Albanese drops the ball on rugby league diplomacy with PNG

Papua New Guinea will have its own team in Australia’s national rugby league competition from 2028, but questions around its finance and implications remain.

PNG’s people miss out on the boom

PNG is wracked by social disorder and political crisis, not least because its fast growing population have secured little benefit from the resources boom which has enriched foreign firms and countries at the expense of its once pristine environment.

Beanz meanz Bougainville

PNG tends to be in the news for gang violence, murder and political turmoil, but there is one success story in the autonomous region of in Bougainville.

Land of the unexpected

Violence has escalated in Papua New Guinea over the last few months and Prime Minister James Marape’s hold on power looks tenuous.

Turmoil in PNG

PNG has been riven by looting and political instability after police departed their posts due to salary deductions.

Prospects for PNG

PNG’s economy has rebounded since the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing it to host important foreign leaders, reduce the fiscal deficit and introduce exchange rate reforms, but PNG may be entering a period of political uncertainty that puts all these gains at risk.

Fish farming in PNG

A UNSW Sydney researcher has received $2.6 million in funding to expand fish farming and its positive social impact in Papua New Guinea.

Covid-19’s toll on Papua New Guinea

Covid-19 has triggered cascading impacts in PNG’s health, economic, social, civil and administrative sectors while undermining the government’s capacity to address them.

The COVID crisis on our doorstep

Our neighbour’s stability and prosperity are in our interests too. There can be no better example of this than the current crisis in PNG.

China’s debt-trap diplomacy threatens PNG

The rapidly deteriorating state of Papua New Guinea’s economy is increasing the danger of China applying economic pressure to extract political concessions.

Safeguarding Pacific sovereignty from within

The Australian government’s “step-up” in the Pacific looks to safeguard islands from Chinese influence, but tackling domestic crime and corruption is also vital to protect their integrity.

An unsettled year for PNG

It was a mixed year for Papua New Guinea, with natural disasters, social and political unrest and the growing power of China casting a shadow over the country and its relations with Australia.