The year 2003 marked a significant change in Australia's
relations with the island Pacific, including Papua New Guinea
(PNG). Since gaining independence in the 1970s, the island
states of the Southwest Pacific have been left to control their
own political and economic affairs. While providing substantial
amounts of bilateral aid, Australia has been sensitive to charges
of neo-colonialism and interference with national sovereignty.
All this has changed, however, with the Australian Government's
adoption of a distinctly more robust and interventionist stance
under Prime Minister John Howard. The primary objective is
to enhance security and stability in troubled Pacific states.
Although poverty reduction continues to be the broad goal, the
Australian aid program is being gradually calibrated to reflect
this changing approach. In practice, this also entails the
deployment of growing numbers of Australian personnel in key
government agencies in recipient countries