BY GRAHAM DENT

I HAVE READ PNG Attitude with great interest since May 2009, when I first became aware of its existence.

I admire the writings of editor Keith Jackson and many contributors like Paul Oates, Philip Fitzpatrick, Reginald Renagi, John Fowke, Peter & Lydia Kailap, Ilya Gridneff and so many others, all concerned about one thing – the growing train wreck that is Papua New Guinea.

Article after article has chronicled the growing problems of graft and corruption in government and administration and the subsequent collapse of service delivery to village level. Growing levels of poverty and malnutrition flow from the decline in village gardens and cash cropping.

Then there is the failure of Australian aid to effectively provide assistance where it is needed; and the Australian government’s continuing failure to publicly recognise that PNG has a corruption problem.

We read of the growing frustration of PNG correspondents – disillusioned with the level of corruption and lack of village services. One can feel for their growing cry of needing something done.

What we read appears negative, but writers and readers have one thing in common.  We all have a deep and enduring love for this hugely complex, diverse and fascinating country. There is a continuing underlying feeling throughout – what can we do, where do we go?

There is obviously no simple solution.

Most of us would have a fair idea of what needs to be done to fix the problem. Having worked in PNG we have all at one time had to fix problems. That obviously is not about to happen.

In fact the only way there can be a “fix” is if both the PNG and Australian governments genuinely recognise that there are huge problems and work cooperatively together to resolve them effectively.

This might all be wishful thinking but I believe we can make a difference and bring about change.

We need PNG Attitude to continue to expose the problems; we need contributors continuing to voice their experiences and views; we need more PNG contributors. As Keith Jackson has continued to encourage, we need to get this voice heard more widely.

Talk about it with friends, contribute yourself, encourage more subscribers, bring this publication to the attention of your local Federal member.

The more people who knock on their doors and bang on about the problems to the north, the more chance we have of making PNG a real issue and finding solutions.