Comments

Thank you for your response Michael. As I informed you on the phone this blog was based on a much larger paper backed up with evidence from both Australian and New Zealand academics with similar findings. You are correct there does need to be better analyses on the percentage of employers/labour contractors overcharging in seasonal worker programs and these industries as a whole and I look forward to working with you again in the future.

Well articulated! If the government is serious on banning betel nut selling in the city. It must come up with a proper policy framework to solve this issue. Since, most of the people living in the city (Port Moresby) are unemployed and living in the settlements they usually make their living by selling betel nuts etc. The government must build proper market and set a location for them to sell their products.

Thanks for information about PNG election Update on referendum in arob.

Excellent writing. Speaks mind of all visited Funafuti.

Now i can see light flickering at the end of the tunnel. Thanks doc.

A well-articulated masterpiece, thanks doctor.

Our fear is for another civil unrest, because this mark is history that will not be let gone. So, Bougainvilleans will not easily accept higher autonomy. Every new nation begins with a struggle, so give our people a chance to break away. How will the PNG Government serve Bougainville if it's operating on huge deficit? Let Bougainville to have Independence and we sort out ourselfs.

Thank-you Fiona and Miranda. Can you give a name, identity and recognition (credit where credit is due) to the local peacebuilding (and EVAW) NGO which has worked doggedly and consistently training and networking Human Rights Defenders and sending local police and other key actors to Fiji (FWCC) for training in a gender responsive and rights-based response - as part of their successful rapid response initiative. I assume you are talking about Voice for Change (mentioned in the photo caption) and the heroic and hardworking women who founded that organisation and have progressively built their program and empowered local actors, since 2003. Their story is an important one for us to learn from, as are the stories of KWP and Kafe Women. Training and holding local police and magistrates accountable is an important element of these stories.

Hi JK Domyal, Thanks for your comments. Always an interesting read. Looking forward to insightful updates. Cheers.

Nice blog Raphael. Personally, I'd very much like to see betel nut consumption, together with lime and mustard, completely eradicated. I agree with Michael above, policies have focused on addressing the supply side of either betel nut, or it's dubbish, and not too much addressing the demand of betel nut. My observation of the decrease in smoking in Australia among generations Y and Z, tell us decreasing demand for betel nut is possible. Knowledge of the adverse health effects, coupled with the view it is a revolting habit, seems to have shifted tastes of Australia's younger demographic. Maybe it's a question of when education and incomes reach higher levels, that tastes change in the direction of more hygienic, healthier choices.

Thanks Michelle for the discussion. Thanks again for raising these 4 points above as it will be the business for this Marabe Davis government. Being a politician is not the same as being a leader of a political party. If Marabe becomes the leader of Pangu (he assumed the leadership now), my take is that he would not live beyond 2022 (I will explain the reason later). If Marabe becomes the leader of PNC, he would have a stiff challenge trying to keep PNC dominance in PNG (I will explain the reason later). As a young aspiring politician, though PNG is big and diverse, there is just one or two things that Marabe could do to develop himself as the next generation of a great leader and no one would remove him for the next 15-20 years as PM, mark my word. I will not explain it here, but leave it open for an intellectual discussion in this forum, I would do it in another time not now.

In my commentary above (second paragraph), I made a mention of Pangu leadership, today's news paper has confirmed my assertion that PM Marabe assumed the Pangu leadership. This could create more movement to the balance of power or the emergence of political risks as I alluded to in my subsequent paragraphs above. Stay tune and I will continue to provide the updates.