Robert@PNG

The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is currently in PNG on an official visit. Today he's in Moresby but tomorrow he will be paying a short visit to Goroka in the Highland's. Yes Goroka!

More interestingly (from my perspective) is that I'm going to get two chances to meet the “boss”. Firstly, the Australian volunteers working in Goroka have been invited to the official lunch with the Prime Minister at Pacific Gardens  and then in the afternoon the PM's entourage will visit the Hospital and the CEO has put me down on the list of Hospital staff to (maybe) shake hands with the man!

Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of it all. Seems like a lot of fuss just for one man and his entourage.  Hospital staff have been busy the last couple of days, doing gardening, painting and cleaning. Everyone seems to be on a high and is making a huge fuss over the whole thing. In fact, the Hospital will be closed tomorrow just for the PM's visit which my understanding is going to be a whole 20 minutes!  You should see the agenda that the CEO has prepared! There's no way that it's all going to fit in to the 20 minute slot the Hospital has been given. Heck… here in PNG 20 minutes ain't even long enough for one speech! Let alone all the other items on the agenda.

Yep, I suspect the visit by the PM to the Hospital will be over before folks can say: “Which one's the PM”! Whisked in and then whisked out as fast as a jiffy!

But so it goes for these sort of events… everyone hoping to get the ear or eye of the man. And memories of it all will live on in the minds of those that witnessed.

Having said all of the above (perhaps slightly on the negative) - it's a nice “unexpected” in a way. And deep down I do hope that I'll get a chance to shake the PM's hand and say onya Ruddie! The memories of that moment will surely live on in my mind just like the next bloke.

Lastly and before I forget, here's the story about the PM's visit that appeared in today's issue of The National…

Welcome to
PNG, Mr Rudd
By HARLYNE JOKU
AUSTRALIAN prime minister Kevin Rudd arrives today on an official visit,
and is expected to discuss a wide range of issues with his PNG
counterpart Sir Michael Somare.
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Minister Sam Abal said told The
National yesterday that this is the first such visit in 11 years, and it
underlines the importance of the relationship between the two countries.
“The visit is an important statement by the Rudd government in terms of
our relationship,” Mr Abal said. “It shows PNG is right back on the
radar.”
Mr Rudd will land at the Jackson Airport at 10am on an Australian
defence force jet. He will be welcomed by Mr Abal and singsing groups,
and inspect a guard of honour before heading to Government House to meet
the Governor-General.
A planned protest to be staged by 500 Koiari landowners over the Kokoda
Track issue was aborted when the National Security Advisory Committee
warned them against it, the president of the Koiari local level
government Willie Wavi said yesterday.
Intelligence sources reported a foreigner was involved in instigating
the protest, but the situation has been contained.
Mr Wavi said the landowners were to protest over the plan to block a
proposed mine and move to list the area on the World Heritage listing.
Mr Rudd may also be presented with a petition from news organisations in
PNG and other Pacific Islands regarding the deportation of Fiji Sun
publisher Russell Hunter.
The news organisations are expected to press Mr Rudd to oust members of
the Fiji military from Ramsi duties in the Solomon Islands.
As of last night, discussions were still underway among news
organisation from the Solomon Islands, Samoa and PNG to finalise the
petition.
PINA president and NBC managing director Joseph Ealadona is expected to
present the petition or make known the position of the Pacific media if
given the chance to speak to Mr Rudd.
Meanwhile, the Australian media reported yesterday that Mr Rudd would
canvass support from PNG and the Solomon Islands to impose further
sanctions against the Fijian military government including sports
boycott to force rugby obsessed military leader Commodore Frank
Bainamara to respect human rights and return the country to democratic
rule.
After paying a courtesy call on the Sir Paulias Matane, Mr Rudd will
meet Sir Michael and his cabinet ministers in a conference and later
will meet Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta and his deputy Bart
Philemon.
In the afternoon he will visit the Bomana War Cemetery to lay wreaths on
the Cross of Sacrifice, and later attend a State dinner in his honour
hosted by Sir Michael.
Tomorrow, Mr Rudd will attend a breakfast co-hosted by the
Australian-PNG Business Council and the PNG Business Council in
association with the Australian Alumni Association, before flying to
Goroka to tour the Institute of Medical Research and meet with NGO’s
including Save the Children and Appropriate Technology Projects.
Mr Rudd will later be escorted by the CEO of the Coffee Industry
Corporation Ricky Mitio through a coffee-tree-to-cup display, and to
view a traditional mumu.
He then visits Goroka Base Hospital, the Eastern Highlands provincial
administration headquarters and the Daulo district administration before
returning to Port Moresby.
He leaves Port Moresby early on Saturday morning for the Solomon
Islands.