'Tree' pid='7109' datel Wrote:No.
I will argue the opposite, with caveats.
For instance, Gulf Provincial MP Kavo is a member of the PNC Party. If party politics means anything, it can certainly be an advantage to have as many Gulf Province MPs as members of the governing coalition as possible.
Any governing coalition that includes the United Resources Party, whose leader is William Duma, may well be strongly influenced by current DPE Minister Duma. That would be strictly bad news.
InterOil executives put a happy face on their situation, stating that they can get along with any government as they have in the past. While that has been the case, the stakes are clearly higher now and if any individual minister, as William Duma has done so far, imposes his personal will -- as a result of financial or other incentives -- it would be detrimental to InterOil's interests.
If all this didn't matter to InterOil, why would all the oil/gas companies be lining up to get rid of William Duma and/or his United Resources Party compatriots?
The form and substance of the PNG government will matter, but in ways that may not be readily evident and/or starky demonstrable -- unless Duma remains DPE Minister. Then, it will be obvious that InterOil's interests will remain directly harmed by the government.
If O'Neill forms the new government and carries forward his reformist stance, a lot of things could well be better for the PNG people and InterOil. On the other hand, would anybody really welcome the leadership of Belden Namah as PM? He's a real wild card.
So, I firmly believe it DOES matter who forms the next PNG government.
VS