The 20 Days of Human Rights Activism campaign was launched on Sunday 20 November. Every year, this campaign is used to focus the attention of people across the country on addressing gender-based violence and promoting human rights. Within the 20 Days campaign, 25 November is dedicated to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. As a sign of the National Parliament’s commitment to addressing violence against women and tackling gender-based violence, today the Parliament passed a motion to establish a new Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment and Gender-Based Violence (GEWE-GBV). The new Committee will be chaired by Governor Powes Parkop, who has long been a champion of women’s rights and has campaigned tirelessly to end GBV in the National Capital District and across the country. After the vote, Governor Parkop stated: “I would like to thank the Government and my parliamentary colleagues for setting up this Committee, which will enable us to continue the important work we started with the Special Parliamentary Committee on GBV last term. That Committee was only an ad hoc body, but today MPs have voted to make this a permanent committee which means it will be set up by each parliament, after every election, to enable MPs to ensure the rights of our women and girls are realised.” He went on to say: “I will use my position as Chair of this Committee to keep using our oversight powers to hold our government bodies to account for their efforts to empower women and end violence. The work should implement the rights in our National Constitution and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women. If we want PNG to prosper, we must make sure that our women and girls have equal opportunities to participate politically, economically and socially in every aspect of PNG life. They must also be safe – safe in their homes, safe in their workplaces and safe in our communities. I will use my time in this term to make that a reality”. The new Committee has a broader term of reference than the previous Special Parliamentary Committee on GBV. In addition to examining all aspects related to addressing GBV, the Committee has been empowered to examine other issues that impact on gender equality, including women’s leadership, women’s economic empowerment and related GEWE reforms. The Committee can also examine the role of the National Council of Women in promoting women’s rights. Deputy Committee Chair, Governor Allan Bird also made a statement upon the endorsement of the motion, stating: “I am very happy that our 11th Parliament has again demonstrated its commitment to promoting the rights of women and girls through our parliamentary work. Building on the work we did through the last Committee, we will again hold regular public hearings which we will used to hold Ministers and officials accountable for their efforts – or their lack of effort – to address critical issues related to the protection and empowerment of women and girls. We want to see more concrete action to make women’s rights a reality.” The new Committee has six members, in addition to the Chair: Governor Allan Bird (East Sepik), Deputy Chairperson; Governor Rufina Peter (Central Province); Marsh Narewec, (Wau Waria); Ricky Morris (Alotau); William Bando (Koroba Lake Kopiago); and Lohia Boe Samuel (Port Moresby North West). As the new Committee moves to take over the work of the last Special Parliamentary Committee on GBV, both Chairman Parkop and Deputy Chairman Bird also extended their gratitude and thanks to the former chair, Mr Charles Abel, who was not returned to the 11th Parliament. They paid tribute to his energy and commitment, which was critical to making the work of that first Committee a success and should be acknowledged by the whole country as a vital contribution to making PNG a safer, better place for women. They also thanked the other members of the Committee who participated in the two sets of public hearings, andendorsed the two Committee Reports tabled in Parliament, namely Hon Aiye Tambua, Mr Allan Marat, Mr Michael Dua and Mr Ginson Saonu. Chairman Parkop also extended his thanks to other members of the 11th Parliament who stated their commitment for the new Committee but were unable to participate in its work due to their role as Vice Ministers, notably, Kessy Sawang (Rai-Coast) and Raphael Tonpi (Mendi). The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be providing technical support to the new Parliamentary Committee on GEWE and GBV as part of its gender programming and the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative. This support aims to address GEWE and Gender-Based Violence and support longer-term efforts to promote women’s participation and leadership in the Parliament.

