Papua New Guinea
A false start for PNG-Bougainville consultations
F.R. Stockwell was a British officer of the old school, the grandfather of a friend of mine who writes historical crime novels. Stockwell had a wonderful maxim about political…
PNG budget: Pluses and minuses
Papua New Guinea’s 2021 National Budget was passed in the parliament on November 17 under unusual circumstances. The traditional pre-budget lockup for economists and media was…
Reality bites: Budget, personalities and politics put Marape on notice
That late November 2020 would herald a period of potential political instability in Papua New Guinea was a given. It has been 18 months since James Marape ousted Peter…
Commentary
Deepening Japan’s cooperation with Papua New Guinea
Originally published in East Asia Forum.
PNG electrification: Spend on solar to help meet targets
The Maseratis are still collecting dust in sheds on a wharf in Port Moresby, but the sun has started to shine on at least one of the major deals Papua New Guinea gained from…
Bougainville: A new captain at the helm
Following weeks of anticipation, the people of Bougainville woke on Wednesday to news of a new president-elect. Former Bougainville Revolutionary Army Commander Ishmael…
Book Review: Where borders aren’t always badlands
Book review: Mark Moran and Jodie Curth-Bibb (eds) Too Close to Ignore (Melbourne University Press, 2020)
Borders have been in the news in Australia, with the novel if…
A Chinese-built airport next door to a key Australia-US naval base?
Judging by recent satellite imagery, it appears that significant progress is being made on an expansion and upgrade project at Momote Airport, the nearest airfield to Lombrum…
For all Marape’s achievements in PNG, the biggest challenges await
The resilience and stability of Papua New Guinea is under growing strain as the country navigates what has already been an unprecedented year. Beyond the increase in Covid-19…
Covid and crime: Twin tests for Papua New Guinea
There must be days when Papua New Guinea Police Commissioner David Manning wonders what he has signed himself up for.
On Friday night, he revealed that his officers had found a…