(Singirok was the Commander of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force during the Sandline affair of 1997, when there were fears the army might overthrow Prime Minister Julius Chan's government.
Fairweather said the amendments deprived the people of their rights, and would lead to harmful environmental damage; Environment and Conservation Minister Benny Allen responded that they were in the "national interest".
[5][7][8] In January 2011, he stood as candidate for the position of Governor of Madang Province, to succeed Sir Arnold Amet, who had just been appointed Attorney General and Minister for Justice.
[9] In April 2011, Amet organised a meeting in Madang so that landowners potentially affected by a proposed Pacific Marine Industrial Zone could express their views and concerns to members of the government.
In response, Amet "took out a full page advertisement" in the paper, in which he apologised to Fairweather and the people of Sumkar "for [his] unbecoming racial and abusive comments and behaviour".