economic and developments issues, we must first correct our past mistakes, our terrible wrong doings, our generational sins and curses that has allowed God to curse our land and our people who live on it

Gulf people need to stage one big centenary reconciliation event through the efforts of the mainline Churches, the Provincial Government and the people of Gulf Province in the township of Kerema.

In 1999, a very small church whose membership constituted of five families had taken upon themselves the task to prompt the reconciliation process. 

They went ahead as far communicating on behalf of the Gulf Christian churches, the non-churches people and the government of Gulf province to prepare the groundwork.

The appended “Trumpet Newsletters” of the months of July, August and September 2000 further elaborates and clarifies their commitment. 

Thus the Battlefield Baptist Church had attempted to initiate the event’s planning on everyone’s behalf but did not get the support and so things did not eventuate as planned.

The planning of the event will also need to be properly co-ordinated by a specially appointed provincial events committee by the Gulf provincial government.

 The committee will need to work with other mainline churches in the Gulf province and also overseas through the British High Commission and the London Missionary Society where banner of the late Reverend James Chalmers and Oliver Tomkins had come to serve under and eventually lose their lives.

The proposed events committee in this instance will need to officially contact and notify in writing the descendants of the two slain missionaries of April 8, 1901,  through the British High Commission and by officially inviting them (including the British High Commissioner) to witness and participate in the staging of the centenary reconciliation event. 

Thursday 8th of April 2010 has been proposed as the date of the “centenary reconciliation event” to be held in Kerema town on an annual basis.

Furthermore the date also represents the time of the deaths (shedding of their innocent blood) of the two missionaries.

As the book called “JAMES CHALMERS OF NEW GUINEA” has a poem written for Tamate and quoted earlier as saying… “His name, Shall kindle many a heart to equal flame, The fire he kindled shall burn on and on, Till all the darkness of the lands be gone, And all the kingdoms of the earth be won, And one."…The Bible text of 2nd Chronicles 7:14 and Tamate’s poem must be fulfilled by every Gulf person or persons who are either part-Gulf or married to Gulf and if not present at the centenary reconciliation event must honour this day with a dawn service at wherever they can congregate and by lighting two candles in the early hours of the 8th April every year until repentance is achieved by every Gulf person.

 

CONCLUSION

We are all aware that many development attempts, both political and otherwise have been made on so many occasions to address the various socio-economic improvement issues relating to the Gulf province.

 The province is under a 109 year generational curse that came into effect when PNG got its independence from Australia in 1975.

 After almost 35 years of independence it is now more evident that the curse has affected the Gulf people and their land after their forefathers had taken the lives of missionaries by shedding their innocent blood on our land.

The four  groups people who are; 1) the people of Gulf province themselves; 2) the British High Commissioner and representatives of London Missionary Society missionaries; 3) the Government of Gulf Province; and, 4) the relatives of the descendants of the murdered missionaries gather for the occasion; and other invited dignitaries’ will be required to attend this important centenary reconciliation event for the whole of Gulf province to move forward spiritually, physically and socio-economically.

The reasons behind hosting such a centenary reconciliation event for the whole of Gulf province is so vitally important as other provinces such as Rabaul, Milne Bay and even countries like Fiji who had recognised their demise have done their reconciliation events that brought with it complete healing and restoration in the land and its people.

Their actions have also allowed God to restore and move them forward in their spirituality, physically and also allow them socio-economical breakthrough in many tangible developments.

April 8, 2010, is the date that has marked exactly 109 years since Reverend Tamate and Tomkins were killed in the Gulf province.

When is the time to say sorry and repent from the wicked ways of our forefathers?

 

Basil condemns Health Minister's attack on doctors

By SAM BASIL

Bulolo MP

 

Health Minister Sasa Zibe and his other band of ministers in this current government are flying so high up for eight consecutive years now and their vision has been blurred whereby they cannot rationalise their thoughts with what the professionals in the field are saying.