For the past few days, India has been gripped by what's being described as a "murder most foul". Police in the capital, Delhi, have arrested a young man - Aftab Poonawala - on allegations of murdering his live-in partner of three years. They allege that Mr Poonawala murdered 27-year-old Shraddha Walkar in May, chopped up her body into dozens of pieces, stored them in his home fridge and, over the past few months, went around disposing them off - a piece at a time - in different parts of the city. Mr Poonawala is in custody and has not yet made any public statement, but on Tuesday, he told a court that "the information being spread against me is not correct" and that he was "fully cooperating with the police investigation". The death came to light only last week after Ms Walkar was reported missing by her father. Since then, lurid details of the alleged murder have made daily headlines in India, with nuggets of unverified information being fed by unnamed policemen to local journalists. The crime has been dubbed "the fridge murder" and the huge interest in the case has seen news websites running live pages on the investigation that are being updated every few minutes. And anger has spilled over onto the streets - protesters have burnt Mr Poonawala's effigies, demanding strict punishment for him. Lawyers, activists and former police officials have expressed concern at the intense media coverage. Vikram Singh, who retired as director general of police in the state of Uttar Pradesh, called it "extremely irresponsible". "A ball-by-ball commentary is detrimental to the cause of the investigation and disrespects the deceased," he told the BBC. The breathless coverage has also made it hard to separate the grain from the chaff - reports are mired in inconsistencies with little clarity on the facts of the case, including on how the couple met. The relationship Though Ms Walkar and Mr Poonawala lived in the same area in Mumbai city, police say they met on Bumble, a dating app. But in the missing complaint to the Mumbai police in early October, her father says they met in 2018 at a call centre where they both worked. Ms Walkar's relations with her family were strained as they disapproved of her relationship with Mr Poonawala. In his police complaint, her father said he had tried to dissuade her from moving in with Mr Poonawala since "we are Hindus and Aftab is Muslim and we don't marry outside of our caste or religion". But the couple started living together in 2019 and moved to Delhi earlier this year and rented an apartment in Chhatarpur Pahadi area. The couple's friends and the police say the two quarrelled frequently and accuse Mr Poonawala of abusing her. Senior police official Ankit Chauhan told ANI that Shraddha started putting pressure on Mr Poonawala to marry her and that "on 18 May, he lost his temper and strangled her". Ms Walkar's father approached Mumbai police after being alerted by her friends that they had not heard from her for a few months and that her phone had been switched off. What a breakfast murder says about wife beating in India Rising crimes against Indian women in five charts On Wednesday, a handwritten note surfaced that Delhi police said was written by Ms Walkar in 2020 in which she had complained to the Mumbai police that he had beaten her up and "was threatening to kill her and cut her up into pieces" - exactly what police allege happened two year later. Following criticism, Mumbai police responded that the case had been investigated, but "it was closed after she gave a written statement that it had been resolved and there was no dispute". What we know so far? On Tuesday, when Mr Poonawala was asked by a court if he knew what he had done, he replied that "whatever happened took place in the heat of the moment and was not deliberate". His statement was interpreted by some as a confession, but his lawyer Abinash Kumar rejected that Mr Poonawala had confessed to murder and said that he was "fully cooperating with the investigation". Soon after his arrest, police had said that Mr Poonawala had confessed to his crime and given them some leads to find evidence. Thereafter, they searched his apartment and took him to a nearby forest where - they said - "he had disposed of body parts." Police say they have recovered some bones and body parts which have been sent for forensic analysis and will be matched against the DNA samples of her father to find out if they are indeed Ms Walkar's. Armed with metal detectors, police have also been combing bushes in Gurgaon, a Delhi suburb, for knives that were allegedly used to hack the body and after divers fished out some bones from a pond in Delhi's Maidan Garhi area, it was emptied to find more evidence. India's 'criminal-turned-actor' who hid for 30 years On Thursday, the accused underwent a polygraph and is later expected to be put through a narco-analysis test - in which a drug known as "truth serum" is injected into the person before they are asked questions. Even though they are not admissible in court, a judge ordered the tests after police said that Mr Poonawala was misleading them by giving contradictory statements. The missing links On Tuesday, police told a court that 80% of their investigation was complete, but reports say that they are still looking for crucial evidence that would help them build a watertight case. No belongings of Ms Walkar have been recovered from the apartment where the couple lived and some of the evidence may have been compromised as it's been months since the alleged murder. Police say they believe that a "heavy, sharp weapon" like a hack saw or a butcher's knife was used to dismember the body but they are yet to recover it. It is also not yet established if the bones they have recovered are really of the victim and some reports say their quality may be compromised since the remains have been found months after the alleged murder. There has been criticism of Delhi police that they have little