“Every (year) over the past twenty years, the Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has dumped 80,000 tons of waste into the Ok Tedi and Fly Rivers. The result has been an environmental disaster that has destroyed thousands of square kilometers of rainforest and caused terrible hardship for local people…
Australian mining giant BHP Billiton was the major shareholder in Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) and the mine operator until early 2002. At this time, the company handed over its majority stake in OTML to the newly formed and ironically named Sustainable Development Project Company.
This quiet revolution demonstrates the power of transnational corporations in PNG. With the transfer, BHP gained legal indemnity from PNG government action with respect to all the pollution and destruction it has already caused and will cause in the future. The government surrendered its sovereignty, failing to protect its citizens by setting environmental standards and monitoring corporate activities.” … Friends of the Earth International
BHP Billiton Destroyed A Country, Took The Profits And Then Transferred The Mess To Another Company To Limit Ongoing Liability – JUST LIKE SHELL DID IN BARBADOS
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this my friends.
Prime Minister David Thompson and the Democratic Labour Party have just awarded the first Barbados offshore oil exploration rights to a company that does hit and run environmental disasters.
No Rules: Thompson awarded oil contract to a company known to bribe government officials
You know the type of company that goes into a small country and rapes vast areas without a care about destroying the environment? That is BHP Billiton. A company that brings long-term sickness that injures thousands. A company that leaves malformed babies and miscarriages in its wake. Then after they make hundreds of millions, they “sell” the entire operation and leftover mess to some little nothing of a shell company so BHP Billiton can walk away without liability for the disaster.
Then they go to another little country like Barbados, pay lots of bribes and start all over again.
Oh… and here is the BEST PART….
BHP Billiton themselves started as a little company that SHELL OIL used to walk away from an environmental disaster! You know, the same SHELL OIL that walked away from the environmental damage they caused in Barbados with jet fuel. (see To HELL with SHELL – Barbados Boycotts Shell)
That is BHP Billiton.
Full story and many links at Keltruth Blog’s Barbados Awards Offshore Oil-Exploration Rights To Company Responsible For Worst Environmental Disaster
Barbados Free Press 
My Gawd!
more importantly, whats the deal?
and who gets what, what has been paid and what benefits accrue to those negotiating?
Oh silly me—thats what transparency is all about.
I read the Keltruth article. Unbelievable. Bhp got caught bribing some public officials in PNG.
In Barbados it is still legal for government ministers to receive “gifts” from companies that have contracts with the Barbados government.
What a stinking corrupt mess in all ways.
Oil and mining companies have big money and it is difficult for individual politicians and civil servants to say “no” to “fact finding” trips and “assistance” for their children to attend university in the USA or UK.
No Barbados politician has or will declare laws against their children receiving gifts or full scholarships from trans-national corporations that do business with our government.
Thompson and the DLP promised to implement a ministers integrity code, but that will never happen.
BFP, just a slight correction:
“Every day over the past twenty years, the Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has dumped 80,000 tons of waste into the Ok Tedi and Fly Rivers.”
I was like wow, that looks ridiculously high for any type of operation. 80,000 tons Per day?
According to Wikipedia it’s 80,000 per YEAR, and not per DAY. So that would be 1.6 Million tonnes instead of 584 Million tonnes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ok_Tedi_Mine
Looks like the Friends of the Earth folks just made a mistake. Just correcting this error.
**************
BFP say
thx rohan. i will changed it
geroge
How much money did BHP Billiton give to the DLP’s election campaign?
Did BHP Billiton hire any politician’s relative as a consultant?
No law prevents these payments and no transparency in place for people to monitor the payments.
Is it true that there is no law against a oil company paying tuition for a Barbados politician’s child? I thought Barbados followed the British system of government where that is against the law?
The Shell Oil connection is too much to take. I lifted this from your introduction and I think it applies very well to the Barbados Government with Shell Oil and BHP:
“The government surrendered its sovereignty, failing to protect its citizens by setting environmental standards and monitoring corporate activities.”
Where is the DLP fanclub now that we need them to keep their promises? Where are all the DLP members who were going to “hold the guvmnts feet to the fire” to make sure Thompsy kept his promises?
