Comments

Most importantly, a hard yank on the fiscal levers now with large cuts to government expenditure in the guise of austerity will only exacerbate the sufferings of the people. This will risk another round of protests that the architects of the reform must consider when devising the plans for economic stabilization and recovery.

Thanks for the data, it is a pretty sorry situation. A 10 per cent target would be a good starting point. So many great women in the Pacific but they have so little representation.

Thanks for this analysis. US China rivalry seems to be the only prism outsiders can view the Pacific through. Time for a much more respectful interaction, and supporting Pacific nations' own concerns and arrangements.

A superb article. Comparisons with Sri Lanka have been made in the Pacific but quickly rejected by some of our analysts. In some respects Sri Lanka is a different kettle of fish but some parallels are quite chilling, not the least because they seem to have become normalised in some regional countries: - Ministers with entourage of ‘yes-men’; with few true advisors, as most ministers did not wish to be corrected/discuss substance - Senior government officials overwhelmingly male still in the dark ages with contempt for women - Sexism and segregation of women in politics/parliament , leadership, and economic life - Anti-Western propaganda in human rights, freedom of expression, media rights, corruption and China issue - Politicians eager to accept easy loans from China - shun western aid which come with conditions - Borrowing unsustainably to build infrastructure - Pork-barrelling - Control media with sticks and carrots and and retain a high media profile - Brain drain due to strongman politics, anti-Western bluster and social sexism Some Pacific countries should take a good look at Sri Lanka. The same goes for some Pacific analysts.

Senator Penny Wong and other ministers have confirmed today that the Telstra purchase of Digicel's Pacific arm has now been finalised.

So interested to know about how the devolved funding is diverted to bring expected outcomes to meet the needs and wants of the citizens of PNG.

I believe women in PNG, have the advantage of becoming Members of Parliament, however, its the eligible voters refusing to mark x against a female candidate. If you go to polling booth and ask a female voter if she voted for a female candidate out of 9/10 will say "NO"!

From 2019 the terms that Barrick brought to the table for a new Porgera special mining lease can be readily discerned by making a triangulation of the Porgera proposals with the Barrick/Tanzanian agreement (North Mara and two other mines) and the recently announced Barrick/Pakistan agreement for a mining development contract for the Reko Diq mine. The negotiation between Barrick and PNG is ongoing and has yet to crystallize in the form of a mining development contract for the Porgera mine. All three agreements (Tanzania, PNG and Pakistan) feature a 50/50 ‘equity partnership’ arrangement for the concession licence. The Barrick share of the concession licence will be 50%. The remaining 50% will be shared between the State (in the form of SOEs), the Provincial government and the landowners. Some free carried equity interest will be non-dilutable. In Tanzania, PNG and Pakistan a mining licence is, or will be, granted to the concession holders on the basis of Barrick’s proposals as project operator for mine development. At the level of the mine operatorship the non-legal entity of an unincorporated joint venture continues. The various concession equity holders are parties to this joint venture and explicitly contract not to be in a partner relationship with Barrick and each other. Barrick company policy is to take up a partnership relationship with mine-affected landowners and communities, local and provincial governments and the state. Mutually ageed on policies include employment, preferences for local suppliers, education and training, and tax-credit infrastructure projcts, etc. The possibility of an equity holders ‘buy-out’ of Barrick is also included. Partnership duties at this level include the obligation on all to act with utmost good faith in all respects in regard to their dealings with each other. Other points of note are the Tanzanian legislative/regulatory changes pertaining to dispute resolution and the Barrick/Pakistan agreement which stipulates that the final Barrick/Pakistan mining development contract for Reko Diq will be submitted to the Pakistan Supreme Court for review. It is the Barrick view, since 2019, that mines are the guests of the host country. For mining to be sustainable it must adopt and embrace the development goals of the host country. The active role that Barrick takes in this process can be seen as a form of economic development ‘bootstrapping’ as exemplified by the China development experience. Vailala

Thank you.

A very significant observation and eye opening perspective of the ongoing geopolitical activities and events that are even worst than the impacts of Climate Change on our small island states. The so-called BPB initiative is but another rolling out of the primitive concept of the Doctrine of Discovery, which I believe the Pacific Island Leaders Forum is established to quell. May God help our (seemingly) being "belittled" leaders forum in their deliberations on this obviously Pacific sovereignty threatening development.

This comment on the PNG elections is very welcome as it opens a view on meaning in PNG electoral behaviour. Scholarly attention to PNG elections has concentrated too much on party formation and electoral systems. The result may be trivialising PNG politics and one looses then sight of the very big stakes involved. There are however some moot points: (a) It is not true that policies are only in this election important. IMF conditionality was crucial In the election struggle of 2002 between Mekere Morauta and Michael Somare. The election was won by Michael Somare who made peace with the IMF but the reform agenda of Morauta was jettisoned. It therefore probably was the most fateful election in PNG history. Mekere Morauta has provided an alternative vision on PNG in all the years following that defeat and this had little effects in elections and the coalition formation after elections. This has not been researched. (b) The search for meaning in PNG politics is not necessarily a quest for sophisticated policy debates. In my experience there are two widespread concerns in the population of PNG. First, the country is robbed from its raw materials by outsiders. Second, PNG is a rich country but it is very poorly governed. In past electoral research such issues are not raised. If I am right and these are salient questions then another question is whether opinions in this line are linked to candidates and the choice between camps of the candidates. This is a wide area of interest that has not been probed into. ( c) Political economy is another approach to PNG politics that needs to be developed in conjunction: how important are elections. Mekere Morauta has demanded attention for the increasing role of non elected actors in PNG policy making.For example: Dairi Vele is chairman of the State Negotiating Team on reopening of Porgera mine. Vele has a long history of government involvement with natural resources projects under various governments.

Thanks for the information and reports presented has been educational eyepener. I believe most PNGIan reading and following your article will understand more insights into our NGE.