concrete evidence and that their case is entirely built on circumstantial evidence that would not stand scrutiny in court. The BBC reached out to Delhi police but officials said they were "busy with the investigation". But retired police official Vikram Singh says there is "abundant evidence and a skilful investigator will be able to get a conviction". Delhi murder probe after body parts found in wood India minister denigrates women for live-in relations "Sometimes it takes time to recover a weapon used in the crime but if you've got a drop of blood or spit or a shred of meat, you can build a watertight case." Besides, he says, there is "enough circumstantial evidence" against Mr Poonawala - "they were living together, there are accounts of neighbours and CCTV footage that shows Shraddha regularly coming in and leaving the house, so he has few escape routes available". Talking to a Hindi newspaper, Mr Kumar, Poonawala's lawyer, said he understood that it was a "challenging" case. "But unless I know the full charges against him, I'm unable to say how easy or difficult it would be to defend him," he added. Source: BBC.Com

South Pacific Brewery’s flagship brand, SP Lager has secured the naming rights for the 2022 Papa Graun Music Festival and Project Hanmak. The sponsorship is worth K500,000.The SP Papa Graun Music Festival will be staged from the 10th to the 11th of December 2022. The terms of the deal include exclusive naming rights of the festival, mention on all communication assets and branding, and signage visibility throughout the festival. “SP Lager has journeyed in the local music arena since the 1950s,” says SP Brewery Senior Brand Manager Miriam Lama. Through the brand’s current slogan “Bungim Yumi” SP Lager continues to bring people together from all walks of life. “As a true Papua New Guinean brand, we are delighted to support community initiatives that bid to preserve our National Content and educate future generations about Papua New Guinea Music, History, Art, and Culture.” The sponsorship also goes towards supporting Project Hanmak. An initiative that encompasses an entire scope of activities broken up into 5 objectives: 1. The Music Database. 2. The Music Pathways. 3. Develop a Music Act. 4. Obtain an Event Music License under the Music Act. 5. Build a Music Museum - The PapaGraun Exhibition Centre, Port Moresby.

The SP PNG Hunters are pleased to announce that former assistant coach and current PNG Kumuls head coach Stanley Tepend has been confirmed as Head Coach of the club for the 2023 season. The club has also named an official 39-man training squad who will begin preparations next week for the 2023 Hostplus Cup competition. Tepend’s appointment as Head Coach is the latest milestone in a decorated professional coaching career that began in Papua New Guinea’s own Digicel Cup competition. Tepend’s successes in this competition saw him win four premierships with the Lae Snax Tigers over a nine-year period before joining the SP PNG Hunters as an assistant coach in 2022. Since then, Tepend has gone on to be named the PNG Kumuls Head Coach and has already enjoyed success at this level in both the mid-year Pacific Test and most recently in the Rugby League World Cup. The club is extremely proud to have secured the services of one of Papua New Guinea’s most accomplished rugby league figures for the 2023 season and SP PNG Hunters Chairman Mr Stan Joyce CSM said he is pleased with the announcement. “Given his capacity as an assistant with the Hunters this year and also his own personal development as a coach, Stanley was the logical candidate,” said Joyce. “He enjoys a strong rapport with the playing group and has a genuine passion for improving and educating rugby league talent coming out of PNG.” “In a short space of time Stanley has already shown us what he can do at a national level, and I look forward to seeing the direction he takes the Hunters in 2023.” The SP PNG Hunters preseason training begins next week, and new Head Coach Tepend said he was humbled and excited by the opportunity. “For me this is a huge honour and I’m really looking forward to the challenge,” Tepend said. “There have only ever been two coaches in the history of this club and I have great respect for what Coach Michael and Coach Matt have done before me. We’ve got a long season ahead of us and I’m excited to get to work with the players and staff.” The SP PNG Hunters have today also confirmed an official 39-man training squad for the approaching 2023 Hostplus Cup season and Tepend said he is pleased with the group assembled. “We’ve got a good mix of returning, experienced players alongside some exciting new talents from the Digicel Cup,” Tepend said. “We’ve made an effort to include players from as many Digicel Cup teams as possible which is exciting for those clubs. Having representatives from each team helps to create a clear pathway from Digicel Cup into the Hunters system. Those club representatives can also have a really positive impact on young players in each region, giving them something to aspire towards.” Tepend said it’s an exciting time for the club as they prepare for the 2023 season on home soil for the first time in more than three years. “We’ve got a strong contingent of World Cup players who will join camp next week and bring a lot to our squad,” Tepend said. “It’s an exciting time for the club. We’re back on home soil next year which is a big boost for us and we’ll be looking to use every advantage when the time comes.” “We’ve also got a great partnership with the Dolphins NRL club which will provide opportunity for four of our players to undertake a first-grade preseason under Wayne Bennett early next year. We will decide on those players internally over the next few weeks and look forward to seeing what they make of that opportunity.” SP PNG Hunters 2023 Official Training Squad Alex Max Alex Rover Benji Kot Bernard Noel Brandon Nima Casey Dickson Emmanuel Waine Epel Kapinias Francis Kembis Henry Wan Ila Alu Jamie Mavoko Jimmy Bob Joe Joe Walames Joel Torombe Joshua Mire Junior Igila Junior Rop Judah Rimbu Kafu Ken Kosova Badi Leon Undupia Limbi Henry Liam Joseph Matthew Jesse Micha Tom Morea Morea Rodrick Tai Saki Peter Seal Kalo Sherwin Tanabi Solo Wane Steven Bruno Sylvester Bulu Tapia Solu Valentine Culligan Wartovo Puara Wesser Tenza Willy Tirang Source: PNG Hunters