Where are the DLP party members who screamed for integrity and environmental responsibility when Owen Arthur was PM?
I hope Prime Minister Thompson and the DLP enjoy there one and only term in office.
musicheals, it is true that there is no law in Barbados to prevent a government contractor from giving large gifts to a politician. Thompson said he would change that but he lied.
If only our PM had done what Mr. Obama did–On his first day in office I see he told his assembled advisers, staff, party members and lobbiest and any others to whom it would apply, that bribes, gifts were forbidden, and transparency was the rule in all government business. If only our ministers, house members, and public servants had been given the same instructions a year ago, with the assurance that the rule would be enforced!!
Thompson lied.
He lied. He lied. He lied.
I have accepted that he lied.
I do not look to the DLP to save Barbados from the rot.
Thompson didn’t lie. He merely failed to tell the truth.
🙂
Time to start a new middle-of-the-road political party that has integrity built right into the party’s bylaws. Set standards for transparency in election financing and do everything correctly and openly.
Even a loose-knit association of independent candidates with different social and economic policies but all agreeing and participating in election financing transparency would shame the other parties into passing laws against this corruption.
I would like to read a post from the PNP on this thread. I know they write very long posts, which I often do not read, but this really would catch my attention.
I too noticed President Obama put transparency up-front. Good example!
Keep up the good work BFP.
“LONDON – Britain is now in recession for the first time since 1991, official government figures have confirmed.
The worse-than-expected contraction sent sterling to a 24-year low against the dollar, with one pound buying $1.355.”
“CANADA-Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget will include a combined deficit of C$64 billion ($51 billion) over the next two years”-
“The currency finished at C$1.2558 to the U.S. dollar, or 79.63 U.S.
BARBADOS-“A lead S&P spokesman also forecasted foreign direct investment (FDI) into the island “could dry up” as a result of the economic turmoil in the United States (US) and internationally.
Interesting times ahead.
Breadfruit,Onion, half tin a cornbeef. Stretch out de gravy.
BFP wanna drink tummuch las night?
Automatic moderation in effect?
********************
BFP say
Arrrrr????? Wat?????? Belch. Wa you say? Hic!
Nationnews
Mavis Beckles: Bajans does really live
Published on: 1/24/09.
“I AIN’T TELLING YA nuh lie, hear? Nuh matter wha’ gine on bout here or ’round the world, Bajans know how to live and enjoy duhselves”
@ BFP
I was wid wanna in spirit last night.
I had half a bottle of coconut water wid de udda half wid Absolut vodka.
Got to keep warm. It is minus nuff up hey in Canada eh!
The silence of Barbados Underground on the failures of the Thompson government is becoming embarrassing.
To Barbados Advocate staffer: BU is too busy catering to all the religious fanatics in Barbados to concern itself with important topics such as this. Nuff Bible thumping and tamborine rattling gine on over there.
The contributors to this site are conspiracists. Once in a life time financial mess and you worry about foreign investments. Gawd… I can’t read your drivel.
**********************
BFP says… but you keep coming back to read our drivel!
WUH??
Hants, where the France you find coconut water in Canada?
I wuz drinking the same thing here in Bim last night. It went down sweet enough.
@anonymouss
A company in Jamaica bottles fresh coconut water, and ships. We buy it frozen solid in 500ml bottles for $3.25cad. About $5 Barbados.
I gine an fire one now.
Have a bottle of ESAF. Will try it with de coconut water.
Hants, please comment on the subject of this story. DLP supporters remain silent like BU.
Hey “Barbados Advocate staffer”, Hants wears his support of the DLP on his sleeve as is his right and anyone who reads this blog knows this. He can comment critically on the DLP if he chooses and if he doesn’t then others can. Others like the “Barbados Advocate” and since you claim to be a “staffer’ can you use your influence to get them to publish one or two articles which are critical of the DLP’s performance? Most of us bloggers never made a claim of objectivity however we expect that from the media.
We can all live in hope
Thank you Sargeant.
@ Barbados Advocate staffer
You cannot tell me what to write on this blog.
Should I ever write a letter to “The Advocate”, you can edit it or print it and………
This blog is “free” and the majority of us will inject our Bajanism including matters of importance like “drinking rum”.
