New boss same as old boss? (Or steady as she goes Julia.)

By REGINALD RENAGI

 

So what's new in Australian politics? 

Julia Gillard is the new boss now but what can she do different from her old boss?

 As the old pop song goes... 'new boss same as old boss', and many wonder whether Julia will be any different or will she be the same as her old boss, Kevin Rudd. 

 Some sections of the Australian public think this way because Gillard is also seen as the co-drafter with the man she dethroned of key ALP policies.

 Some of these policies have been the main cause of former PM Kevin Rudd's diminishing popularity in recent times.

 So Julia is equally guilty by association and should take part of the blame for Kevin's drop in ratings by opinion polls.

 She played the loyal deputy's role very well whenever she was given a chance to appear on breakfast TV shows during studio debating sessions one-on-one with opposition leader, Tony Abbort.

Both looked liked good mates on the surface but Julia struck me as a more shrewd and calculating pollie not to be trifled with, as Kevin Rudd found out recently.

As deputy PM, Gillard looked good to viewers when defending her government's policies against prevailing public criticisms.

Gillard accounted herself well in the public's eye on national TV while her boss's popularity slump as he refrained from constructively engaging with a concerned public.

The opinion polls subsequently convinced Julia to make her historic move a fortnight ago to oust one of Australia's most popular PM in recent years.

Her reason?

The country needed strong leadership to move it forward and Labor was not doing that well and might prove much worse come election time. 

ALP stalwarts broke poor Kevin's career as PM so Julia can rebuild Labor's wavering public support as inside power brokers felt the party would have a better chance of winning with her in the coming polls this year.  

So will the new PM make some real changes or will it be 'steady as she goes Julia?'

 I think it will be the former. Gillard will try very hard with her new cabinet team to try and regain Labor's popularity slump.

 Labor will in the short time it has under Julia Gillard to build up public support and trust before the elections.

 So what key policy changes will she make for the ALP? 

 Key ALP policies will remain very much intact except the ones that are controversial with the Australian public like the new Mining tax slapped by the former Rudd government.

Here Julia will be a more engaging PM than Kevin Rudd was in talking more with her critics and try to reach a middle ground to appease a recalcitrant industry.

Other key policy changes may be in climate change and whether to reintroduce Rudd's ETS in another form and configuration, stronger border policies, asylum seekers issue, AusAid programme with Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, Pacific Forum and possibly a relook at its future ADF troop involvement in Afghanistan.

Australia under Julia Gillard is a new sea change.

The ALP just need three new good policies now to sell to the Australian public and they just might win the election for Julia Gillard: Cut PNG aid levels to zero and instead increase trade by 100 percent, do more for indigenous Australians than before and lastly; pull Australian troops out of Afghanistan by Christmas.

Keeping troops in Afghanistan will not make Australia any safer but a very unsecure country in future.  

New Guinea Energy spuds first exploration well

NEW Guinea Energy (NGE) spudded its first exploration well at Panakawa oil prospecting licence in Gulf province last June 25, according to a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange yesterday, The National reports.

The drilling programme is managed by contractor Australian Drilling Services, using its contracted rig #6.

Work has been progressing well for the last 10 days

The Panakawa oil prospect is located in PPL 267.

It was initially identified as a lead from the Yalis phase I seismic survey completed in 2006, and further delineated by the Yalis phase II seismic survey (Q3 2008).

The prospect underlies the Panakawa oil seep which has a surface measured flow rate of five barrels of oil per day of 35°API oil and is ideally located less than 1km from Rimbunan Hijau’s Panakawa logging and veneer plant wharf.

The statement said the Panakawa-1 well was targeting the lower cretaceous toro formation sandstone and several secondary reservoirs.

Proposed total depth of the well is 2,323m in basement.

The company expects the well to require approximately 30 days drilling.

NGE is the sole owner of PPL 276.

The company said apart from PPL 276, NGE also has five other onshore petroleum prospecting licences (PPLs) covering more than 52,000sqkm (including PPL 276).

These PPLs contain an excellent exploration inventory of 59 prospects and leads, which include six drillable prospects.

Ten top leads are currently being evaluated for upgrading to drillable prospect status.

The oil-and-gas-focused explorer raised US$18.5 million (K49 million) early this year by a placement of 112,121,210 shares at US$0.165 per share to sophisticated or professional investors, it said.

The fundraising was managed by Bell Potter Securities Ltd and was strongly supported by both institutional and sophisticated retail investors.

The shares issued will rank equally with existing ordinary fully-paid shares on issue, with shareholders approving the matter at a meeting last week.

NGE is partly-owned by Sir Michael Bromely, a PNG-based businessman who, at one time, ran one of the Highlands’ region’s large supermarket chains – the Bromley and Manton.

