BY KEITH JACKSON

PNG WRITER AND ACTIVIST Martyn Namorong continues his Take the Truth to Australia tour in Canberra over the next two days where he will meet with senior Australian political figures.

Included in a busy program will be encounters with shadow foreign minister Julie Bishop, parliamentary secretary for Pacific affairs Richard Marles, foreign minister Bob Carr's adviser on PNG matters, and a number of members of parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

It is still hoped to arrange a short meeting with Senator Carr.

The messages Martyn will take to the corridors of parliament house will be the same he canvassed in an article he wrote for The Age newspaper last Thursday (Australia not a good friend), focusing on what Australia can do to improve its relationship with the people of Papua New Guinea.

He is also expected to ask that the Australian government work with the PNG government to offer more exchange programs between young Australian and Papua New Guinean professionals in an effort to build better personal links between the two countries, so strengthening the overall relationship.

Martyn will use the experience of his current visit to emphasise how such exchanges can work and have an impact on hundreds of people in both countries.

While in Canberra, he will also join Don Hook for a visit to the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru memorial, due to be unveiled on 1 July.

Later he’ll conduct a seminar at the Australian National University, be interviewed for ABC Radio Canberra, and meet people interested in PNG at an informal function at the Hotel Kurrajong.

Martyn will be accompanied in Canberra, as he was in Sydney, by Ben Jackson, a young Australian communications professional who has been responsible for the tour itinerary – which in its first week included eight media interviews and 10 meetings as well as sightseeing in Sydney and Melbourne, and a night at rugby league where he saw the Storm-Broncos encounter.

Today he drives to Canberra with his Melbourne host, Linda Koerner.

Martyn’s visit is funded in its entirety by readers of PNG Attitude.

Here’s Martyn’s recent interview on the Australia Network….