Quickly

• Remember when I mentioned the rumours about Mr Duma and petroleum licenses? Well this came up in the news a few weeks back about the prolonged delays with licences. Could it be these companies aren't paying that extra side money?
• Still keeping an eye on the Lupari case, its been thrown back down to the National Court so we have to wait around for that one. I wonder whats happening with the Somare v Ila Geno case?
• The Unitech student protest was on the mark! I've blogged on this before, the question of why when the Government is convincing us of all these budget surpluses and a happening economy is life getting tougher for most people.
• On a good note, there's $700m going to education and an apparent $3b sitting around waiting to be used. No Mr Tiensten, don't get rid of it fast quick, sit down, put some thought into it and address the fundamentals that aren't obviously being addressed with mothers mortality rates doubling in the last 10 years!
• For all my fears of propaganda TV, i do appreciate the showcasing of PNG films/talent on the government station.
• Oh and anyone noticed improvement in the Immigration office since the overhaul?
  
  To end, I've blogged about the importance of national ideology before, the need to unite everybody from grassroots up so we can progress together. The other day I had a conversation with someone who told me of his experience working at one the mines. He said he was in charge of a team who had to do some preliminary work (can't remember the correct terms) before the actual mining operations could start. They were pushed for time and he really needed to get his team moving but he had never worked with these guys before and they were from all over PNG. His words, "hau bai ol harim tok bilong mi, mi man nambis na ol bilong ol narapela, narapela ap." So what did he do, he went through team exercises with them, broke down the cultural differences, told them what their goal was, educated them on what exactly it was they were trying to achieve and why and they had to get the job done! His point? Unless everybody knows what the end goal is and why we want to achieve it, they'll get lost and take issue with petty differences like what part of the country we originate from. We need a "cultural identity", national ideology, a clear goal for this country, a motto even, that we are all aware of, whether you are a villager or Supreme Court Judge, and that's the only way we can progress united. It's brainwashing maybe but that's how nations progress and remain resiliant to disruptive factors.

Condolences, Kimisopa, Olga, TV propaganda

Firstly, condolences to the family of Mike Manning the TIPNG Chairman. Very sad loss for the whole of PNG, Mr Manning was known for speaking out about corruption in PNG without fear. Unexpected deaths like this always bring out theories and this is one I heard from an employee of TIPNG and apparently is something a lot of people who knew him think: Mr Manning was apparently poisoned. Conspiracy or not, I leave that up to you.

Meanwhile, here are some interesting tidbits.

First the Bire Kimisopa case against Thompson Harokaveh. Now this case has been going on for ages. After the trial bit was over the judge, Justice Hinchcliffe, apparently fell sick and went away to Brisbane, delaying the verdict for over 4 months and now the Judge has returned but it's not clear whether he has yet delivered a verdict. By the time this whole thing gets sorted the next elections will be around and that's too long a time to have a promising leader like Mr Kimisopa out of Parliament. There must also be issues of the right to a speedy trial/delay of justice in there somewhere, i'm sure.

Staying in the highlands, Piace Wingti's case against Tom Olga was won and has now gone to an appeal. Meanwhile, the general feeling in WHP is that Mr Olga is doing nothing and cashing up big time. Olga is a tribesmen of Minister of Internal Security, Sani Rambi, who apparently contributed some some to Olga's election campaign and is now reaping the rewards with a huge number of his hire cars (Mountain Hire Car) being used by the WHP provincial government and Olga minions with million dollar checks being made out to Mr Rambi. Meanwhile a few other smaller car hire companies are still waiting on payment from Mr Olga for cars he used during his campaign and some he has continued to use. Apparently Mr Olga made a lot of promises during his campaign and is now busy writing the checks before an untimely end to his term through the courts. What I want to know is why in the hell the WHP provincial government needs so many cars when there is so little in terms of development going on.

The National Court has also ruled against Sir Arnold Amet but he has asked for a review of the decision by the Supreme Court so fingers crossed.

Oh and the government tv station...Maybe I'm over reacting but wouldn't this be such a great propaganda tool? Think Suharto's Indonesia with the Government TV station and regulated media. Hmmm.

Letter to Mr Polye

Below is the letter to the Minister for Transport and Civil Avition asking for ICAO standards in our civil aviation system. Please mail to Mr Polye and to newspapers.

PNG Parliament: P.O. Parliament House, Waigani, NCD, Papua New Guinea
The National: letters@thenational.com.pg
Post Courier: editorial@spp.com.pg

Dear Mr Polye

While watching a recent story on Australian ABC’s Foreign Correspondent program, I was appalled to witness the current state of the PNG civil aviation system. Papua New Guinea, being a country of difficult terrain, heavily relies on air transportation and it is, therefore, imperative that our civil aviation system is maintained at the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

I ask that the PNG Civil Aviation Department be given the appropriate finances and structures to implement ICAO standards in PNG. Poor aviation standards in PNG will continue to lead to loss of lives that could become catastrophic. I implore against this and ask for your government’s immediate action.

Yours sincerely

Kumul Karai.