Comments

Thankyour for your visit read well its my people from hela

Thanks to both JK Domyal and Christopher Hogan for feedback on your experiences and research. I am particularly pleased to hear that Christopher is doing field research to find out what is happening in a range of workplaces and locations. I hope that Christopher is invited to take part in the annual end-of-year gatherings between CLOs and other key stakeholders that have taken place in Victoria and hopefully elsewhere as well. As Christopher concludes: flexibility depending on the context is needed.

Samoa's constitution is for the people of Samoa and who it's express their values including their religious values as Christian. In a country where 98% are Christians may should it not protect its interest first before worrying about catering to others? That is illogical. So well done Samoa. And of course religious freedom for others will be protected but that does not negate Samoans to express their belief system in their contrition.

Interesting piece, thanks Richard. The lack of clarity around the role really jumps out at me here. In my research, I've had many stakeholders in pastoral care/support roles, both based close to workers and in capital cities away from workers, express positive things about CLOs. While this is in contrast to the workers'/employers' responses in this piece, they echo the same thing point that it's not clear where responsibility starts and ends. Some in formal roles have suggested that CLOs and/or Labour Attaches are supposed to have issues escalated to resolve, but I've also seen them doing far more than is expected of them at ground level in an effort to stop them reaching that stage. Like most involved in any supportive role, the work they do can easily go unnoticed. Mind you, this isn't to advocate for guidelines that are too strict - flexibility is also needed depending on context. Rather, I think there is more that can be done in finding the right balance and your work mapping out stakeholders' roles is really valuable for understanding the scheme. Thanks again, Chris

Great to read this piece. From my personal experiences, I was once interested in the PALM project that covers employment jurisdictions of two or more countries and particularly the PNG office, and I applied for a senior level position in the PALM project in 2024. Though I possessed all the accolades required for the position including my diverse work experiences across multiple donors including 6 years at AHC, and my strong performance at the interview, I was not offered the job. Recruitment in the country PALM project office would be one area lacking competent officers who can do CLO tasks including working knowledge on the relationships between project office and host government and local embassy or High Commission, labour laws, network of private sector business schemes in Australia, available insurance schemes and understand how to deliver cultural appropriate induction and integration training are the expertise that CLO should possess. Despite the above acumen as either from CLOs or the project office, seasonal labours will continue to express that they are not receiving adequate support from CLOs or PALM country office. I still have doubts how PALM country office is organised.

Overall, it is perfect! Only the image is not of Titiana village, but of Gaomai village in the Shortlands.

It is remarkable that none of Fiji's four constitutions has ever been put to the people, so a 9 December referendum would be a genuine first. A three-vote margin in Parliament and campaign rules that are still unwritten make the process feel fragile, though, and the Standing Orders question deserves more attention. I run 12 axes, a free political values test that treats democracy as its own scale, and posts like this show how much the procedural details matter.

Hi Jame, thank you for sharing this case study. Teacher training institutions should adopt this study methodology to develop civic education materials and train student teachers. Your findings show that teachers need a strong foundation in civic education to teach primary school students effectively. Accessible ICT-based resources could also strengthen student teachers’ civic education and support their teaching. However, access to ICT and the internet remains limited in PNG, particularly in remote areas.

I am interested but is it too late for me to apply? When is the right time for me to apply? I need some help to assist me.

Great to read. Few commentaries to your points. It is encouraging to see this discussion on ICT development in PNG. The ICT sector is rapidly evolving worldwide, and PNG can only secure its place in the global community by embracing and investing in ICT. Your presentation is both timely and relevant, and further research is needed to develop a comprehensive ICT framework that can effectively serve PNG’s growing population. ICT should not be viewed as a stand-alone development initiative solely driven by the private sector. The public sector, particularly government institutions and agencies, must also play a central role in its development. Before focusing on the commercial aspects of ICT, several complementary infrastructures must first be established, many of which fall under the responsibility of government. One critical infrastructure is reliable and sustainable power supply because all ICT system requires power energy. Reliable electricity across districts and service centres will significantly improve connectivity and support the delivery of internet and other digital services. Another is the expansion of telecommunications networks, including radio and satellite towers, to ensure stronger and more reliable coverage throughout the country. Both areas require substantial government investment and leadership. A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach is crucial to the growth and establishment of the ICT industry in PNG. Given the country’s geographically dispersed islands, rugged terrain, and isolated communities, a joint partnership between government and the private sector is necessary to expand ICT infrastructure and services across the country. As PNG celebrates 50 years of nationhood, the country has already produced a wealth of expertise in the ICT field. It is time to bring together this expertise to design a long-term ICT development plan for the next 50 years. Doing the traditional cycle of policy after policy, without seeking expert inputs, will do little to advance the nation’s digital transformation.

Great to read. A quick remark here. The criteria used by the United Nations and other international bodies to define least developed countries (LDCs) should be reviewed in light of changes in the global political, economic, and socio-security landscape. As diverse and complicated development increasingly reach remote villages and individual thinkers, these global criteria need to be updated. Countries gained independence at different times and under different circumstances. Applying a single set of criteria to classify them as LDCs, middle-income developing countries, or other categories may therefore impose a biased and overly controlled measure of national progress. A second issue concerns the Solomon Islands’ graduation from LDC status: what indicators will clearly demonstrate this transition? The outcomes should be tangible and measurable, yet relying solely on the existing UN LDC criteria may be unfair for the reasons outlined above. Climate change and natural disasters are increasingly affecting countries’ social and economic conditions. These realities should influence both the criteria and the original purpose of the LDC classification. A country’s graduation from LDC status cannot be assessed without considering its exposure to such natural hazards. The Solomon Islands is affected by both natural and human-driven challenges. Given these circumstances, its graduation from LDC status raises important questions. A one-size-fits-all set of LDC criteria does not adequately reflect the diverse realities of developing economies, let alone Solomon Island.

Fantastic overview, thank you for the analysis.