DIPLOMATIC BUNGLE: FACE OFF BETWEEN O'NEILL AND BISHOP
by BRYAN KRAMER A diplomatic row between the PNG and Australia over the latter's plans to open a diplomatic mission in Autonomous Region of Bounganville has captured the headlines in recent days. It has raised two important issues firstly who is telling the truth whether or not there was any consultation between the two Governments and secondly the presumptuous position the Australian Government has taken to make a budget commitment on such a sensitive issue years ahead of any declaration of independence for Bougainville. On the first issue our Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and his Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato have publicly announced they were shocked by the move. Prime Minister O'Neill claimed he only first learned about it from the media coverage of the Australian Abott Government Budget. He said "we don't want governments to go around creating offices everywhere around the country that will create the wrong interpretation and wrong meaning to our people&