APEC: An international public relations disaster

By PNG Echo

I’ve always thought of Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, as Mr Teflon – nothing sticks. Indeed, he has withstood many a serious allegation of corruption/theft and emerged, relatively unscathed to, just recently, host the APEC summit meeting on behalf of Papua New Guinea.

This APEC was to stand as the apex of his accomplishments as Prime Minister.

O’Neill, I’m sure, was convinced that with the spotlight on his country (and him), he would be covered in glory – well he was partially right, but glory was not exactly what he got covered in as the excrement hit the proverbial fan a number of times, before, during and after the main event.

The Guardian‘s Kate Lyons, was writing of a $32 million dubious contract reeking of corruption that involved Prime Minister O’Neill, even as the delegates were arriving.

In his usual glib manner, O’Neill, taking a leaf out of Trump’s book, labelled the story ‘fake news’ and attacked the messenger – giving more than a cursory nod to racism – displaying the sort of ‘patriotism’ that is the last resort of scoundrels.

Of course, he didn’t do this himself, the PM rarely dirties his hands in public dealing with these matters (he doesn’t keep dogs to bark himself)– but that’s not to say that, in private, he’s not irreversibly tainted by the dirt that he’s into, up to his elbows.

However, the little scrapper, that he surely is, has revealed his true colours in parliament lately when provoked beyond his capacity to maintain his composure by opposition member Bryan Kramer. There’s no hiding behind someone’s petticoats in the Haus Tambaran. Gloves are off. The urbane, charming, sophisticated man O’Neill habitually portrays became his shrill and unpleasant alter ego.

But internal scandals are one thing – and are usually solved by throwing around a little money here (so that vital evidence goes missing, for example) or a little intimidation there. – problem solved. In the land of the unexpected, these things are expected. However, when you invite international scrutiny, it’s a whole different ballgame.

These are people that are outside the sphere of influence of the mercurial little man that heads up Papua New Guinea and, in his arrogance, he forgot to factor that in.

A monumental stuff-up.

It was The Australian journalist, Ben Packham who pointed out that, in charge of delivering APEC was a gardener from Melbourne (Now Honourable Minister, Justin Tkatchenko) and Chris Hawkins, a former radio producer who, when he’s not taking care of APEC, is Peter ONeill’s right-hand man and advisor, mooted to have been paid extraordinary amounts for his APEC role, measured certainly in six figures (starting with a five) and possibly even seven (either in Kina or Australian dollars).

Although they say that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys – sometimes you get monkeys anyway.

Whoever was responsible for the decision to requisitioned two 747 Jumbos and their cargo of 40 Maseratis and three Bentleys to land in Port Moresby must have either been high on some substance and/or totally unskilled in public relations and the managing of public perceptions.

And the international press had a field day.

Even Australia’s own racist redhead weighed in. She stated that if PNG had the wherewithal to buy Maseratis perhaps it didn’t need the substantial aid that Australia provided – and variations on that theme was the general sentiment of most commentators.

No matter how the government tried to mitigate with its plans to sell the cars on a no cost basis to government, nevertheless, these cars represented an astonishingly insensitive and disdainful attitude to the people of PNG. I’m sure it had not escaped any of the delegates that the social indicators in Papua New Guinea are abysmal and a real source of shame to this government.

PNG could line the magnificent Independence Boulevarde dozens deep with malnourished Papua New Guinean children to admire the convoy of shiny Maseratis and Bentleys passing by, couldn’t they?

International Press.

And so stories of the opulence of the APEC theatre were juxtaposed to real life in Papua New Guinea in the International Press (I’ve seen articles in the NY Times, Australia’s The Guardian and most other Australian newspapers and reports by BBC News – just for starters) and the PNG government did not fare well in their estimations

But if the health problems did not catch the imagination of the delegates (and they did) there was a great concern about the inherent violence and the security issues. Vice President USA opted to stay in Cairns (however, I do believe he relented and spent one night in Port Moresby) and many brought their own vehicles. Others like New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinta Ardern refused to ride in the Maseratis – I’m assuming on principle – at least she has some.

Most of the substantial aid package from Australia to help PNG host APEC was spent on security – but what sort of sick society needs to pass an act of parliament that allows the disciplinary forces to ‘shoot to kill’ as an APEC security measure? Maybe it’s a society whose leaders are so taken with self-aggrandisement that they have lost the plot?

In the immediate aftermath

Less than two days after the delegates had left, those same disciplinary forces (a rather ironic name for them in PNG as they are anything but disciplined) went on a rampage to the Haus Tambaran, and started vandalising all in sight as the MPs cowered in the chamber

They wanted their allowances paid and they wanted them right there and then. These men, like most who deal with the Papua New Guinea government, know that getting paid by them is like getting blood out of a stone. They were making sure that didn’t happen in this instance.

Has the international press publicize this? You betcha it has.

With all eyes on PNG because of  APEC, Peter O’Neill has had his skirts lifted to reveal his dirty underwear. Even in the land of the unexpected, I’m sure his dirty knickers were not what he expected to be on show.

What a fitting swansong for his last term in office.