Prime Minister James Marape says it is very disappointing that foreign-owned media in the country continues to run “fake news”.
He made the remarks in response to an editorial published by a PNG news organisation that claimed former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had belittled Papua New Guinea at the PNG Mining and Petroleum Conference in Sydney this week.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," said Prime Minister Marape, who attended the conference in Sydney on Monday.
“The people of Australia and PNG demand an apology from the news organization for what seems to be a deliberate attempt to damage good relations between our two countries.”
In a media statement, the PM said even PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum President Anthony Smare, who organised the conference, is bewildered at where the organization got this information.
“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 published.
“It is also very disappointing that Papua New Guineans, even the well-educated ones, believed the news organization's 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.
“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.
He stated that the Government will be encouraging more PNG ownership of mainstream media in 2023 and beyond.