Can our budget help PNG in its crisis?

There should be some extra funding for our NGO sector working in PNG, including my charity of choice YWAM.

YWAM has not had its modest funding from Australia increased for some years. It has expanded its work with dental trucks that go inland. That should be supported.

The other issue the budget needs to look at is how do we help protect Daru and Ihu-Kikori from effective Chinese takeover. They are on our border. Our national interest is at risk.

Part of what we should do, especially on Daru, is encourage fishing by local people, and don't let the Chinese dominate it, as there is evidence they are doing.

The other challenge we must address is border surveillance.

We must help the PNG Police Commissioner stop PNG being a transit point for drugs from Asia to Australia and New Zealand.

As I wrote recently my friend Jimmy Maladina represents the eastern most electorate on the PNG mainland. For his vast electorate of dozens of islands, he has just ONE policeman.

We should help Commissioner Manning boost police numbers and capacity.

Drugs can transit via yachts and ships as well as aircraft. We need to boost our border surveillance and help PNG play a greater role in doing so.

We must focus on the Papuan coastal provinces. China will donso....but so will drug runners!

I hope Penny Wong will undertake consultation across the Pacific in time. Wide-ranging reform is needed, but it needs to be done in a careful and consultative way with our neighbours.

We should not expect too much change in this budget. The government has done well.....but the hard yards are ahead!

Planning for the hard yards will vary from country to country. PNG is our biggest aid beneficiary, but it is not the only one.

We give more in aid than anyone else, we must maintain that but plan for longer term reform!