How PNG celebrates Christmas provides a guide to our development assistance approach in the year ahead

Before he does so he should invite the leaders of the Catholic, Lutheran, Uniting, Anglican, SDA and relevant Pentecostal churches in Australia to meet him and answer one simple question - if the government provided funding what support could they give to counterpart PNG churches?

We cannot "force" the PNG Government to give greater support to faith-based organisations and services, but we could set a good example hopefully the PNG Government might follow!

Now this proposal requires a radical chance in our approach to development assistance, not just in PNG but in all our island neighbours.

I have spoken to a number of opinion makers in our churches and faith-based organisations.

There is a willingness, if not enthusiastic interest, to participate but almost all have limited financial resources to do so.

But they have an abundance of people of goodwill and commitment.

This proposal will inevitably attract the fierce resistance of the well-organised and committed "aid lobby". But they cannot match what the churches offer, and reducing their role would reduce the influence of "boomerang aid" which annoys ministers and officials in PNG. By "boomerang aid" I mean Australian funding which is entirely spent in Australia on consultants, reports etc.

The sad reality is that, for many aid projects, boomerang funding can amount to half the total allocation.

The Prime Minister has a unique opportunity to make a change for the better - one that will serve the Australian national interest and really deliver better outcomes for our neighbours.

This can be his "Christmas gift" to our region, and our closest neighbour in particular!