Look how about getting Somare or all concerned Pacific Island leaders to tell Howard to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change, then let's get down to talking real business and NOT the HYPOCRISY surrounding the current and other issues related issues that have come up of late.

There are other issues of greater importance out there that Australia is conveniently sweeping under the carpet. I have yet to see a comprehensive AusAID or Australian government policy on climate change or global warming in the region. Tokelau is sinking, Tuvalu has frightening levels of rising seas, the Duke of York Islands in Rabaul are going under sea, there are reports of worse still in the Cook Islands and the Rennell Bellona Islands in SI are now facing all sorts of climate problems.

The real issue here,I think is that, Howard and his enforcer downer are aware that with RAMSI out of the SI, their influence will be weakened considerably. It will be a vote of no confidence in australia and it would therefore be in downer's interest to push the aussie bandwagon along flagging the issues of good governance, fighting corruption etc.

How can we constructively and seriously address these issues when australia has already played its cards. It has seen fit to, for sometime now, brand PNG and SI failed states riddled with corrupt politicians and officials and lawlessness. We have to acknowledge that some of these problems do exist, but we have to address them in a mutually respectable way. I think this has been Somare and Sogavare's call all along.

I appreciate the fact that it is their money and all that but the level of double standards exacebated by australia that has now come out in the open, prompted partly by the Moti issue, makes me sick.

The bottom line is our bilateral relations with australia are conducted on the platforms of mutual respect. And as two sovereign countries it has got to be applied in that manner and spirit otherwise it will NEVER work.

This issue in Solomon Islands is a clear statement that Australia thinks it has a mortgage over the lecturer's podium in the region. Sorry mate we happen to see it diffently. If you want that podium, you can have it, but we want one for ourselves too. And the sitting arrangements will be rearranged....it's gonna be round table. Believe me, we will be on our way to seeing positive results if we conduct ourselves in this manner.

There are other more pressing issues out there like I said, NOT Moti. If the laws in the respective jurisdictions in the Pacific (Vanuatu) have dealt with him, why do you question their courts whose benches were made up of very senior Aussie judges among 2 others.

You know Downer, your whinging about petty issues has in fact made the Pommies look second rate and that would be an insult to them just as how you are trying to insult the intelligence of people in the Pacific with your childish outbursts.

Very true

But will continiue to burn up the atmosphere with their carbon fumes and will not even sign any deal starting from the Kyoto Deal together with USA. So why are we wasting time with Australia, they think they can control this region but the fact is that this region is for the might of Asia, China , Koreans, Japan, Indonesia, Phillipines and the list goes on. Australia can only flex its muscle to its maritime border pacific states but not further then that. Wake up Alex you need a good neighbour not the ones you are trying to cripple its economic gain as they will turn against you one day.