What things do you think the government should concerntrate on to lead our people out of the hole we are in?

The Somare, The Wingti, The Philemon, The Morauta, The Bonga and all MPs who are almost sixty years old and over. I had a friend a young MP and he says he can't initiate new ideas and policies as the old dogs are not switched on, same as their appointed cronies sitting as board members and executives of big corporation and govt. entities.
New tougher laws on corruption, bribery,graft,national ownership,greater resource owner participation,and many more...
PNG now needs a new crop of leaders and there is a movement of young MPs and young intelectuals and technical people and good citizens teaming up to make this become a reality soon. FYI

It can be done if only;
1. All PNGians are educated ( 90%) not at present.
2. if only people can change their attitudes. The country is shallowed up by corrupt attitude,
3. if people and elected honest leader..

and.............. 4. Important: if there is a civil unrest and war within PNG, much bigger than Bouganvile. people and learn from their wounds and buid a strong, united nation.

Not a country that recieved independence on a golden plate.

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Papua new Guinea will never last to be a nation... it will deintergrate into many nations within a nation. I see it happening. like the african countries, we are made up of many cultures and traditions.

What you mean is so big to grasp and understand? Our governments will be the cause of our destruction.

Very good points and I believe in what you are saying at least you know whats going on.

I think we need MPs like Sam Basil. He's doing a great job at the Morobe Provincial Government level. We have young innovative and energetic MPs in the Parliament today. We do not have to say that lets wait for another 4 years na go for another general election. Its a waste of time and we are not advancing.

As already stated, we do have new breeds politicians in the Parliament. Yea, we do have old timers wasting taxpayers monies. It just take a very patriotic MP to stand up and blow the horn. When one does that, the others will (esp. first-timers) will begin to realise that they've been in a dream world all along.

So just like what Sam Basil is doing.....definitely we need more of such vocal, unselfish persons.

Just my thoughts and observations. Can be supported or opposed...don't mind.

After forty odd years PNg has become a failed state. Everyone is corrupt and no one has the gonads to fix the problem. My solution is to ask Indonesia to rule the country, jail the PM and his cabinet and get everyone to work until the country is back on its feet.

And why Indonesia? why not Australia?
Indonesia is not a christain country, I think they are more a muslim country?

Neither Indonesia, nor Australia, nor any other indiviudal country has a right to rule PNG. Such arguments, and expat. fantasies of Indonesian military rule in PNG only reflect the author's ignorance of the international state system. Theoretically, PNG remains an independent nation-state. For another country to illegally enter PNG uninvited, with the intention of regime change, would be an invasion, resulting in a state of war. Therefore, until such times as PNG asks for assistance from other countries, things will continue to sprial out of control. Ultimately, PNG will descend into chaos. When all is in ruins, people are starving, and politically-motivated gangs and war-lords control the streets, and when the state of affairs in PNG resembles that found in certain failed African nations, PNG's leaders in all probability will request the United Nations to intervene, and any international peackeeping force would probably be led by Australia. Until such times, my advice to anyone living in PNG is hang on tight, stay safe, and try to enjoy the ride. Things are not going to get any better.

Who says Indonesia is better than PNG? Their corruption is worse than ours. Is this your best alternative. If it is, please don't write to this scape. It's a pity you can't offer anything better than this nonsense.

Friends,

Building a country is not only about roads, bridges, water supplies and buildings. It is about believing in something that is greater then our collective individualism. We need to believe in PNG, the idea. All nations on earth were built on idealism, we are very short on idealism in PNG, we are full of individualism, "Mi Pasin".

It is about building relationships, understanding, co-existence, tolerance and acceptance of other ethnic groups.

To do this we need to change our mindset, we need to do more for others than we do for ourselves. We need to take away the peoples dependence on government and make them self sufficient.

In short, we need to change ourselves, change our mindsets, change our expectations of others around us. We need to change the man in the mirror (as M Jackson used to say).

I am doing this in my own small way & in the last 3 years, my adopted communit is slowly begining to realise what I stand for. Honesty, hard work, no free handouts.

When a disaster strikes, like the storm we had yesterday, I send my guys out to cut & clear the trees from the main highway, anything to show the rest of the community that we need to build PNG together, not sit back & expect others to do it. We have to do it.

this column and topic scares me most than any other topic in this forum. However, whatever has happened, is happening and and will be happening no one knows. We only pray for God to help us and protect those who are innocent. God Bless.