A health professional like Dr Glen Mola knows what he is talking about because he and his other hard working doctors do have to put up with the hardship of delivering health service everyday and over the last 15 to 20 years they have switched to sacrificial mode because the general health system in this country has declined due to the complete negligence of the government.

Health indicators of Papua New Guinea alone should make any conscious government of the day really worried. 

The National Alliance-led Government should have identified the key problem areas of the health department by their second year in office (2003) and started strategising and implementing corrective short and long term measures and by 2008 several corrective measures should have been successfully achieved.

The health ministry just like other ministries and their departments in the NA Led Government have been chasing their own tails for eight years now with not much to show for.

Sadly many Ministers have already been hypnotised by the state enterprise minister’s LNG spell which they and their speech writers have systematically incorporated the LNG ‘don’t worry be happy’ syndrome into all their presentations while they forget to remind themselves about the real issues.

They think the proceeds from the LNG will automatically fix all of the country’s problems but failed to realise the management crisis which they have created themselves.

Personally attacking Dr Glen Mola of his retirement and exiting to the good health overseas (Post-Courier Thursday June 10, 2010) is just too childish for the minister to bring his argument so low personalising individuals.

 I think we the members of parliament should sponsor a bill to stop all parliamentarians accessing health facilities overseas and start using our own facilities in Papua New Guinea.

By doing that the parliamentarians can really feel the pain and sufferings of the silent majority including the overworked and exposed health workers.

The administration of the health sector at the top is very poor.

 It clearly reflects the situation on the ground, which frankly speaking, is sub-standard and in dire need for funding to buy much needed drugs, run training programs for the lowest level of health workers (community health workers, aid post orderly, village birth attendants, etc).

A constant annual funding to sustain all health installations around the country must be the priority of any government.

Budget cuts must not affect any health budget of any government and it must do everything it can to provide a sustainable health programme for its citizens and it means borrowing funds to sustain health programmes.

 This government has heavily diverted funds to the non-core functions and as such billions of kina has been parked into trust accounts slowly leaking away driving the corruption scale needle pointing every year to unprecedented levels.

The minister’s arrogant and irrational approach to still establish a K500m facility in Port Moresby can only create a lot suspicions and questions about his credibility as a respected leader because spending K500m on a single project alone while overlooking the rundown state of the nationwide general health system is highly questionable.

 The government and its ministers must understand that their position is so powerful that whatever decision they make can affect a lot of people for a long time with long-lasting recovery effects therefore all thinking citizens have the right to question their leaders if  they think their leaders have gone insane or  losing their state of rationale  mind.

The health minister has clearly displayed those symptoms and has rejected outright the medication advice as prescribed by Dr Glen Mola which has attracted my attention to join this debate

 

Arguments against amendments to the Environment Act

By SAM BASIL

Bulolo MP

 

The government of the day representing the people of Papua New Guinea has gone on the defense against increasing concerns from the public regarding the infamous Environment Act amendment, and sadly has not come out clearly to explain some of its actions.

It seems this National Alliance-led coalition government has not learnt its lesson from the unpopular rushed decision making, which saw the nation stood up in peaceful democratic fashion to denounce the Maladina bill amendment a couple of months ago.

There is increasing public pressure, especially from different groups of resource owners around the nation, through the media regarding the recent amendment to the Environment Act which was voted for by 73 MPs and against 10 MPs on May 28th in the last parliament sitting.

According to the initial explanation by Environment and Conservation Minister Benny Allan, these changes to the nation’s laws regarding its vast natural environment outlaws third party lawsuits against resource developers.

Third party groups in the government’s view are special interest groups who are not direct stakeholders in developments on resources around the nation.

It is true that third party groups are involved; however it is interesting to note that the minister forgot that apart from NGOs and special interest groups campaigning against the amendment, the genuine resources owners and landowners have from day one made their stance known that they will suffer from environmental damages.

Nine days after the passage of this act, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare reportedly expressed that the public, especially the resource owners, were confused and have misinterpreted the changes in this law, which he claimed have not lowered the standards of environment protection.