There are many people on this blog who are more than capable of commenting on the “subject”.
On a positive note to my fellow Bajans living in Ontario.
Some West Indian stores and restaurants sell bottled PURE coconut water ( without preservatives).
It is sold frozen to retain the quality.
Hants: I’ve seen the product and will try it on your recommendation. All those bottles of rum looking for a chaser, however it will have to wait until later in the week as I saw the forecast and I’m not venturing outside for man or beast ,unless of course the better half wants me to pick up something she “forgot” to purchase, then all bets are off (LOL).
@Jason
I know someone who suddenly had cash to burn a few months prior to the contract being awarded and also confessed to me that they had already taken certain gifts. But them relatives cannot be touched so I done talk.
Does anyone know the relationship between the owners of BHP Billiton, Hartley Henry and Prime Minister David Thompson?
Or better put, why are the key departments of government that are responsible for investments, both foreign and local all reside in the office of the Prime Minister rather than in the Ministry of Economic Development where it truly belongs?
Recession….
“The prospect of the three-day week returned to haunt Britain yesterday as it emerged that ministers are considering paying firms to cut hours in order to survive the recession.”
The Emergence of a Dictatorship
In one of his early After-Cabinet-Press-Conferences and with his Attorney General next to him – Prime Minister Thompson fired persons from a Statutory Board, when the law does not provide for him or his Cabinet to do so.
2. Parliamentary representative for the City and Minister of State in the Ministry of Education said in the House that politicians should declare their sexual orientation.
But how can Todd, who represents the City – be so insensitive; arrogant and intolerant of the diversity of moral behaviour within the very constituency, which elected him to represent their interest in Parliament?
3. Sinckler was fired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because Thompson was afraid of his rise and understanding of foreign policy. No doubt, Sinckler too was seen as a threat to him.
The record will show that it was Sinckler who was instrumental in getting regional Heads to sign onto the EPA, which made Thompson look pedestrian.
4. Foreign Reserves is the life blood of any economy. Yet, the DLP was highly critical when the Economic Team of the BLP borrowed and said that it was putting aside some for a raining day.
Well, that rainy day has come and were it not for the $2.7 billion in foreign reserves left by the BLP; high investor confidence, a low crime rate and an unemployment rate of some 7.6 per cent – Barbados would by now be in the hip-pocket of the IMF.
The DLP has been given a change, but instead of settling-down and getting on with the people’s business – it keeps complaining and talking about so-called mess left by the BLP.
We are now hearing Mr. Thompson say that corruption has stop and that nepotism done. This is a predictable distraction tactic by the DLP, which promised a lot (including integrity legislation) but has delivered little.
The DLP wants to turn the spot-light on the Opposition BLP. The DLP hopes that by doing so, it would down-play its political incompetence and camouflage the fact that it does not know what they are doing.
You must ask yourself the following questions:
Would a government, which knows what it is doing – cut its capital works projects, simply to balance the budget?
Would a government, which knows what it is doing – increase the price of diesel by 77 per cent, thereby threatening jobs, while causing an increase in the same cost of living, Mr. Thompson and the DLP promised to reduce?
Would a government, which know what it is doing – introduce an inflationary budget and impose some $180 million is new taxes on Barbadians and at a time too when it was know to all that economies around the world were slipping into recession?
Would a government, which knows what it is doing, price gouge Barbadians on land tax?
Would a government, which knows what is doing, move fees for journalist from $50 to $750 – unless it wanted to silence the press or be a threat to freedom of speech?
These are all very serious matters, especially when viewed in the context of what the DLP wants to do as expressed at page 13, item 5:17 of the document, which seeks to establish Constituency Councils.
That provision states: “All public information is to be reviewed by the Minister before dissemination.”
This from a political party, which states on page 48 of its 2008 Manifesto, that it will give power back to the people.
Not only can the actions of the DLP be construed as an unprovoked attack on the press, but also – censorship or putting a gag order on communities.
Barbadians must take note!!!
No, the Ok Tedi mine really does discharge 80,000-90,000 metric tons of mine tailings and other mine wastes into the Ok Tedi River every day!!
Over one billion metric tons since operations began in the mid-1980s.