A word from our closest South Pacific Neighbour

Dear ,

September 16 is the 49th anniversary of Papua New Guinea Independence Day and our guest speaker at lunch in the Brisbane Club will be Peter O'Neill CMG, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea between 2011 and 2019. Mr O'Neill will address the issue of Papua New Guinea and its key role in regional security.

To book: click here.

We find ourselves in a situation where many experts say war in our area is more likely than not, although not inevitable. In the last war Papua New Guinea provided a vital bulwark against the Japanese advance and during the process a deep friendship was forged between our two countries.

Our engagement with PNG goes back to 1883 when Sir Thomas McIlwraith annexed it for Queensland to forestall any non British European powers doing the same. The British did not approve, and did it themselves the next year. So there has always been a strong security element to our relationship.

Who better than Peter O'Neill to address these questions? Prime Minister of PNG for 9 years, and before that a successful professional and business man, including as Chair of the PNG Banking Corporation, Mr O'Neill was a strong modernising force in PNG, instituting free education and health care, developing infrastructure and elevating Papua New Guinea's world profile through the 2015 Pacific Games and 2018 APEC Summit.

This is an event not to be missed by anyone interested in foreign affairs, and Australia's relationship with its neighbourhood.

The details are:
Date: Monday September 16 at 12:00 for 12:30 pm.
Venue: The Brisbane Club, 241 Adelaide Street, Brisbane
Tickets: VIP Tickets (2 only) $500, General Admission $165, AIP members $135, Pensioners and Students $100. Tables of 10 $1,350. (All tickets include a two-course meal and drinks)
Bookings: RSVP Wednesday September 11, 2024. To book: click here.
Dress code: The Brisbane Club has a dress code and guests are encouraged to wear business or business casual, although less formal will be acceptable. Definitely no jeans.

Kind regards,

GRAHAM YOUNG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR