So the media tells only a fraction of the truth about PNG. What’s new? That’s what the media usually does.

The fact remains that PNG is a awful place, thanks to its awful politicians – most of them ‘Sir’ something or other – and the fact that Whitlam dropped the country when it was not ready for independence

[Deleted for flaming. Poster suspended.]

Kekinidika,

How well you handle opinions differing from yours. Congratulations!

I’m surprised that you are only certain that ‘almost everyone’ thinks I’m a fool. Surely, everybody else agrees with you, and thinks I’m a fool. After all, even though you have never expressed an opinion of your own on anything on OLO, you seem to believe that you know everything. I mean, you only have to call my opinions ‘mendacious’ without saying why, and everybody will believe you. None of that ‘I think Leigh is wrong because …’ nonsense needed in your case.

By ‘yet to make even one positive comment on anything’, do you mean that anything you don’t agree with is negative? My beliefs and opinions are very positive. How many posts of mine have you actually read?

Vicious? Maybe. Incompetent? I seem to be able to make you lose the plot and make a fool of yourself. Like most people, I’m good at some things, not so good at others. But, are you someone I know? You seem to be an expert on me. Viscous? Sticky, adhesive or glutinous. Don’t follow that one. Cretin? How could anyone allow themsleves to become so upset by a cretin? And, you don’t have to read what I say. Stop, and you won’t feel so ‘unfortunate’.

By the way, what do you think about PNG? And, do you know a good dentist

As a journalist I can appreciate Chris Harries frustration with PNG's bad press - its just a fact of life 'big men' raskols, HIV/AIDS and the rest is what makes it ...mostly. But there was the stunning picture of the annual Goroka sing-sing, men dancing, fully committed to a unique highlands culture and to hell with Australia. After all we gave them the Fly River disaster, the Lihir Gold scramble, Manus Island detention centre and the legacy of Bouganville copper. Maybe Chris could inspire an Australia-PNG peoples friendship society to redress the balance. Paul 'Kokoda' Keating would make a good patron.

Paul Keating might make a good patron but the question is can we afford the travel allowance? We fund PNG to the tune of AUD$250 million plus each year. If Mr Keating were to get busy claiming T/A we'd surely see a massive blowout in our PNG budget.