PNGBLOGS

The opposition’s nomination of Works Minister Peter O’Neill as Papua New Guinea’s new prime minister on 2 August came as a shock to many. But there were clues in some earlier press comments. Last year, O’Neill and the opposition agreed he would become the next prime minister if he crossed the floor before the mid-year challenge. And although Deputy Prime Minister Sam Abal was acting prime minister during Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare’s continuing absence in Singapore following heart surgery in April, the opposition succeeded in declaring the prime ministership vacant without following constitutional procedures. The National Alliance led government’s collapse arose in three phases. First was Somare’s coalition’s gradual loss of public support over the last few years on the back of failing government services across most the country and allegations of corruption over the dispersal of development funds. Second was the increasing frustration among opposition members with Somar

The opposition’s nomination of Works Minister Peter O’Neill as Papua New Guinea’s new prime minister on 2 August came as a shock to many. But there were clues in some earlier press comments. Last year, O’Neill and the opposition agreed he would become the next prime minister if he crossed the floor before the mid-year challenge. And although Deputy Prime Minister Sam Abal was acting prime minister during Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare’s continuing absence in Singapore following heart surgery in April, the opposition succeeded in declaring the prime ministership vacant without following constitutional procedures. The National Alliance led government’s collapse arose in three phases. First was Somare’s coalition’s gradual loss of public support over the last few years on the back of failing government services across most the country and allegations of corruption over the dispersal of development funds. Second was the increasing frustration among opposition members with Som

THE United Nations refugee agency will be sidelined from involvement in the Manus Island detention centre when it is reopened by Australia in several weeks' time. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the centre, in Papua New Guinea, would be “appropriately” administered. He said the Australian government would talk to the UNHCR, but the agency would not play a role in the centre's management. “We certainly don't envisage UNHCR involvement,” he told ABC radio. The Gillard government was anxious for the UNHCR to give its imprimatur to its Malaysian refugee swap, but the agency refused to endorse the deal. Australia and PNG reached an in-principle agreement on the use of the Manus Island centre, previously used by the Howard government, following the election last week of new PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. Mr Bowen said the two governments were still working to finalise the details of the arrangement. He said it would be several weeks before the centre became operation

THE United Nations refugee agency will be sidelined from involvement in the Manus Island detention centre when it is reopened by Australia in several weeks' time. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the centre, in Papua New Guinea, would be “appropriately” administered. He said the Australian government would talk to the UNHCR, but the agency would not play a role in the centre's management. “We certainly don't envisage UNHCR involvement,” he told ABC radio. The Gillard government was anxious for the UNHCR to give its imprimatur to its Malaysian refugee swap, but the agency refused to endorse the deal. Australia and PNG reached an in-principle agreement on the use of the Manus Island centre, previously used by the Howard government, following the election last week of new PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. Mr Bowen said the two governments were still working to finalise the details of the arrangement. He said it would be several weeks before the centre became op

WE hear loud and clear the case made by the promoters of transferring ownership of resources to the land owning groups in the country. There is much credence in the arguments. Basically the arguments arise from inequity, not wrongful ow­nership. For decades, landowning groups from Guava v­illage in Panguna to the Min people of the Star Mountains and the Foe and Fasu of lake Kutubu have played obser­vers to the harvesting of billions of kina worth of mine­ral and hydrocarbon wealth on their land. Only a few landowner­ managers and leaders might have come into some real money but the majority received next to nil and remains destitute and frustrated. Transferring ownership to the landowners of their resources will not improve their case. Indeed, it will make murkier the muddy waters of land tenure system that we have in PNG. Since land ownership itself is a taxing question vesting ownership of wealth in the hands of a group of landowners is akin to giving a child a loaded pistol with the

WE hear loud and clear the case made by the promoters of transferring ownership of resources to the land owning groups in the country. There is much credence in the arguments. Basically the arguments arise from inequity, not wrongful ow­nership. For decades, landowning groups from Guava v­illage in Panguna to the Min people of the Star Mountains and the Foe and Fasu of lake Kutubu have played obser­vers to the harvesting of billions of kina worth of mine­ral and hydrocarbon wealth on their land. Only a few landowner­ managers and leaders might have come into some real money but the majority received next to nil and remains destitute and frustrated. Transferring ownership to the landowners of their resources will not improve their case. Indeed, it will make murkier the muddy waters of land tenure system that we have in PNG. Since land ownership itself is a taxing question vesting ownership of wealth in the hands of a group of landowners is akin to giving a child a loaded pistol with th

PAPUA New Guinea's new Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, has vowed to introduce free education up to Year 10, create a centralised medical supplies base, rebuild the nation's core highways, extend the key airstrips in Port Moresby and Lae and rebuild the army and police. This highly ambitious program will fully occupy his large ministerial team through to the election due mid-next year. Mr O'Neill became Prime Minister after the parliament voted last week to declare that the position had been vacated by Michael Somare's four-month absence, and subsequent treatment in a Singapore hospital. He won the ensuing vote by a thumping 70 votes to 24. The first legal challenge to his election indicated that the proceedings may have been unconstitutional, but the court found that Mr Somare's lengthy absence had already introduced an element of dubious constitutionality as well as considerable uncertainty. The court also found that by participating in the vote those who were i

PAPUA New Guinea's new Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, has vowed to introduce free education up to Year 10, create a centralised medical supplies base, rebuild the nation's core highways, extend the key airstrips in Port Moresby and Lae and rebuild the army and police. This highly ambitious program will fully occupy his large ministerial team through to the election due mid-next year. Mr O'Neill became Prime Minister after the parliament voted last week to declare that the position had been vacated by Michael Somare's four-month absence, and subsequent treatment in a Singapore hospital. He won the ensuing vote by a thumping 70 votes to 24. The first legal challenge to his election indicated that the proceedings may have been unconstitutional, but the court found that Mr Somare's lengthy absence had already introduced an element of dubious constitutionality as well as considerable uncertainty. The court also found that by participating in the vote those wh

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says his cabinet has approved an asylum seeker detention centre on Manus Island. Mr O'Neill told reporters in Port Moresby on Thursday a timeframe on the re-establishment of the centre was "entirely up to the Australian government", which would manage the centre. "The Papua New Guinea government has now approved that arrangement and we have invited officials from Australia to immediately set this facility up so that we can battle this ongoing regional issue," he said. "We also have similar problems in Papua New Guinea but it is not on the scale that is confronting our neighbour. But as a responsible government, we see that is a regional issue." He expects Australian officials to arrive in PNG at some point next week. While the Australian government would meet the cost of running the centre, PNG officials will assist and work closely with Australian officials ... "so that we can also build our own c