Ross Garnaut episode a ‘sad commentary’ on Australia-PNG relations

Australian Development Policy Centre director Stephen Howes has described the Ross Garnaut episode as “ a sad commentary” on the part of both Australia and Papua New Guinea governments.

Stephen Howes

“First, it is remarkable just how little attention this issue has received given the stakes involved,” he said.

“ Not only is Ok Tedi by far PNG’s largest contributor  to government revenue, and an environmental challenge which needs to be managed with care, but it is an operation in relation to which decisions have to be made about mine-life-extension in the next couple of years.

“Second, and more importantly, there is an issue of freedom of speech here.

“People should be able to criticise freely whichever country they want.

“ Individuals should be no more banned for critical comments from countries they don’t belong to than locked up for criticising their country of citizenship.

“Third, where is Australia in all this?

“The only public response of the Australian government has been from parliamentary secretary for Pacific Island affairs, Richard Marles, quoted as saying that ‘Papua New Guinea was within its rights to block entry to Professor Garnaut’ and that ‘who PNG says is welcome or not in its own country is obviously a matter for PNG’.

“ Really?

“Observance of human rights is now entirely a domestic issue for PNG?

“ We insist on democracy in Fiji but not free speech in PNG?

“Australia has no obligation to support its citizens to undertake lawful business opportunities internationally?

“It is hard not to see Manus behind Australia’s lack of protest.”

Ross Garnaut worried about PNG ban precedent

ABC

Australian economist, Ross Garnaut, says the ban imposed on him by the Papua New Guinea Government, is a low point in Australian diplomacy and PNG democracy.

Prof Garnaut resigned as chairman of Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) after he was banned from entering the country.

PNG Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, imposed the ban on Prof Garnaut last November after he weighed into a spat between O'Neill and mining giant BHP Billiton over control of the PNG Sustainable Development Program - a US$1.4 billion charitable trust that is the biggest shareholder in Ok Tedi Mining.

Prof Garnaut resigned last Friday, saying was not possible for him to fulfil his responsibilities to this large and complex company while the PNG government maintained its ban on him.

In happier days…Garnaut signs an agreement for OTML to work together with Western province with Governor Ati Wobiro in Tabubil last September.-Picture by MALUM NALU

He is concerned the PNG government action may have set a precedent.

Prof Garnaut is calling on the Australian government to negotiate an agreement with PNG to prevent this sort of incident occurring again.

"The important thing now is that things like this never happen again, that a government never again seeks to exercise leverage over legitimate international corporate interests through the misuse of immigration powers.

"If it became an accepted precedent it would introduce a major new element of sovereign risk, a barrier to PNG development and a recurring volcano in bi-lateral relations." he said.

Long-time PNG observer Stephen Howes from the Australian National University says the Australian government should have criticised the ban.

"Australia should be supporting free speech in PNG and Australia should certainly be supporting the rights of its citizens to engage in lawful business activities in other countries." he said.

He says the Australian government may have stayed silent because it needs PNG's support for the asylum seeker processing centre on Manus Island.

In Port Moresby today

By MALUM NALU

Pictures of my wanderings around Port Moresby today.
It rained heavily last night and there was rubbish strewn all over the roads and overflowing drains.
We have to stop littering and keep our city clean.
The buai sellers have been chased off the streets by City Rangers engaged by National Capital District Commission (NCDC) and that is helping a lot to keep our city clean.
We may accused the rangers of brutality, however, how else can we get buai sellers to listen to authority?

As expected, the drains around Port Moresby are chock-a-block with all manner of flotsam and jetsam after last night's deluge.

A free car wash in the overflowing drain along Wards Road, Hohola, this morning.

Overflowing drain along Wards Road, Hohola, this morning.

Nice, shady corner next to Bishop Brothers, Wards Road, Hohola.

Filthy sight along Wards Road, Hohola, this morning.

You may accuse the City Rangers of brutality against buai sellers, however, for one thing, the place looks so much better without buai sellers. This area outside BSP Waigani, where the paper seller is sitting, is usually knee-deep with buai sellers and buai pekpek.

Today is the first day I've seen the bemobile bus stop along Waigani Drive so clean. Why? The buai sellers have been chased away by the City Rangers!

This is the area outside The National office, Waigani Drive, which is maintained by our gardeners.

PNG Ports responds to Lae stevedores’ strike action

By MALUM NALU

The operational changes implemented by PNG Ports Corporation Limited (PNGPCL) at the Lae port are not intended to take away jobs from stevedores but are aimed at improving transport communications and boosting productivity, according to chief executive officer Stanley Alphonse.

 The changes include the discontinuation of the use of stevedoring companies to clear overseas import and export cargo at Lae Port.

 The PNG Maritime and Transport Workers Union, representing over 1,000 workers at the Lae wharf, has threatened strike action after PNGCPL failed to respond to its demands by January 4.