Credit Corporation PNG Limited continues its support of the Port Moresby Basketball Association’s (POMBA) 2022 season with a donation of K20,000. “We have been supporting POMBA since 2021 and we look forward to continuing this relation in the coming years,” said Credit Corporation Chief Risk Officer Andre De Bakhapouve during the cheque presentation. He further added that, over the years Credit Corporation has supported several sporting clubs and associations and is currently sponsoring local teams in various sporting codes such rugby league, rugby union and netball. “As a successful local business, we’re extremely proud to play a role in the communities that we operate within and lend our support to initiatives and organisations such as POMBA who have a positive impact in the community,” added De Bakhapouve. POMBA President John Vere thanked Credit Corporation for its ongoing support and said, “we are very happy to have Credit Corporation as POMBA’s major sponsor for both the 2022 and 2023 basketball season.” Coming out of the pandemic, funding has been very tight but with Credit Corporation’s help, we have able to run a successful basketball season this year and we look forward to working with Credit Corporation in the new year as well,” Vere added.

Mexican prosecutors have obtained an arrest warrant for the friend of a North Carolina woman found dead last month while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas and on Thursday called the death the result of “a direct attack.” Shanquella Robinson, 25, was traveling with college friends from Winston-Salem State University when she was found dead in a vacation rental property, said her father, Bernard Robinson. Robinson, with six friends, arrived October 28 in Mexico, according to a Thursday statement by Mexican prosecutors working on extradition proceedings with their country’s attorney general and Foreign Affairs Ministry. Evidence shows the death resulted from “a direct attack, not an accident,” and involved one of the victim’s female friends, the prosecutors said. Mexican officials have not named the suspect but confirmed she is a US citizen who is believed to be in the United States. No one has been charged in the case, and authorities have not released the names of Robinson’s friends. CNN has reached out to the US State Department, FBI and US Justice Department for comment. The extradition process was underway for the suspect, the attorney general for Mexico’s Baja California Sur, Daniel de la Rosa, told local media Wednesday. “There is already an arrest warrant issued for the crime of femicide to the detriment of the victim and against an alleged, responsible for these acts, a friend of hers,” de la Rosa said Wednesday. The death did not result from a “quarrel” but from “a direct aggression that this person made,” de la Rosa said. “We are already carrying out all the relevant procedures, both the Interpol file and the extradition request,” he said. Robinson last spoke to her mother, Salamondra, on the phone on the morning of October 28, her father told CNN last week. The next day, Shanquella Robinson was found dead at her vacation rental, US and Mexican authorities said. The cause of death was “severe spinal cord injury and atlas luxation,” which is instability or excessive movement in the uppermost neck vertebrae, states a copy of her death certificate obtained by CNN affiliate WBTV. She was found unconscious in the living room of the rental residence on October 29, the document states. The death certificate classified Robinson’s death as “accidental or violent,” noting the approximate time between injury and death was 15 minutes. Video posted online appears to show a physical altercation inside a room between Robinson and another person. It’s not clear when the video was taken or if it depicts the moment she suffered the fatal injury. It is Robinson seen in the video being thrown to the floor and beaten on the head, Bernard Robinson confirmed to CNN. It’s unclear what led to the altercation or how many people were in the room at the time. It’s also unclear if anyone tried to intervene. The FBI Charlotte Field Office has opened an investigation into Shanquella Robinson’s death, it confirmed Friday. Her family had been waiting for more information from her friends and Mexican authorities, her father said a week ago. “You took my only jewel from me,” he told CNN by phone. “You put a big hole in my heart. The only thing I can do is fight for her; I cannot let her die in vain.” Source: CNN News

Richarlison struck twice as Brazil overcame stiff Serbian resistance to move to the top of Group G. Richarlison scores twice as Brazil see off Serbia The Tottenham Hotspur striker's second goal was a thing of real beauty Brazil face Switzerland next, while Serbia take on Cameroon Brazil 2-0 Serbia | Group G Scorers: Richarlison (62', 73') Match review A dramatic 11-minute second-half brace from Richarlison has propelled Brazil to the top of Group G and provided the pre-tournament favourites with the perfect start to Qatar 2022. The Tottenham Hotspur forward scored an opportunistic first before adding a spectacular, acrobatic second as the record five-time champions claimed a deserved win. Serbia proved a tough nut to crack during a tight first half but Brazil moved up through the gears after the interval and came within millimetres of an opener on the hour-mark when Alex Sandro rattled the post from fully 30 yards. A goal was clearly coming, though, and it was no surprise that the lively Vincius Junior helped provide