Geez AB,
you missed a golden opportunity.

You should have built a bypass and charged a toll to use it.

But seriously. Those who sdvocate going back to the old ways are living in a "Fools Paradise". If you want to import any 21st century goods, you have to export something to pay for them.

There are others that say, PNG should be setting the prices of its commodities. That is ridiculous. What makes them imagine that a tiny nation like PNG, can be a mover and shaker in the world. You are a "price taker" not a "price maker". What commodities have you got a world monopoly in? Thus you have to be competitive on price.

Even Aust is insignifigant in comparison to China, India, the EU, and the USA. So a bit of a reality check is needed. Take what parts of western culture that is useful to you. Keep the parts of your traditional culture, that you need to define yourselves, and your traditions. Discard what is holding you back as a people. (Regionalism is one)

This will, of course, require you to move out of your comfort zone. Madi. It is all right, the water is not all that cold. You just have to jump in and swim. All those mining royalties should be used by the goverment, to provide education for the people. Otherwise, when the resourses run out there will be nothing to show for it.

If you don't believe me, look at Nauru for example. It was the weathiest Pacific Nation. Now that the resourse it mined has run out, it is one of the poorest. Maybe it should have been pouring that money into a giant fertilizer manufacturing industry, for the day when the Guano ran out. Too late for that now. The rest of the world has moved on, and established its own Fertilizer industries.

This could be PNG in 50 years time, unless you start acting now.

Regards......Ralph.

Ralph, well put!! you style mangi

Good point Ralph. To be honest, I could not bring myself to build a by-pass and charge the toll because all along the coast there were trees & coconut trunks blocking the road at about a hundred locations.

I cleared trees & coconut trunks from about 3km of road.

Since everyone else was charging a toll, I decided not to do so just to be different!

I agree with you on the Nauruan experience. Unfortunately Ralph, I don't think anyone important reads pngscape. Just people like me, concerned & powerless.

By the way ... I'm still laughing!

ab, please do not say that not many peopple visit this forum. I for one find it very interesting and I think we should encourage as many pngians to visit this page because this is one of the best forums that has many well taught ideas for our counry put forward. The need to be read widely and discussed widely.

What about asking Ralph Hamilton to be our PM. Hey? What about it, wantoks? Ralph Hamilton, King of the Highlanders, Scourge of the Sepiks, Governor of the Gorokans, His Excellency of Enga. I can see him now, his brilliant black hair shining like a billiard ball, resplendent in gold and silver and silk cloth. Yes, a great idea! Ralph is King!

What about asking Ralph Hamilton to be our PM. Hey? What about it, wantoks? Ralph Hamilton, King of the Highlanders, Scourge of the Sepiks, Governor of the Gorokans, His Excellency of Enga. I can see him now, his brilliant black hair shining like a billiard ball, resplendent in gold and silver and silk cloth. Yes, a great idea! Ralph is King!

Hehe,
that wouldn't work, I would not be very popular.

First, I would demand complete honesty an accountability of all departments. Second, I would establish free and compulsory education at Primary School level. Thirdly, any PNG students that the Government sponsored overseas, would have to sign a 7 year work contract to work in PNG after graduation.

Then I would look at pi$$ing off all the foreign ownership of residential property in POM, which causes such inflated prices. Lastly I would control all resourses. Naturally I would welcome foreign investment and expertise where needed, but insist on National people be trained to fill all senior and skilled positions.

Lastly, I would round up the unemployed off the streets and make them work on public projects. They would be paid of course. (Sort of work for the dole). Then I would channel all AUSAID money into restoring the health system. I would use the educated and skilled PNG people to develop Hi-tech industries.

See how unpoular I would be. I would end all rorts, and demand hard work and honesty of everyone. If people turned out to be dishonest in key positions, I would reassign them to positions where they had no oppportunity to be corrupt, ie. Digging ditches and the like. I would pass legislation, so that the rights of the individual are secondary to the rights of the community.

$hit, I sound just like Dr Mahatir. (Or however you spell his name)

Utopia?? Who me??......Ralph.

This is a very big exaggeration and you haven't at least talked about any thing constructive to address this issue. All you talk about is individualism and being kind to other people. Well this is not only what this country needs to go forward it needs much more than this.