TI labels countries like Papua New Guinea (currently ranked 154 out of 178 countries) as among the most corrupt while countries like Australia (currently ranked 8th) are lauded as among the least corrupt.

But scratch beneath the surface and what do we find?

Millions of dollars stolen from the public purse in Papua New Guinea being ‘invested’ in real estate across Queensland

Australian banks like Westpac and ANZ helping syphon billions of dollars out of PNG

Corporations that profit from the misery they cause in PNG through illegal logging and other activities, investing their ill-gotten profits in shopping centres, cattle ranches and other businesses in Australia

Australian mining companies taking advantage of lax enforcement in PNG to extract huge profits while causing terrible environmental damage and human rights abuses.

But none of this, according to Transparency International, should be blamed on Australia, instead it is all Papua New Guinea’s fault.

TI’s attitude is colonial, racist and insulting to Papua New Guinea and its people.

Papua New Guinea is labelled as corrupt because its people suffer the impacts of corruption. Australia is lauded as not corrupt yet it profits from the corruption.

Australia should not be held up as a shining bacon for others to follow. It is Australia, and Australians, who are profiting from the corruption in PNG.

Australia grows rich from the corruption in Papua New Guinea while Papua New Guinean’s suffer the consequences but according to TI it is the victims who should be labelled as corrupt while the victors are praised.

This is part of the huge conspiracy by rich nations, who have built their wealth on the rape of resources from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, to maintain their global hegemony and  continue to profit from the resources of those they label corrupt, poor and underdeveloped.

If TI is genuine about fighting corruption in Papua New Guinea then it should point its finger at those who facilitate the theft and profit from it – governments like Australia, foreign corporations like ANZ and Westpac, Rio Tinto and Newcrest and the Australian people.