The public’s opinion that the government is protecting the interest of the foreign investors was confirmed by the PM where he was quoted in The National (June 8 2010) that ‘it would be irresponsible for the government not to protect the interest of the developers that have complied with our environment regulations and have been issued permits.’

The following day Sir Michael met with the media in Port Moresby and blasted them, NGOs and the judiciary, for misinforming the public, being an illegal representative body representing no one and the latter for prolonged court decisions.

This time he admitted that the rushed amendment was executed on the floor of parliament because of the delay in the courts regarding Ramu Nickel, and that time was running out as the stakeholders (government and developer) have their targets to meet.

 He feared that the nation would lose a lot if the investors were not happy, especially the Chinese developer who were convinced by him four years ago to engage in PNG under a massive US$800m investment.

When time is mentioned, it is fair that changes to national laws on the floor of parliament should be given enough time to be studied, enough time to consult the people, and enough time to be debated before any amendment.

According to Sir Michael, deep sea tailing is the best option available according to advice from the ‘three best brains’ who are the two secretaries and the Scottish Association of Marine Science.

However apart from the latter, how genuine and respectable are the two senior government bureaucrats when it comes to scientific research matters?

Genuine resource owners from the concerned areas have made known in the three forms of media that not all options of waste disposal methods have been exhausted, however it is sad to note that Rai Coast MP James Gau, the newly-elected leader of the very people who are calling out for help against damages to their land and sea, has called on his people to focus on the ‘development aspect of the project’.

It is very dangerous to imply that we should continue ahead and see developments, and then deal with damages to the people and the natural environment later.

It is also frightening to know that the department concern does not have the capacity to assess environmental plans by companies but can still give out permits, according to Tiffany Nongorr, the environment lawyer representing the Basamuk landowners in the current court battle.

The politicians who voted for and supported the amendment including Sir Michael Somare, Benny Allen and James Gau have forgotten that the local communities are the rightful landowners and have the right to decide on their land, without being influenced, controlled or bullied politically.

This string of events on the floor of parliament is not a good precedence, and will increasingly pave way for foreign giant corporate investors to side with this government to exploit and profit in corrupt manner while the already suppressed people suffer at their expense.

I stood to debate this bill but the speaker was very selective to only allow Luther Wenge and John Luke, with both governors speaking in support of the bill.

 If I would have been given the chance to speak representing my affected communities, then I was ready to remind MPs who represents resource-rich electorates that we all have a duty as representatives of those land owners and affected communities to protect their rights from such an unpopular bill.

If I would have supported the bill then I would have done injustice to my people who are currently being affected in the Watut river communities.

On behalf of my people in Bulolo, I now call on the MPs representing resource project areas from both the government and the opposition to come together and to support a private members bill to repeal this law for the good of our resource owners

Why Nahau Rooney should be Papua New Guinea's next vice-regal

By REG RENAGI

 

Watch out Papua New Guinea!  

Get ready now for PNG’s first woman vice-regal in 35 years. 

Is it too far-fetched in a predominantly man’s world like our society?

 Not really.

PNG has been ready a long time now, but our parliament and government are not. 

Let us now change this trend today. 

The outgoing vice-regal, Sir Paulius Matane personally supports the idea of PNG having its first woman Governor General in future.

 Many citizens will wholeheartedly agree with one of PNG’s most-respected and best-performing Governors General since Independence. 

I urge prime minister Somare and every member of parliament to think about this very important decision for parliament to vote in a woman vice-regal as current Governor General, Sir Paulias Matane’s term of office has expired. 

Let us again relook at our first three - names shortlist. 

The list does not even have an honourable woman amongst the possible contenders. 

As a basic requirement in any future GG nominee short list, we should always have a woman or two in at least a six-name short list with two as being serious contenders for parliament to deliberate on in a secret ballot process. 

The time is right for us to have our first woman vice-regal and not in another 35 years time. 