it with a goal-bound shot that Vanja Milinkovic-Savic could only parry out to the waiting Richarlison. While that goal was knocked in with the Spurs star's shin, his second was as pure and flawlessly executed as any at this World Cup. Vinicius Junior again provided the assist and, although Richarlison's first touch was loose, the one that followed more than made up for it as he swivelled and directed an inch-perfect overhead kick into the bottom-left corner. Key moment His first goal was perhaps more significant in determining the outcome. Yet in assessing the moment for which this game will forever be remembered, it's impossible to overlook Richarlison's second. It was the kind of goal that has made fans the world over fall in love with Brazil, and one of which any Seleção icon - of any era - would have been rightly proud. Stat of the Match As he led his team on to the field this evening, Thiago Silva became - at 38 years and 63 days - the oldest Brazilian ever to take part in the the World Cup. He surpassed the record set by Seleção legend Djalma Santos, who was 138 days past his 37th birthday when he played at England 1966. Source: FIFA.Com

Policewoman First Constable Jessica Tautau has topped a six-week detective training program in Port Moresby by taking out the dux award. The detective training program (DTP) was held at the Bomana Police Training College (BPTC) in Port Moresby. One of her male colleagues, First Constable Peter Aikel, took out the leadership award. Both were among 20 participants of the second batch of the DTP who concluded an intense theory and practical training on the best practices of being a detective. They received their certificates on Friday November 4, 2022. The batch comprised mostly of Criminal Investigations Division (CID) section personnel from NCD, Central, Lae and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Throughout the six-weeks training they were placed into four syndicates which comprised five participants in each syndicate.   Trainer, Detective Sergeant Ronah Lemek, said the DTP is intended for CID investigators out in the field to have better knowledge and skills in doing their job more efficiently and professionally. “The Purpose of the training is to equip the investigators in the CID section to have the best skills and practises so that they can be able to investigate CID cases and criminal offences out in their various stations,” she said. Some of the topics that were discussed in the training included: · The qualities of being an investigator - Understand who they are, and what is expected of them so they become good police officers;· Homicide, sexual offences, robbery, breaking offences – understanding the law, what it means and how Police can do their jobs in terms of the elements of the offences; · Elements of Offences; · Process of interviewing suspects and placing the correct charges; and · Search warrants and the Peace model. Detective Sergeant Lemek said the participants are selected through their Officer in Charge (OIC) at the station level. As for the outside provinces, they are selected from their OICs to their Provincial Police Commanders and they send their name list through Detective Training school. “As trainers our goal is to make sure that the participants understand what we are teaching. We also have practicals to ensure they understand the topics discussed during class. Because when they go out there, they must put into practise what they are taught, “Detective Sergeant Lemek said. The second batch of participants started on September 26 and represent their sections from fraud, arm robbery, general CID squad, Break in Squad, Sexual offences and the administration. The DTP is funded and supported by the Australian Federal Police since 2018 and until recently in 2021 the Bomana Centre for Excellence has fully taken over instructional duties in successfully delivering in-service training programs. Detective Sergeant Lemek thanked the Australian Federal Police for its assistance to date. Meanwhile, Sergeant Hillary Rigamu of the Bougainville Police Service said he was happy to be a part of the program and encouraged his colleagues to also attend such training if the opportunity was given. Sgt Rigamu is attached with the National Criminal Intelligence (NCI) in which they also carry out duties of transnational crimes duties and national criminal records. He said this training has helped equip him with better understanding on identifying evidence, digging deeper into evidence, working together as a team and following the correct procedures when investigating. He says this training will have a big impact on his career as a police officer and investigator and the BPS as a whole. “I’m privileged and very happy to be attending this training as an investigator and I hope I will get the support when I return, especially with our management in terms of logistics, stationeries and office equipment to help us carry on with our duties,” he said. Meanwhile, Inspector Leonie Simon is one of the female participants out of the four females. She serves as the admin officer attached with CID Boroko and has an investigative background which prompted her to take up the training. “As for me as an officer at that management level, I see that there are things we miss out when we are supervising our members down on the operations side of things,” she said. She thanked the trainers for breaking the topics to the simplest form where it is understood and absorbed, and hoped more trainers could be engaged for future training to lessen the workload on the current trainers. She said, “When I was accepted among the other ranks, I was so happy to be considered. Even being an officer, you have to come down to the training and utilise them to the best of your ability. This is going to help me in my field of experience and also being an admin officer at least I can get to check the court files and make sure members are supervised well.

