ALL hail, merry readers! Mum’s burdened with trying to make Dad’s pay accommodate Christmas festivities, the gift expectations of their eight children and the substantial needs of uncle, aunty and their brood who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and intend to stay throughout the festive season. Ah, the good old family ties.
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DAD faces his own problems; his work mates have begun taking the usual liquid approach to the season. Now that requires megabux, and poor old Paps is a bit short of the necessary. Things weren’t helped by last night’s fling at the pokies either, where the old boy’s pay took a mammoth hammering. Oh well ...
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THE current Health Minister has announced that a new cobalt machine is en route from Canada to Angau Memorial Hospital and is expected to arrive in March. Readers should make a note in their diaries – the arrival of this equipment has been promised by former Health Ministers as far back as Melchior Pep and by one or two PMs for much longer.
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AND a question – we were informed long ago that a suitable radiotherapy machine for Angau would cost somewhere between four and five million kina. Exactly what machine are we receiving from Canada, and will it meet our requirements? The reported cost in our pages yesterday was K1.45 million.
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THREE rather weary cheers for Foreign Affairs Minister Abal who has urged parents “to stop roaming the streets and work hard for their children’s education”. In company with other media and community leaders, we’ve been urging the same commitment for many years – but there’s been little apparent response.
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THE same parents later bemoan the behaviour of their teenagers who are rapidly on the road to becoming thugs; rarely do they blame themselves. Other PNG parents work till they drop for the benefit of their children; in the process they are helping to create a worthwhile nation for us all.
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THAT bunch of thugs who escaped from Mt Hagen’s Baisu jail last Saturday reportedly used a convenient hailstorm as cover. They must have had hard heads; the hail apparently kept their guardian warders well and truly under wraps. Cheers!

– Dee Nesenolis