Let our parliament now create history for PNG this week for confirmation as Governor General designate in a fortnight’s time.

It is a most important Commonwealth appointment. 

The world will definitely stop and take notice of our small nation in this part of the Pacific. 

This is one very crucial action we must do for the women of PNG and our people. 

Let PNG be unique and having a woman vice-regal in future would definitely turn heads in Buckingham Palace when the Queen of PNG officially confers her Excellency’s formal title as our future Governor General.

As PNG is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, PNG's Head of State is Her Majesty, the Queen of England represented by a Governor General (GG).

 So by the GG’s presence, represent the important work of the Crown and reflect the face of PNG society.

As our Head of State, Her Majesty the Queen cannot be in PNG at all times and in her absence, her direct representative, the GG ensures that the role of the Crown functions as an integral part of our system of government.

At the national level, the duties of our Vice Regal are varied and should form a significant component of our Parliamentary democracy and daily lives.

So what do we expect our new Vice Regal to be doing in future?  The Vice Regal's duties, which are largely ceremonial, include:

•           Representing the Crown and ensuring there is always a prime minister.

•           Acting on advice of prime minister and NEC to give royal assent to bills passed in parliament (maybe not so now?).

•           Signing state documents.

•           Reading the Queen’s good-wish speech.

•           Presiding over swearing-in of prime minister, chief justice and NEC ministers, plus many others.

Why does PNG need to have a woman Vice Regal or GG?

 Well why not?  Other countries have a woman GG and Prime Minister, so PNG should not be any exception.  

Let us take a brief look at two other Commonwealth countries: Australia and Canada. 

Australia’s appointment of Ms Quentin Bryce, former sex discrimination commissioner and Queensland Governor who replaced former GG, Maj Gen Michael Jeffereys in September 2008 ended 107 years of male strangle hold on the Vice Regal post. 

Ms Bryce becoming Australia’s first woman Vice Regal was a great breakthrough moment for the women of Australia.

 Prime Minister Rudd made the new appointment, declaring it a very good thing for Australians and Australian women. 

Canada in the past five years has had a woman Vice Regal. 

Her Excellency, Michaulene Jean is a most remarkable woman who has achieved much in her short public life career. 

Many admire her as she has struggled long and hard from her humble beginnings just like Ms Quentin Bryce to be where she is today.

 Canada’s GG is a very highly-educated and cultured woman who speaks five languages fluently and originally came to settle in Canada with her parents as an eight-year old from the island of Haiti in the Caribbean.

PNG can also do the same thing here.

 It is now all up to Prime Minister Somare, his government and parliament to collectively decide for us to have our first woman Vice Regal appointment in 35 years. 

Wouldn’t that be a great record all Papua New Guineans to always be proud of in future?

There are a few good women around who would make an ideal future choice of the next GG.

However, there is one that I would now highly recommend for our parliament to seriously consider today as PNG’s next Vice Regal, and Governor General Designate: Mrs Nahau Rooney, CBE, CMS.

Mrs Nahau Rooney is a respected former parliamentarian who first entered parliament as open member for Manus.

 In a 10-year period, Ms Rooney performed commendably than perhaps her other peers by holding four key ministerial portfolios: minister for liquor licensing and correctional services, minister for justice, minister for decentralisation and provincial government, and minister for civil aviation and Air Niugini.

This former open member for Manus has a very varied working experience background. 

As an educationist teaching at Manus High School in the mid 1960s, she progressed through over the years as a community development and social policy lecturer at the Administrative College, now IPA; principal  research officer in the PM’s office, Manus provincial government executive officer, constitutional planning committee member and as a special project officer in the Manus provincial administration. 

Mrs Nahau Rooney also has a good education and after leaving parliament, her other work took her through many diverse formal and informal appointments: director Forest Industries Council, deputy chairman, Air Niugini Board, several membership of the following: Airlines Investigation Commission, UPNG Council, National Fiscal Economic Commission, Law Reform Commission, Pihi Manus Association and Manus Provincial Government Assembly; and has actively participated at many international forums as both guest speaker and delegation leader representing the government and other NGO agencies she represented over time.

