By Alexander Rheeney

Parliament-elected Prime Minister Peter O’Neill continues to up his popularity stakes when his government yesterday nullified a law which shielded resource companies from environmental damage lawsuits.

Reports from the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby indicate that the O’Neill government has revoked the 2010 amendments to PNG’s Environmental Act, which the then Somare government pushed and got parliament to pass to protect the $1.5 billion Chinese-owned Ramu nickel mine.

What a sad day for Papua New Guinea, July 26, 2011!

For money we have been forced to bow so low to allow for mining companies to breach our laws and degrade our very beautiful environments that make up this country.

For money we boast world class mines that take and take and take and leave nothing behind. For money, we bow to promises that leave us stricken with economic poverty. For money, we beg for others to come and develop our country for us.

Warke Isaac

Papua New Guineans are being exploited by Australians and other foreign countries.
 We are treated as cheap labour and are forced to look on as bystanders as Australian mining companies mine our natural resources.


Due to the lack of vision and poli­tical will of our leaders, many fo­reigners are taking advantage of our lack of enforcement.


Our oil, natural gas and gold will continue to be exploited by others.


Mining company Chairman, Ken MacDonald, has gone on the record with some very controversial and potentially misleading claims about the Ramu nickel mine in Papua New Guinea and its plans to dump millions of tons of waste into the sea.

In a radio interview broadcast last Friday in Australia, MacDonald said the waste from the mine will not be toxic. 

This is refuted by mining experts and marine scientists.