Australian advisers may be required in certain districts

AUSTRALIAN advisers will be required in the districts but perhaps not all 89, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said yesterday.
Although a final report on the recent joint ministerial conference has not gone to the cabinet, O’Neill gathered from conversations with his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Bob Carr that the Australian government would align its aid behind PNG government priorities.
Since the PNG government’s biggest drive was to get out to the districts, it made sense that Australian advisers might be required in the districts, he said.
Australian High Commissioner Ian Kemish has dispelled as “media rumour” comments attributed to Public Service Minister Sir Puka Temu that some 200 Australian advisers in PNG would be distributed to the districts.
The prime minister made these comments among other brief remarks on topical issues yesterday in his final media briefing for the year.
He also said that all ministers, department heads, governors and administrators were to assemble in Port Moresby on Feb 4 to discuss implementation of the 2013 Budget.
O’Neill has written to each of them insisting that the highest priority be given to implementation of the budget.
“There is no leeway, no ambiguity, no confusion or flexibility,” he said.
“Everything is clear down to specific roads which are named in the budget.
“We will not tolerate incompetence.”
This was part of the prime minister’s last comments on issues  in his last media conference yesterday before he bid the country a merry and safe Christmas and New Year.
O’Neill also said the matter of Eastern Highlands Governor Julie Soso’s polygamy legislation would have to be discussed by the government caucus before a position was made known.