Moreover, this former MP has many other attributes for a future vice-regal role as she has to date extensively participated meaningfully in many different development aspects of our country as: educationist, academic, researcher, policy advisor, entrepreneur and a respected legislaturer in parliament.

In recent years, Mrs Nahau Rooney has taken up several different roles in the important work of non-government organisations. 

Her efforts as a concerned community advocacy voice for the ordinary people has resulted in a number of positive development outcomes, especially in issues affecting women and children with a particular focus on ‘gender equality’ and ‘human rights’ development in the country.

Mrs Nahau Rooney is a single parent since 1990 and is very much concerned for the marginalised sections of our society: women, children and young people whose rights must be respected and special needs protected. 

Like our outgoing Governor General, Sir Paulius Matane; I am very confident that Ms Nahau Rooney will do her utmost best to still positively contribute to PNG’s national development by her meaningful participation on a more personal level with the ordinary people and all citizens, no matter what their backgrounds are by seeing to it that PNG evolves into a safe and just society in future.

I now call on our Prime Minister and parliament to please put all your political differences aside this week and decisively agree on making Mrs Nahau Rooney, CBE, CMS PNG’s next and first woman vice-regal to represent the Queen of PNG and the Commonwealth. 

For PNG, this will be a great breakthrough moment for the women of this nation.

 I too believe this will be a very good thing for all Papua New Guineans and PNG to have in future a woman Governor General who is a respected role model and one who captures the spirit of modern PNG.

Scrapping the Papua New Guinea defence force

By REG RENAGI

 

Well many a media pundit in recent years has hinted at it before in one form or another. 

As the government seems not too bothered about our national security for many years, it can start tomorrow by scrapping the entire defence and police force with half the over-bloated public service. 

What a great way to cut costs for the government in future.

The billions saved will allow more money to be spent on health, education, infrastructure and other politically attractive pork-barrel programmes by local MPs in their respective districts. 

 Similar to defence, our police too is also a big budget consumer with a less than satisfactory outcome in controlling crime, and the public service being perceived as potentially corrupt; and non-productive. 

 Do you know what will happen if we ever took that course?

 Total chaos and anarchy will reign throughout PNG. 

Thirty-five years after Independence, we still have people in our society that are still primitive and aggressive in nature with a corrupt culture, who in no time will hold the whole country to ransom through increased gun violence; and other serious crimes of flouting our civil ‘rules of law’.   

The security vacuum created by removing defence as an important element of national power; the potential for widespread civil strife and internal insurgencies will greatly increase. 

So abolishing the PNGDF and the police may sound too easy for a government ever thinking of making some big savings. 

The whole exercise would one big false economy. 

In its place: more serious problems than solutions will immediately arise that will eventually collapse total government control over its subjects. 

That’s one key reason (there are many others) why an economically strong country has a standing military force to protect its national interests.    

 PNG's first challenge is to enhance its sovereignty and security. 

The government can achieve this by bridging the gap between declared defence commitments, and actual military capabilities.  

Integral to a vision of a credible defence posture are the realignment and consolidation of existing commitments, a vigorous modernisation programme for the next 15 years and beyond, including a sweeping reorganisation, especially of our higher defence command.

 The second challenge is to improve defence management in all core competence areas. 

That is, the way defence manages its equipment acquisition; its people's careers, planning in every area from how we fight to how we feed our people. 

All these processes need to be revised due to military technological and management changes in the world in recent years. 

The government and defence cannot allow itself to become complacent in the face of great changes sweeping through our society and region. 

PNG’s task whether in the military or the whole country is to become the master of change, rather than its servant. 

Change, be it technology or in the way we manage and organise ourselves, is something which the PNGDF needs to drive.  

These two key development challenges must be well managed at a time of budget constraints and during an extended time of peace.