 Lae is PNG’s largest cargo port and located at the start of the main road transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast.

 Strike action at the wharf would affect the entire country, especially large inland mining operations.

Rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes at Lae port, which stevedores claim has made many of them redundant.

The workers, who are employed by three major stevedoring companies—Riback, United Stevedores and Lae Port Services—are opposing PNG Ports Corporation plans to remove the import/export clearance or IDD docket from the stevedores’ main gates and cut jobs.

Alphonse said such changes had to be done “to improve transport communications between port stakeholders including stevedores, PNGPCL and transport companies with the intention of reducing truck dwell times within the port boundaries”.

He said the new procedure implemented by PNGPCL at its Lae Port was part of Lae port’s redevelopment plans and is in no way intended to replace the stevedores’ use of IDD dockets as part of the stevedores’ procedure in exercising this duty of care.

He made this comments in response to articles published in The National last week regarding threats by stevedores in Lae to go on strike over the changes made by PNGPCL.

“PNGPCL understands that licensed stevedores at the Lae port have a contractual obligation with ship owners and a duty of care for the cargoes they stevedore within the port,” Alphonse said in a statement at the weekend.

“However, the new procedure set out by PNGPCL will only apply to overseas cargoes and stevedores will continue to use the current system for coastal cargoes.”

Alphonse said PNG Ports had made an investment of more than K200 million in developing infrastructure at the Port Moresby and Lae ports, two of the most-important marine gateways in Papua New Guinea in recent years to boost efficiency and drive the economy forward.

“The developments we have implemented are in line with changes in port management and operations taking place in ports around the world,” he said.

“We have to change the way we do business in Papua New Guinea if we have to keep pace with the changing times.

“We are not taking jobs away from the stevedores.

“I want to make it clear that my office did not receive any communication from the union on this matter, however, in the spirit of cooperation, we will send a team to Lae on Monday (today) to meet the management of stevedores that are involved.”

BHP slams PNG government over Garnaut ban

By a staff reporter, with AAP
 

Mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd has hit out at the government of Papua New Guinea over an immigration ban which saw Professor Ross Garnaut resign from his position as director of Ok Tedi Mining Ltd, The Australian Financial Review reports.

Professor Ross Garnaut and Sir Mekere Morauta

 
According to the newspaper, BHP said in a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade document, that PNG's treatment of Prof Garnaut sent “a very bad message’’ to companies looking to do business in the country.
The miner also took aim at PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, accusing the leader of improper dealings in the granting of of exploration licences.

“He (O’Neill) subsequently blocked our lease applications and made it clear they would only be granted if we transferred our rights to the government," BHP said.
In November, the PNG foreign affairs department was instructed to prevent Professor Garnaut entering the country after the prime minister said the Australian was no longer welcome and accused him of insulting to the nation's leaders.
During a grievance debate in parliament a few days before the November decision, Mr O'Neill referred to a report in The Australian newspaper quoting Prof Garnaut as saying that with such an accumulation of wealth in PNG, it was "tempting for political figures to think of better ways of using it right now rather than putting it into long-term development".

Haven sign Papua New Guinea international Rodney Pora

News Star

WHITEHAVEN have signed a Papua New Guinea international – but the deal will collapse if he doesn’t pass an English exam.

Rodney Pora

Deal: Barry Richardson

Rodney Pora is the fearsome Test prop the club are poised to bring to The Recreation Ground and help mount a strong Championship challenge. He has built up a fearsome reputation for PNG in the Test arena including World and Pacific Cup internationals.
All that remains now is for Pora to pass an English exam which is a pre-requisite to gaining a visa.
He has already sat the tests but the results have still to come from Australia causing the delay in completing the deal.
Whitehaven chief executive Barry Richardson confirmed: “Rodney has signed for us and once he passes the exam there should be no problems. I spoke to him on New Year’s Day and he’s as keen as mustard to come.”
He has been a regular in the Papua New Guinea team for several years and is first-choice No 8. Richardson described Pora as “a big, rough tough forward who has a substantial presence on the field”.
And there could be a double PNG boost as Whitehaven remain confident of signing Pora’s front-row international team-mate who can’t be named at this stage. “Terms have been agreed, all the paperwork has been sorted out at this end, we are just waiting for him to get a visa in his own country. We are keeping fingers crossed,” said Richardson.
Definitely returning from PNG is Jessie Joe Parker to add his considerable force to the back division having contributed spectacularly to the promotion success. The deal is signed and sealed.
Richardson will meet him at Newcastle Airport on January 10. And landing at the same airport on Friday from Australia is speedy all-rounder James Cameron.
“We have recruited well,” said Richardson. “It’s going to be tough but if everybody pulls together on and off the field we can do well in the Championship.
“One way or another our pack is going to be stronger and more powerful than last season having already signed two other experienced props in Paul Jackson and Lee Paterson.”