PNGBLOGS

MONGABAY During a meeting in March 2011 twenty-six experts—from biologists to social scientists to NGO staff—crafted a statement calling on the Papua New Guinea government to stop granting Special Agricultural and Business Leases. According to the group, these leases, or SABLs as they are know, circumvent Papua New Guinea’s strong community land rights laws and imperil some of the world’s most intact rainforests. To date 5.6 million hectares (13.8 million acres) of forest have been leased under SABLs, an area larger than all of Costa Rica. “Papua New Guinea is among the most biologically and culturally diverse nations on Earth. [The country's] remarkable diversity of cultural groups rely intimately on their traditional lands and forests in order to meet their needs for farming plots, forest goods, wild game, traditional and religious sites, and many other goods and services,” reads the statement , dubbed the Cairns Declaration. However, according to the declaration all

MONGABAY During a meeting in March 2011 twenty-six experts—from biologists to social scientists to NGO staff—crafted a statement calling on the Papua New Guinea government to stop granting Special Agricultural and Business Leases. According to the group, these leases, or SABLs as they are know, circumvent Papua New Guinea’s strong community land rights laws and imperil some of the world’s most intact rainforests. To date 5.6 million hectares (13.8 million acres) of forest have been leased under SABLs, an area larger than all of Costa Rica. “Papua New Guinea is among the most biologically and culturally diverse nations on Earth. [The country's] remarkable diversity of cultural groups rely intimately on their traditional lands and forests in order to meet their needs for farming plots, forest goods, wild game, traditional and religious sites, and many other goods and services,” reads the statement , dubbed the Cairns Declaration. However, according to the declaration a

SOUTH PACIFIC POST MANY political leaders are corrupt and they are hypocrites, according to a Catholic Church Bishop. And a Lutheran Church Bishop described politicians as “frogs” jumping around in the Waigani swamp. However Acting Prime Minister Mr Sam Abal told Post-Courier last night that not all leaders were corrupt and “we are working on improving things”. He said church and political leaders were entitled to their views … “this is a free country, they can make their comments, But I can say we are looking forward to make improvements”. The hard-working and devout 4 Square Leader whose humble character elevated him to the top seat in government countered last night: “Not all of us are corrupt.” He admitted there had been some mistakes and failures, but overall, there is “many many more” positive achievements by the government and it was unfair to judge the government only on its mistakes. Mr Abal, the Wabag MP, will be Acting PM again starting Monday when PM Sir Michael Somare retu

SOUTH PACIFIC POST MANY political leaders are corrupt and they are hypocrites, according to a Catholic Church Bishop. And a Lutheran Church Bishop described politicians as “frogs” jumping around in the Waigani swamp. However Acting Prime Minister Mr Sam Abal told Post-Courier last night that not all leaders were corrupt and “we are working on improving things”. He said church and political leaders were entitled to their views … “this is a free country, they can make their comments, But I can say we are looking forward to make improvements”. The hard-working and devout 4 Square Leader whose humble character elevated him to the top seat in government countered last night: “Not all of us are corrupt.” He admitted there had been some mistakes and failures, but overall, there is “many many more” positive achievements by the government and it was unfair to judge the government only on its mistakes. Mr Abal, the Wabag MP, will be Acting PM again starting Monday when PM Sir Michael Somare

SOUTH PACIFIC POST   Govt is arrogant, selfish and functions like dictatorship THE current National Parliament is the “worst” Papua New Guinea has had in the last 20 years, Lae MP and deputy opposition leader Bart Philemon said yesterday. Speaking in support of former prime minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu who said the people have lost faith in PNG’s parliamentary democracy, Mr Philemon said parliament has lost its credibility and integrity because the present government has treated it with absolute contempt and disrespect. Mr Philemon said despite the Supreme Court affirmation that confirmed parliament must sit for nine weeks in a year or 63 days, the Somare government has failed to uphold that constitutional requirement. Mr Philemon said from August 2007 when the eighth Parliament started to July 2008 the National Parliament sat for only 49 days out of the required 63 days. Then from July 2008 to July 2009 the House sat for 31 days out of 63 required by the Constitution. Mr Philemon said

SOUTH PACIFIC POST   Govt is arrogant, selfish and functions like dictatorship THE current National Parliament is the “worst” Papua New Guinea has had in the last 20 years, Lae MP and deputy opposition leader Bart Philemon said yesterday. Speaking in support of former prime minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu who said the people have lost faith in PNG’s parliamentary democracy, Mr Philemon said parliament has lost its credibility and integrity because the present government has treated it with absolute contempt and disrespect. Mr Philemon said despite the Supreme Court affirmation that confirmed parliament must sit for nine weeks in a year or 63 days, the Somare government has failed to uphold that constitutional requirement. Mr Philemon said from August 2007 when the eighth Parliament started to July 2008 the National Parliament sat for only 49 days out of the required 63 days. Then from July 2008 to July 2009 the House sat for 31 days out of 63 required by the Constitution. Mr Phile

OP.ED The blame game is not new in PNG. If we like, it is part and partial of the PNG attitude. So it is interesting to note that Health Minister Sasa Zibe does not want to be held responsible for the national doctors’ strike. As the strike rolls into its fifth day, Minister Zibe blames the strike squarely on senior public servants in the National Department of Health and the Personal Management Department. Just how are the senior management teams of the two departments feeling now that they are bluntly told by a senior state minister that they are incompetent? The log of claims has been outstanding for three years. We find it hard to swallow Zibe’s defence. As a leader, the minister must take full responsibility for the strike. The buck, we say, must stop with him. That is not to say that the bureaucrats are blameless. They too must share the blame with Zibe. The strike rolls into the fifth day. We are sure that the hospitals throughout the country are starting to feel the impact of t