Has Penny Wong given us a fighting chance of significantly slowing China’s expansion in the Pacific?

PNG is going to be a successful and growing participant in small business in both urban and rural communities but it is going to need greater access to finance, and training and we should be better placed than China to provide both.

Sadly one of the great Australian contributors to the private sector in PNG passed away this week.

Sir Peter Barter was a leader in the private sector for forty or fifty years. He focussed on hospitality and tourism including operating passenger ships and the Madang resort.

He also served in the national parliament and was a very effective health minister.

He was respected across Papua New Guinea, he held robust views and was rarely backward at expressing them. Sir Peter was one of our best "exports" to Papua New Guinea.

May he rest in peace.