 

Gunman charged

A MAN allegedly involved in the shooting incident at the Port Moresby International Airport last Friday has been charged by police with discharging a firearm, and will also face multiple attempted murder charges, The National reports.

Former chairman of Moran Special Purpose Authority David Mulungu has been charged in connection with the possession and use of a firearm in the incident.

Police said his younger brother Paul, nicknamed Rambo, who is recovering in hospital, would also face a similar charge when he is released from hospital.

Police were also considering malicious damages charges for damages inflicted on properties during the shooting incident.

They also faced other charges under the Civil Aviation Act.

Police denied reports by the other daily newspaper that the wounded gunman had escaped from hospital.

A third person, believed to be the son of the former chairman, was released as he was a juvenile accompanying the two.

David Mulungu, who is in police custody, is expected to appear before the Boroko District Court today charged with discharging a firearm.

Police also confirmed that a wounded bystander, who was admitted at the Pacific International Hospital, had been discharged but was expected to continue with his medical review.

Police also said the firearms used were licenced.

Doctors will examine the injuries sustained by Paul Mulungu in his leg and determine whether to carry out an operation or not.

Komo-Margarima MP Francis Potape, who was at the airport when the shooting happened, said a number of individuals who provoked and incited this attack should also be arrested by police.

He said these people had been associated with the Homa Paua People’s Association and had been making provocative public statements.

He said since oil was first discovered there 15 years ago, millions of kina had been squandered by individuals, some of whom freely expressed threats in the media, and they should be arrested.

 

Moran leader calls on media to report fairly

THE chairman of the Moran Special Purpose Authority, Tony Kila, has called on the media to report accurately, The National reports.

Kila said some media organisations had failed to report news without fear or favour.

He said ethically, journalists were expected to collect accurate information and balance their stories instead of hearsay and one-sided reports and accounts from people with vested interest.

Kila was referring to a news article published in the Sunday Chronicle newspaper on Sunday and aired on radio last Friday that two policemen were shot when landowners fired shots at each other at the airport.

“There was no policeman hurt or was there any exchange of gunfire between my group and the opposing landowner faction; it was a public shooting which resulted in the wounding of two people who were not party to any issue,” he said.

Kila said the use of guns at the airport was a national security issue as the gun-wielding men shot at the public.

“I’m not happy with the way the two media outlets had reported on the incident because they reported from hearsay without even checking facts with the policemen on the ground.

“Trained journalists should know better as what goes out to the public becomes news which might have greater implications on certain people or groups,” he said.

He called on the PNG Media Council to investigate the two outlets as their reports lacked facts with poor journalism practice and lacked ethical decision-making.

 

'Illegal deals soar in B'ville'

THE recent apprehension by PNG Customs of an oil tanker carrying fuel it had loaded from Bougainville copper mine storage tanks is only one of many illegal operations which both the national and the autonomous Bougainville governments have been called on to look into, The National reports.

A Panguna Landowner Association (PLA) executive said the tanker was only one of many illegal deals being conducted in Bougainville involving Bougainville Copper Ltd (BCL) property and machinery.

Lawrence Daveona said far too many of these businesses had ignored or bypassed established rules and procedures for conduct of business.

Consequently, he said, mine lease area people, who have suffered from the crisis, were missing out on benefits.

Apart from the oil tanker business, another lucrative business was the sale of scrap metal from the now abandoned mine and other parts of Bougainville.

Daveona said the association had an on-going understanding with BCL that all scrap metal, left behind as a result of the crisis, belonged to the landowners and they were allowed to enter into any business arrangement with interested foreign or national partners so long as they have the endorsement of the Autonomous Bougainville Government and relevant national agencies.

The approved process was to get a written approval from the PLA and the ABG to conduct such business before permission is sought from BCL.

Once this is sorted out, the final approval must come from national agencies such as Customs, Internal Revenue Commission and Labour where foreign workers were concerned.

Daveona said this process was necessary to ensure any business opportunity concluded would benefit the mine lease area people.

Tired of watching illegal operations going on, PLA had incorporated its own landowners company called Komeri Holdings Ltd. It had also established Panguna Metals Ltd through a joint partnership with UK-based Capital Equipment Supply Co.

Komeri Holdings shareholding included the two factions of Mekamui holding 5% each, 30% which is held by ex-combatants (BRA 20 % and Bougainville Resistance Fighters 10%) and Panguna Landowners Association (60%).

Daveona is confident that the company was ready to proceed to full operational status.

It has BCL approval to carry out its scrap metal operations in the secondary crusher, concentrator and mine pit areas covering the pit, pit workshop and the primary crusher.

New technology to combat pest and disease in cocoa

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL

The PNG Cocoa Coconut Institute Ltd has formally released to the cocoa industry a new technology for farmers to use in improving productivity and reduce the impact of the cocoa pod borer.

Integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) involves a series of options (involving pruning, pest and disease control, shade tree management and resistant varieties) which form the basis of integrated management strategies to reduce yield losses from pests and diseases in the cocoa crop.

IPDM is designed to balance and manage activities in relation to the cocoa cropping cycle.

While new planting materials are one component, IPDM technology is equally effective when it is applied to existing plantings of hybrid or clonal cocoa.

IPDM is designed to maximise benefits to the farmer by improving the health of the cocoa plants.

The new technology was launched together with the PNGCCI’s strategic plan 2010-1019 at Tavilo research station last month.

Department of Agriculture and Livestock secretary Anton Benjamin, in launching the IPDM, said cocoa farmers were given renewed hope to maximise cocoa production and he called on the farmers to accept and implement the new management practices.

 DAL Secretary Anton Benjamin and CCI acting CEO Dr Eric Omuru at the launching at Tavilo

He said the government had put in a lot of money and resources to eradicate cocoa pod borer with limited success.

 It is now up to the farmers to decide on implementing the strategies under the IPDM.

Benjamin believed the IPDM technology was the best so far and its overall success in the cocoa industry would depend on farmers and all stakeholders.

The challenge is on all concerned parties including government agencies, provincial administrations, farmer associations, private sector and others to ensure that IPDM is successfully implemented.

He appealed especially to cocoa-growing provinces to take ownership of the IPDM and play a lead role in introducing the new technology to their farmers.

Benjamin also commended Papua New Guinean scientists and researchers who worked closely with experts from overseas to develop the IPDM technology.

“We have the best scientists and researchers in the region and they work under difficult situations,” he said.

“We must recognise the valuable contribution they are making to develop the cocoa industry in the country.”

Benjamin also thanked the Australian Government initiative, Agricultural Research and Development Support Facility (ARDSF), for helping to provide technical assistance and funding to develop the technology.

PNGCCI acting CEO Dr Eric Omuru commended his scientific and research staff for their efforts and believed that the IPDM would have an impact in minimising the cocoa pod borer.

Cocoa farmers have moved away to other commodity crops, however, with the new technology they were expected to return and boost cocoa production.

 A farmer and his two sons study the awareness material on IPDM during the launching

The PNGCCI was established in 2003 through the amalgamation of the PNG Cocoa and Coconut Research institute and the PNG Cocoa and Coconut Extension Agency.

The Cocoa Board and the Kokonas Indastri Koporesen are the shareholding boards each with equal shares of PNGCCI.

Its mandate is research, development and extension in cocoa and coconut production, processing and marketing.

This mandate requires the institute to play a pivotal role in lifting the profile of the two industries in providing income and self-employment for rural farmers in the lowland areas of PNG.

 It is estimated that around two million people depend directly or indirectly on cocoa and coconut products for their livelihood.

Papua New Guinea has vast resources and potential for agriculture

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL

 Papua New Guinea has many natural resources including arable land for agriculture development and can provide a wide range of opportunities for investors.

At the same time PNG needs to be committed and positive in its efforts to promote agriculture investment.

Head of a visiting Chinese delegation, Lin Rentong, made these remarks during a briefing with officers from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and other agricultural agencies early this week.

 Rentong and his team members admire fresh vegetables on sale at a roadside market at Brown River along the Hiritano Highway

Rentong said he was impressed with the potential for major agriculture projects and believed that PNG would one day become a developed country like China.

He said PNG needed to utilise its resources through new technology and with assistance from genuine investors who could move the country forward.

This country has resources supported by suitable climate and soil conditions which make it possible for large scale or commercial development especially in rice and grain.

He stressed that PNG needed to put in place key infrastructure such as transportation, roads, marketing facilities, access to water facilities and others which form part of the development process.

 Rentong, deputy director-general of Liaoning provincial farming and land reclamation bureau, led a team of seven government and technical officials to seek potential investment opportunities.

During its three-day visit the team travelled to Vanapa outside Port Moresby to inspect potential rice and grain sites and held discussions with government officials and PNG-based companies.

The Chinese officials inspecting corn at Doa along the Hiritano Highway

  

During the meeting with DAL and agricultural sectoral agencies, Rentong said the Chinese were prepared to assist in introducing new farming technology, conduct farmer training and establish seed multiplication farms as well as other activities including farm machinery.

All they required was land to be made available and conducive environment for investment.

DAL secretary Anton Benjamin said PNG was looking at opportunities to develop and boost its agriculture potential and welcomed the visit by Rentong’s team.

He said PNG had opportunities in grain production, livestock as well as the tree crops including coffee and coconut industries, which could be further expanded in suitable locations with assistance from overseas investors.

Chinese officials check out a lake near Kerea village in the Vanapa area outside Port Moresby