Comments

Thanks Mimin for your comments. I agree that the pandemic has and continues to affect people, businesses and economies throughout the world. Other countries are taking relief measures which smooths out the impact on people and supports businesses. If we look across the PICs, most have taken some actions and ‘real’ support has been provided. Unfortunately, this is not the case in PNG. The immediate proposed relief- 20% or PGK10,000 max upfront payment of retirement benefits to unemployed Superfund members was not implemented for 6-months now. This was due to the deferral of the amendment of the Superannuation Act. It’s a sad reality for the people. Thanks

There have been many impacts due to the Covid-19 pandemic, one of which is the increase in unemployment. Companies that are trying to survive to keep going but the company's income is decreasing, not to mention the large employee salaries. So that many companies lay off their employees. This is an efficiency solution for a company not only in Papua New Guinea but around the world. Hopefully this Covid-19 pandemic will end soon and we can live normally again, Aamiin.

An eloquent feminist voice. Gender disparity is a real development impediment in PNG. The grand term SAFETY is sadly a dilemma to female gender in reality. SAFETY in every respect is warranted and couldn't possibly be claimed by the women counterparts. Such voice must reach a higher peak. As a male gender I should no longer hide behind shades ... as other males in PNG.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is seeking innovative proposals to address the high cost of remittances from Australia and New Zealand to the Pacific. Our aim is to foster a dynamic, competitive and transparent remittance market in Australia and New Zealand, so that people can send the most money home to support their friends and family. AusTender link for this approach to market, now currently open: https://www.tenders.gov.au/Atm/Show/8ade2a8a-2f58-45f9-9ab9-74527d362607

The government should also help to invest more on children welfare and parental training to help combat violence in society.

Soniah thank you for comments. Couldn't agree more.

Great to see how APTC has been able to adapt and continue to operate.

Family is the core unit of any given society. Train and raise up up children in the right way so they have a mindset of love, equality, respect, peace, etc. No one sex or race is dominant than another, we are all equal. Parents should not raise children out of lust and abuse, but pure and genuine love for stability sake. Violence starts at home and that's the unit that needs empowering. The fruits of domestic violence has deeper roots. Rather than picking the fruit, lets get rid of the root that is the cause. The big man mentality and all other negative mindset (culture) needs eradication . The power to change this mindset lies with the future parents on how they raise their children. No one should be a victim of abuse.

Beth, a very good point that needs passionate people that understand both the Australian Pacific culture to drive change. "Improvements could be made to make the SWP." "It is yet to be utilised to its full potential." The pacific Island nations know how to work their land and do not need much training to work in the horticultural sector, although workplace health and safety requirements needs adherence too, training would be required for their health and well-being. Most productive laborers are from rural areas and are semi-educated or illiterate and will need support so they are not exploited in their first term. They are vulnerable to exploitation and will require support – persons with them for first 3 months till they get accustomed to the Australian culture and systems. Culture shock in their first term needs addressing. Although the Pacific nation have good workers, the strict visa policy, and poor awareness program in the rural areas where most good workers are has been a major hindrance. Direct communication and connection with workers without third party involvement will see an increase in the numbers of pacific laborers. Wantok system plays a negative role in getting most productive laborers into Australia. Recruiters should have the flexibility to select productive workers from the Pacific. The rural workforce in the Pacific are the most productive as their survival is based on subsistence farming. The labor pool database in the Pacific needs to be carefully investigated and a better system needs to be put in place so productive workers are selected rather than wantok system depicting who should be selected. A Performance based system is more economical then a wantok system based system. Australia should have a fair visa deal with the Pacific nations. Why has Australia waited this long to push the agenda?

Hi Yang, The data can be found in the database itself (for the years 2007, 2012 & 2017). We don't have information for earlier years unfortunately. You can access the database from the website:http://devpolicy.org/pngelections/datasets/ The number of candidates by gender for each province for 2017 & 2012 can be downloaded at: https://devpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2012-and-17-cands-by-prov-by-gender.xlsx Terence

The author raised two important reasons why a country should not make the religion Christianity enforceable by amendments to their constitutions. Firstly, he argues that in doing so it discriminates the rights of followers of other religion to practice their believe in a deity. Firstly, this brings the notion of rights itself. From a layman's view, right is basically the liberty to act/do things in a certain way based on free choice. Secondly, when a right is disputed it is done so on the basis of certain grounds that brings into question why a party's rights are disputed. It could be against common interest or violation of existing laws written or non-written. Disputing common interest relates to societal interest against minority interest in light of any form of threat to security or hindrance to prosperity for all etc. Violation of existing laws by a party is contested in a court of law to bring resolve to greving party(s). Now why are laws amended? Again from a layman's point of view, amendments are done on existing law(s) on the grounds that it conflicts with other laws or due to societal need in a changing world or when new provision(s) is/are deemed relevant for the progress of law and rights that need protection by law. Based on the above, the amendments to constitutional provision on "freedom of religion" whether it be Samoa or any other pacific country, it should be based on 1. societal interest given the onslaught of terrorism driven by the ideology of religion. It is in the interest of national security to make such amendments and thus amendment is necessary. 2. Unless it conflicts other existing laws written and non written it should be amended which in this case it does not so it is amendable. On the issue of discriminatory or non democratic nature of the amendments to "freedom of religion" is only true or correct when an individual person's right to religion or right to believe in a deity is striped by law. For instance the amendment must not spell out that every citizen should be a Christian or Buddhist etc...It is one's free choice or right on an individual level to be a believer or non-believer. Amendments should only limit and restrict 1. entry of new religion, 2. it's citizens and residents from publicly practising and 3. proliferate any religion apart from the lawful one....but individuals have the right to believe or not to believe. On the notion of Separation of Church and State by Christian dominated countries, there has to be clear demarcation between Church and State. State is mandated by the people and Church is mandated by God. Any amendment should not Christianise the State as a public institution or in any possible terms enable legislation(s) to do so.

Thank you Mr. Terence I find your information very helpful and relevant and it has helped me to complete my assessment Task. However, I would like to make a suggestion here that if you could update your information by giving us a total figure of participating candidates from each provinces with respect to their genders.