Four newspaper headlines and a new chum minister

KEITH JACKSON

THE TALK IS OUT that Australia’s foreign minister Bob Carr will make his much-awaited maiden visit to Papua New Guinea before the end of the year.

Carr was unexpectedly appointed to his new job earlier in the year to replace the popular (in PNG) Kevin Rudd and made sure his first visit in the new role was to … New Zealand.

Then, soon after his appointment, came a diplomatic incident that he alone triggered. The full story can be told in four newspaper headlines:

14 March - Bob Carr threatens PNG with sanctions (News.com.au)

15 March - PNG reacts with fury to Bob Carr sanction threat (Sydney Morning Herald)

15 March - Bob Carr hits out at PNG (Sydney Morning Herald)

16 March - Bob Carr in backdown over PNG sanctions threat (The Australian)

If you search for statements by the Australian foreign minister about Papua New Guinea, apart from those that led to the foregoing headlines, and – PNG elections aside – they are few and far between.

As we noted at the time, the Australian government’s ‘Asian Century’ pyrotechnics of a week or so ago completely overlooked PNG and the Pacific.

This zone of considerable strategic and economic importance to Australia, which is essentially just over the fence, doesn’t seem to rate with Canberra.

Let’s hope Carr will bring his considerable intellect to defining for the rest of us just how Australia sees itself effectively managing its relationship with PNG over the next decade or so.

Perhaps readers could address a few comments to offering the foreign minister with some advice on this question.

The Comments link awaits your use just below.

Comments

[Trevor Freestone.]

It is obvious to me that high ranking politicians expect to be treated as extra special guests attending expensive functions and often making patronizing statements without understanding the true situation.

As special guests they visit areas with police and a motorcade of fancy vehicles. Waving to the crowd as they pass.

Naturally they fail to see the true picture for they have no time to really investigate issues that they should be concentrating on.

Bob Carr has failed PNG for he should have made our friends there his first priority. Instead of parading around in his fancy roll of foreign minister with a pocket full of AusAID money, he should don a disguise and secretly visit some of the poor villages who are being ignored by PNG and Australian Governments.

The villages I visited in 2008 had no faith in the way the governments were showing any interest in their welfare. As far as they were concerned Waigani was a place on the moon and was inacessible to them.

I have no right to criticize the current PNG politicians as they have still to show the villagers how they are planning to help them.

However in my travels around Goroka and Watabung I never saw a single person who looked as well fed as those politicians in your photo.

One item that needs major review is the problem of TB in the Western District and Torres Straits. To allocate $8 million dollars of AusAID Money over the next four years out of a budget of $1,800,000,000 is irresponsible.

Everyone's health could be effected by this new strain of TB.

[Bernard Yegiora]

At this point in time PNG is a state that is not unstable or a threat to Australia in any way.

I believe that is why PNG did not feature in the 'Asian Century' roadmap.

Australia is confident that it has PNG covered.

If PNG was in the same category as FIji or Zimbabwe I am sure it would be a talking point.

Also if a new leader takes power and push to cut off ties with Australia and pursue a stronger diplomatic relations with China and other Asian nations, this will no doubt move Canberra to view PNG from another angle.

Is this position good or bad for PNG?