Thank you Forever Optimist PNGean for that eloquent statement.
I know many Australians who have lived in PNG have told me the people in Canberra did not listen to people in PNG and failed to understand. I regret that the Australian Commonwealth government was not a better friend and neighbour in the pass, but I hope in the future the Commonwealth will one day learn to listen and mature enough to appreciate its wonderful and diverse neighbours.

Daeron,
You're welcome!
What I have uttered is ground reality. Those who aptly coined terms such as "failed states" to suit their purposes and the unfortunate who have gullibly jumped into that bandwagon are on the wrong. The blind borrowing of words to label and make assertions of whatever they see fit don't stick.

PNG is a thriving democracy with a steadily improving economy.
http://www.islandsbusiness.com/ [Politics: 31 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE - Where is PNG heading? ]

Nobody in PNG is committing suicide out of desperation and destitution. The bulk of our population (90%) live happily in sustainable and humble subsistence communities. The absence of flush toilets and lightening in village settings is a far fetch expectation.

We certainly have not sent anyone to the moon yet but, slowly we’re making our mark in the world. Thirty years is too short a time to expect too much too soon

Dear Forever Optimist PNGean
nice to hear some thoughtful input here from someone at 'ground zero' so to speak.

Leigh makes a rather important point, though in a kind of vulgar way.
Regarding the leadership being 'grubs' looking after their own interests at the expense of the people. I don't think this is the case across the board, but I have had experience in tribal economics and it usually goes like this.

1/ I'm the traditional head man, and all 'aid' comes to ME for distribution as I see fit. (which might be primarily on my own cocoa, rubber, oil palm or cofee plantion, then if any left over ..for the ordinary folks, usually he will do something symbolic, 'for the village' and tout it as a great breakthrough) He will praise the government and urge the village to vote for them next time.(So he can continue to benefit)

2/ Aid not coming to 'my'people is wasted. But as long as I get my slice (Timber concession Licence maybe) its not that important.

So.. the nobility in tribal societies is often not so noble.
Just as our own nobility is selling us down the drain as Nathan Joel points out by 'global re-distribution' of labor and capital.
I still recall one local Bornean head mans wife who wanted to use the mission plane flight to go down and do 'shopping' while a medivac case was attempted to be sidelined.

I'd be interested in the education of your mum and dad. Was it through Australian government schools or mission schools ?

Are you aware of how many PNG languages have been protected and preserved by translations of the Bible into written language by basically volunteer individuals in the mission context ?

My basic understanding of Pacific and any local leadership is that it tends to be 'tribal' looking after its own interest and 'nobility centred'.
Cash aid is usually used in very 'policitally' beneficial ways i.e. handouts to 'one-talks' and relatives :)
rather than infrastructure.

Some one needs a hug Leigh! - cmon big fella - I think it is you. I thought your level of embitterment had reached its nadir - but you seem to get more curmudgeonly with every passing day - and now those who receive charity will never amount ot anything! it is clear you say!

Rather a wide sweeping assertion - but then if you can, sight unseen, define Nathan Joel as a miserable Australian you can make such assertions I guess -

Just was is a good Australian Leigh? lets start a list shall we? first there's you; then we have ........... C'mon Leigh help us out here. I am at a loss

We are not over populated nor are we under resourced we just dont use what we have with very much intelligence - we are selfish is what we are - Donald Horne was right we are a Lucky COuntry led by idiots - or words to that effect - it is not that the concept of over seas aid is flawed it is in its application -

like the proslytising missionaries of the past(and present) who want to convert every one we are keen to convert every economy with the teaser of foriegn aid into one like ours and on our terms - we are an insightless supersillious pack of bastards really.

I guess I am a miserable Austrlian as well - I am certainly no patriot

I think Proud to be Indonesian is Marilyn in a burq, sounds the same.

Boaz,
I appreciate your sentiments.
I have to be frank as I am a straight shooter so I like being brutally honest. It’s my sincere hope that, no one takes offence
That said; let me get back to your assertions.

Firstly, the notion that Leigh is cooking up is unfortunately the vivid reflection of the truncated view that the so-called Pacific Islands Saviour have the Australian public believe, largely heralded by the singularly dimensional view of Australian media. Sadly, I have to add that some unlearning is in order. That will greatly help.

The ground truth is; Australia doesn’t give a blank cheque to Waigani. Canberra has her outposts in Port Moresby that pens the invoices. If facts and statistics don’t lie, then a quick glance at AIDWATCH indepth publications would help.

Self extravagance and unnecessary siphoning off of these funds to serve as window dressing and "feel good situations" that really does nothing more than a smokescreen that is cleverly engineered to distract the real evils behind the schemes of serve self-service, suppression of local intelligence and ability and exert the age old dependency syndrome on us is as good as nothing. 31 years of lesson is more than enough.

Australia has advanced in practically everything that there is to pursue, but unfortunately John Howard and his crew have been overdosed by an expired foreign diplomacy pill that that is sadly making them look more and more foolish each passing month. The sooner the 21st century cupboard of pills is exploited, the better it is for Australia. Otherwise, prepare not to despair.

My mum and dad have zero education. They’re subsistence farmers but they had that intrinsic wisdom and tact to educate me. They don’t depend on me to look after them now but they continue to live off the land like they have been for years. There’re many good schools in PNG that are run by Missionary agencies. Not all are Australian run.

We’re also indebted and appreciative of the work of missionary volunteers in translation and preservation of our local languages. We certainly do not dismiss that.