Key PNG issues 4: Region, defence & China
24 January 2011
BY RICHARD MARLES
Late last year, PNG Attitude asked readers to nominate issues you’d like to raise with Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Richard Marles. This is the last of his responses
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT is working to raise PNG’s public profile in Australia, and during my recent visit to Port Moresby I proposed a number of initiatives to my PNG counterparts with that objective in mind.
Australian and PNG Ministers meet annually to discuss a broad spectrum of bilateral issues, most recently in Alotau in July this year. Following those consultations, Joint Statements are published which clearly outline our agreed priorities, providing a useful guide to the direction of our relationship. These statements are available on DFAT’s website.
We welcome PNG’s signing of the Pacific Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme MOU in Alotau this year. I understand the PNG Government is currently developing labour-sending arrangements and working to identify a pool of Papua New Guinean workers to participate in the scheme. Australia stands ready to assist with this process if required.
Australia greatly values the longstanding and mutually-beneficial relationship with PNG. The posting of Australian Defence Force personnel to PNG, as part of the Defence Cooperation Program, or as participants in exercises and operations, occurs under the auspices of the 1977 Status of Forces Agreement.
Our engagement with the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) is also subject to range of other agreements including: the 1987 Joint Declaration of Principles, the 1991 Agreed Statement on Security Cooperation, the 1997 New Defence Partnership and the 2004 Joint Statement on Enhancing Our Defence Partnership.
Defence is involved in integrated arrangements in the South-West Pacific, principally by providing fuel and administrative support to the Pacific Patrol Boats of participating nations in multilateral operations and exercises.
Such operations provide a unique opportunity: for Pacific nations to enhance their national capacity in fisheries control and maritime security and to strengthen regional solidarity.
Australia coordinates and synchronises its maritime security activities in the South West Pacific with our strategic partners, including the United States, New Zealand and France.
The 2004 Joint Statement on Enhancing our Defence Partnership re-affirms the guiding principles and mutual objectives of our relationship and focuses on four key outcomes:
regular dialogue on national security perspectives and policies
a streamlined PNGDF that is more affordable, effective and sustainable
greater interoperability between the PNGDF and ADF in the region
cooperative programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of respective defence forces
Australia’s Defence Cooperation Program (DCP) with PNG focuses on a jointly-agreed annual program of training assistance, technical advice, and bilateral exercises and other activities intended to advance these objectives.
Australia has also supported PNG’s Defence Reform Program to downsize the PNGDF to a more sustainable level and rebuild its capability to conduct border and maritime surveillance, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Australia and China share an important and dynamic relationship. Australia, is by far the leading bilateral donor in PNG and seeks to work constructively with China, which is a significant player in the Pacific region. In recent years Chinese support to PNG has grown, as has its support to other Pacific Island countries.
China’s demand for resources has been fundamental to PNG’s recent strong economic growth, much as it helped Australia ride out the Global Financial Crisis.
Hon Richard Marles MP is the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs in the Australian Parliament
PNG Attitude welcomes readers’ comments on the Parliamentary Secretary’s views
Hi Francis - Thank you for your observations. Those are some very astute comments and should be heeded by the Australian Government.
Mekim save poroman (Give them heaps, mate).
Posted by: Paul Oates | 31 January 2011 at 10:26 AM
Australia should do more with PNG in strategic defence cooperation. More focus should be placed on developing the strategic capability of PNGDF to deal with emerging border and maritime security issues.
The defence reform package is still far from achieving its intended objectives. The current reform package should be reviewed as far as national security is concerned.
Australia should also seriously consider the Pacific Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme. Australia should honour this committment.
In sum, it appears that the current partnership package is still far from achieving its intended goals. A lot of issues remain unresolved.
The trend in PNG has transformed rapidly, with new elites who have the potential to use Australia's attitude as political leverage to shape policy outcomes.
PNG does not intend to upset Australia by shifitng her focus to other countries such as China. Australia should be cautious with her current approach in bilateral relations.
Posted by: Francis Hualupmomi | 31 January 2011 at 02:53 AM
There is a second aspect that should have been readily apparent to those public servants who wrote Mr Marles' responses if they had taken any time to consider the situation.
They are not dealing with uninformed and irrelevant members of the public. PNG Attitude readers are informed and are a motivated and passionate group of people who will not be fobbed off with platitudes and motherhood statements.
Mr Marles should now recognise he is dealing with a dedicated group of people who taken the time to send him perfectly reasonable questions and want to see real answers provided.
If this is the type of response that is given to Mr Marles, what can we expect from the AusAID Review?
Mr Marles, the people of Australia and Papua New Guinea are depending on you to do something constructive and positive.
Posted by: Paul Oates | 24 January 2011 at 12:38 PM
Sorry Keith, I have just transferred Richard Marles' reports to my JAW file . That is Just Another Wanker - totally irrelevant to the vast majority of grassroots people in PNG.
Posted by: Terry Shelley | 24 January 2011 at 09:15 AM
Richard Marles gives a glowing impression of Papua New Guinea.
To get the Australian government's true impression go to http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/advice/Papua_New_Guinea
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Summary of official Australian government advice on PNG:
* We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Papua New Guinea because of the high levels of serious crime.
* Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks. Leading into the Christmas period there is often an increase in crime, including car-jackings and muggings, in particular in Port Moresby and Lae.
* Large crowds and public gatherings should be avoided as they may turn violent.
* Crime rates are high in the capital Port Moresby and in other areas of Papua New Guinea, especially in Lae, Mt Hagen and other parts of the Highland provinces.
* There have been a small number of high profile kidnappings for ransom.
* A cholera outbreak continues in PNG and the number of affected regions around the country is expanding. The PNG National Department of Health has confirmed cases of cholera in Morobe Province, Madang Province, East Sepik, West Sepik, Southern Highlands, National Capital District, and in Daru, Western Province.
Posted by: Trevor Freestone. | 24 January 2011 at 08:55 AM
Unfortunately the Pacific Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme has been a non-event.
It was announced in 2008 that 2,500 workers from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu would participate in a three-year pilot and work for up to seven months a year in the horticulture industry in regional Australia.
We are now into the third year of the scheme, however, according to the ABC, just 56 of the 100 visas made available were taken up last year.
So another example of Australian Government rhetoric being on another planet to reality?
Posted by: Peter Kranz | 24 January 2011 at 07:11 AM