Tabubil Secondary School Grade 10’s and Grade 12’s students recently sat for their 2022 National Exams in a comfortable, refreshed and newly renovated and extended School Hall. It was a timely handover as the school received a renovated school Hall on Friday 11th October, 2022, days before the National Exams, Thanks to BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) Tabubil branch and support partner Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) who significantly completed a full-scale renovation and extension of the School Hall days before the 2022 National Exams. The Hall was improved with newly furnished walls, patched roof, painted cement floor, an extended wing and fully painted building to give a new refreshing look of a modern facility. BSP Tabubil Branch Manager Dianne Rali Kome when handing over the completed project to the school said, “A reverence for the students and school facility can be felt when renovating and handing over a project like this, a long standing incomplete building that is more significant for the school and students’ academic activities.” “We thank our project support partner OTML and believe that this partnership approach has convened to improve and contribute to the students learning and development activities. This Hall can now help expand teaching and administrative capacity of the school.” The School Principal, Mr Galama Laka praised BSP for seeing their need and delivering a significant facility that will go a long way in helping the school succeed academically and administratively. “This hall is of great importance not only to the school but to the community at large as it can host other events,” he added. Tabubil Secondary School Hall Extension and Completion project is the 41 out of the 49 projects handed back to the communities under the 2022 BSP Community Project initiative, all coordinated and organised by the bank’s various branches, departments, units, subsidiaries and the countries in which BSP operates in.

Police Commissioner David Manning has urged Provincial Police Commanders to finalize Strategic Policing Plans for 2023 police operations in their respective provinces and metropolitan commands. Commissioner Manning made this remark when officiating at a four-day commanders’ planning workshop in Port Moresby this week. Mr Manning said, “District and Provincial plans are very critical because they provide insight to the management for proper resources coordination and allocation to maximize the police services in the country. The Constabulary is the largest organization and with limited resources and funding, we need proper planning and coordination at all levels. “Critical planning is lacking at the operational level. Thus, going forward I want commanders to improve in those areas so that the executive management will be in a better position to make informed decisions." The workshop is in line with the Constabulary Corporate Plan 2021 to 2030 which will conclude on Friday November 25 when Provincial Police Commanders are expected to submit their 2023 plans to the Police Executive Management.

Police men and women throughout the country deserve a salary increase like all other public servants who just got theirs increased by 3 percent. These are public servants who are subjected to all the economic hardships like rising prices of goods and services but continue to provide security for the country. This increase will not be a new or extra ordinary request, the Police Association, the RPNGC and the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) already have an existing and legally binding industrial agreement to increase police personnel’s salaries every three (3) years. The above parties are signatories to the Enterprise Based Agreement (EBA), which was first signed in 2006 and have been consecutively renewed until 2017 (last renewed). It was supposed to be reviewed and renewed two times since then but given the onset of the Covid 19 crisis and 2022 National General Elections, no attempts has been made and it is still pending. We are not silent and obsolete, we pursue our members’ interest as and when required, we don’t boast but we have achieved an improved employment terms and conditions that are currently enjoyed by all the police officers, including non-members. The association now demands a six (6) percent cumulative salary increase as per the EBA and also want the Commissioner of Police to sit with Association and discuss this matter promptly. In addition, we now call on the RPNGC management in the Human Resources Division to instigate consultation and dialogue to renew this EBA and award the salary increases the men and women in blue deserve. Furthermore, the association also requests the Commissioner of Police, DPM Secretary and the Treasury Department to immediately meet and factor this increase in the 2023 National Budget. Police force has done a tremendous job in successfully enforcing the Covid 19 restrictions to prevent and mitigate the spread of this dreadful disease and also, most importantly, had delivered a very vital national event, the National General Elections of 2022, irrespective of the political outcomes. They continue to contain various sporadic ethnic clashes in the nation’s capital and other parts of the country. The national government must acknowledge this efforts and labor rendered through salaries and allowances increases via the existing EBA.

