PNGBLOGS

By RENATA LAVEIL “Seabed Mining is a risk not worth taking”, said Governor for New Ireland Province, Sir Julius Chan in September, 2012. Almost a year later, he is involved in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing with the Nautilus Minerals Ltd, New Ireland Provincial government (NIPG) and the National Government. The MOU was signed minus the presence of the Resource Owners of West Coast Central New Ireland (within the corridors of the Solwara 1 Project), this action has given the impression of the Governor selling out for the Experimental Seabed Mining despite his declaration in 2011 that under the Malagan Declaration, the provincial government’s stance was to protect the people of New Ireland. Under the MOU signed a working group was formed to oversee the project into fruition; members comprising of representatives from the Provincial Government, National Government and the Nautilus Minerals Ltd. Quite noticeably the local landowners were left out of the MOU signing and to what

THE AUSTRALIAN THE High Court battle over the federal government's asylum-seeker deal with Papua New Guinea has escalated to the level of a constitutional challenge, potentially curtailing any future government's plans to restore offshore processing. Lawyers for a 27-year-old plaintiff, an Iranian detainee referred to in court documents by the pseudonym S156, yesterday filed an amended statement of claim arguing the government had no constitutional authority to designate another nation, such as Papua New Guinea, as an "offshore processing country". They will also argue that immigration minister failed to consider Australia's obligations under numerous international treaties when deciding to declare Papua New Guinea an offshore processing country. Those treaties include the Refugees Convention and the Convention Against Torture. The detainee's Sydney solicitor, Adrian Joel, said a favourable judgment would raise "constitutional issues as to the validity of

THE AUSTRALIAN THE High Court battle over the federal government's asylum-seeker deal with Papua New Guinea has escalated to the level of a constitutional challenge, potentially curtailing any future government's plans to restore offshore processing. Lawyers for a 27-year-old plaintiff, an Iranian detainee referred to in court documents by the pseudonym S156, yesterday filed an amended statement of claim arguing the government had no constitutional authority to designate another nation, such as Papua New Guinea, as an "offshore processing country". They will also argue that immigration minister failed to consider Australia's obligations under numerous international treaties when deciding to declare Papua New Guinea an offshore processing country. Those treaties include the Refugees Convention and the Convention Against Torture. The detainee's Sydney solicitor, Adrian Joel, said a favourable judgment would raise "constitutional issues as to th

YAHOO 7 Australian aid is being lost to corruption, with an estimated $1.7 million being stolen from Papua New Guinea's (PNG) budget annually. The stolen money is then brought to Australia to be hidden in our banks and the Queensland property market. Around 59 people have already been charged with corruption offences in PNG, and it is alleged much of their illegally obtained money is spent in Cairns. Professor Jason Sharman, deputy director of the Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Griffith University, is a renowned expert on money laundering. Professor Sharman along with Sam Koim, head of PNG's Anti-Corruption Task Force, are on a mission to lift the lid on billions of dollars of dirty money leaving PNG to be laundered in Australia. "Corrupt politicians, and senior officials are buying houses and gambling. Obviously they need bank accounts to do so, and setting their families up here (in Australia) as well," Professor Sharman said. "Most of Australia

YAHOO 7 Australian aid is being lost to corruption, with an estimated $1.7 million being stolen from Papua New Guinea's (PNG) budget annually. The stolen money is then brought to Australia to be hidden in our banks and the Queensland property market. Around 59 people have already been charged with corruption offences in PNG, and it is alleged much of their illegally obtained money is spent in Cairns. Professor Jason Sharman, deputy director of the Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Griffith University, is a renowned expert on money laundering. Professor Sharman along with Sam Koim, head of PNG's Anti-Corruption Task Force, are on a mission to lift the lid on billions of dollars of dirty money leaving PNG to be laundered in Australia. "Corrupt politicians, and senior officials are buying houses and gambling. Obviously they need bank accounts to do so, and setting their families up here (in Australia) as well," Professor Sharman said. "