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Short story: The Blackbirders

'Discourses': A one-act play in seven scenes

THE STORY SO FAR: PNG’s national parliament begins its last session for 2010 on Tuesday. A vote of no confidence in the Somare Government has been mooted. Meanwhile, Speaker Jeffrey Nape has been holed up for the parliamentary break getting some well-earned R&R and taking the waters in Cairns, Queensland.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE: Speaker Nape, Prime Minister Somare, many other prominent PNG political figures who are well-known travellers by air

SCENE 1: Prime Minister Somare pays the Cairns-based Speaker Nape a visit and the two men enjoy a healthy lunch

SCENE 2: Not so long after, Mr Nape is pleased to receive the Treasurer and People's National Congress Party leader, Peter O'Neill, for mutually beneficial talks

SCENE 3: Next, Enga Governor and People's Party leader, Peter Ipatas, and Southern Highlands Governor and United Resources Party founder, Anderson Agiru, having travelled to Cairns by air, spend some quality time with the Speaker

SCENE 4: Rural Development Party leader Moses Maladina and United Resources Party leader, William Duma, who are also in town with an agenda of their own, take the waters with Mr Nape

SCENE 5: Deputy Prime Minister, Don Polye, having flown to Cairns especially for a meeting with Mr Nape, does so before returning to Port Moresby

SCENE 6: PNG Party leader, Belden Namah, and Bulolo MP, Sam Basil, after a private meeting with the Speaker, check in at Cairns International to catch the Air Niugini flight back to Port Moresby just as….

SCENE 7: Public Enterprises Minister, Arthur Somare, arrives in Cairns by Qantas jet having arranged a meeting with Mr Nape, whose diary is bursting at the seams. Mr Somare Jr seeks the Speaker’s views on how members should vote on important bills like a vote of no-confidence. “I have my legal advice on this, and I believe the Speaker's would not be much different. That is why I am meeting him.”  Consensus view: Very much worth the trip

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Reginald Renagi

The whole one-act play in seven scenes is one big farce. It is all a big joke to Papua New Guineans that everyone in government including Prime Minister Michael Somare and his bunch of merry men (certain MPs) seems to bow down to Parliamentary Speaker, Jeffrey Nape.

This shows in their recent personal visits to Jeffrey Nape in Cairns while the Speaker was on an official two months R and R late in 2010.

Nape was missing in action when the House was called to meet a few times in recent weeks.

So the job had to fall back on Deputy Speaker who acted on Nape's behalf to accommodate the government's particular agenda when the House met.

Even then, Acting Speaker Marus did not give the time of day to the Opposition for them to have their fair say.

Both Nape and Marus have, on every occasion in the past and today, blocked the Opposition from saying what they need to say about the government's bad conduct.

By gagging the Opposition the government has also suppressed the voice of many citizens who can not have their say on how their country is being badly run by the present poor performing government.

Judy Warrillow

Don't these polies know that you have got to support local industry and not spend "hard earned" money in the Cairns economy!

The Good Lord knows PNG needs all that money they spend to and fro for very worthwhile needs.

The whole country of PNG needs a major overhaul,not just Port Moresby! for Heaven's sake! Sori tumas!

Trevor Freestone.

Sure Cairns is a beautiful place but don't these politicians realise that Madang is a much better place.

They should enjoy Madang before it is destroyed by Deep Sea Tailings Placement. Nothing like supporting the locals.

Sorry Cairns.

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