Former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta said today the Australian Government should come clean on the intentions underlying its $423-million contract with the Paladin group on Manus Island. “It looks to me and other Papua New Guineans that it is being used as a way to peddle influence through prominent Papua New Guineans and the ruling PNC party of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill,” he said. “I find that very disturbing at a time when there is likely to be a vote of no confidence in the notorious O’Neill regime, when Australia is engaged in a battle of diplomacy with China, when it wants to rebuild and expand PNG’s Lombrum Naval Base, and when it wants to keep Manus open for it