PNG PM Marape Disappointed at 'Fake News ' about Mining and Petroleum Conference in Australia

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister  James Marape says it is very disappointing that foreign-owned media in the country continues to run “fake news”.

He said this today (December 8, 2022) after an editorial in The National claimed that former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had rubbished Papua New Guinea at the PNG Mining and Petroleum Conference in Sydney this week.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” PM Marape, who attended the Sydney conference on Monday, said.

“The people of Australia and PNG demand an apology from The National for what seems to be a deliberate attempt to damage good relations between our two countries,

“Even PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum President Anthony Smare, who organised the conference, is bewildered at where The National got this information from.

“Such lies, propagated by foreign-owned media in PNG, will only damage the good relations between Australia and PNG that have existed long before they came in.

“The 1000-plus people who packed the Hilton Hotel in Sydney never heard a bad word from Julie Bishop, who even after leaving politics, continues to be a very good friend of PNG.

“Her speech at the conference on Monday was a selling point for PNG.”

PM Marape was also disappointed that people of PNG believed the editorial of The National.

“It is also very disappointing that Papua New Guineans, even the well-educated ones, believed The National editorial which spread like wildfire on social media,” he said.

“Those many good Papua New Guineans in Sydney on Monday for the conference will dispel this myth.”

PM Marape said he had never controlled media in PNG, which is mostly foreign-owned, since becoming Prime Minister in 2019.

“Never once did I budge into newsrooms at late hours or call editors, like my predecessor Peter O’Neill was known for, and demand that news stories be pulled down,” he said.

“These foreign-owned media should be grateful for this and tell the truth, rather than lies, about a country in which you are a guest.

“My Government will be encouraging more PNG ownership of mainstream media in 2023 and beyond.”

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