In a new city and at a new club, Jake Turpin is ready to reinvent himself in the Red, White and Blue of the Sydney Roosters. The 26-year-old has racked up 60 NRL matches since debuting in his hometown of Brisbane in 2018, with the nuggety hooker a mainstay for the Broncos throughout. Now looking to expand his horizons and propel his career to a new level, Turpin has headed to Sydney's east and has embraced the move since arriving for pre-season. “I’m loving being here at the Roosters,” Turpin said. “The boys have welcomed me with open arms and I’m enjoying my first few weeks here. “I’m living in the east, it’s a really nice area to be in. I’ve never actually lived near a beach in my life so it’s been good in that way. “It’s really refreshing to come in here to a new environment. The coaches have been going above and beyond to help me out and to learn the way the Roosters play. “It’s a really good Club and one that I admired from afar at other clubs. When the opportunity came up I was definitely keen.” While he might be in a brand-new environment, the Rugby League network has a tendency to reunite familiar faces no matter what the situation and Turpin has plenty of former teammates dotted throughout the Roosters' 2023 NRL squad. Front rower Matt Lodge is someone Turpin is particularly keen to not only reconvene with on the training paddock and in the lunch room but at the front of the scrum as well. “I’m pretty close with Lodgey, I spent some time with him in Melbourne and Brisbane,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He’s a person who took me under his wing when I was 17 and just moved to Melbourne. I’ve got a lot of time for him and it’s really good to be here with him again. [caption id="attachment_30975" align="alignnone" width="1014"] Learning From the Best: Jake Turpin in action during pre-season training, with Club legend Cooper Cronk watching on. [/caption] “I know Connor (Watson) a little bit as well just from playing against him for a few years. After games, we'd stop and talk with one another. He’s a legend and a really nice down to earth fella. "I actually played a bit of juniors with Lindsay Collins too, so there's a few guys there who I'm looking forward to reunite with." One of the burning questions heading into the 2023 season is who will fill the vacancy of the no.9 jersey. Roosters Members and supporters will be buoyed knowing that fellow signing Brandon Smith is fresh off a strong campaign with the New Zealand Kiwis following the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. And while Turpin is vying to take on the hooking role which has been held by famous names across the Club's long and distinguished history, his arrival wasn't dictated solely by a chance to wear a number on his back. It’s really refreshing to come in here to a new environment. The coaches have been going above and beyond to help me out and to learn the way the Roosters play. Jake Turpin Roosters 2023 Recruit “It was just a really good opportunity to come to a really good Club with really good principles and structure,” Turpin explained. “That’s the best way I play football, to be honest. I probably went away from that over the last few years. “I spent a lot of time with Brandon in Melbourne so I’m keen to work with him when he gets back to training. “But to come to a Club like this and learn so much and get back to the football I know I can play, whatever happens with the team structure I’m just looking forward to playing the style of football I know I can. “I really pride myself on being a team player but whatever Robbo (Trent Robinson) and the team needs, I’ll 100% put my hand up for whatever that is. “I’ll put my best foot forward for what’s required for the team to win football games on the weekend.” One aspect of the Club's set up has caught Turpin's attention has been the involvement of former Roosters in a coaching capacity. With Jason Ryles as Assistant Coach, Cooper Cronk making guest appearances on the training paddock and the presence of Mitchell Aubusson, the Roosters are brimming with experience from top to bottom. But one Club legend, who shares both name and position, has stood out for Turpin -  that of course being former Premiership-winning Captain, Jake Friend. “Growing up I followed him pretty closely,” he said. “He was one of my favourite players as a kid and just going to training, seeing the ex-players that are still involved is pretty cool. “Having someone like Friendy there is great and I’m keen to learn a lot from him.” Source: NRL.Com