Abel was elected to the National Parliament as an independent at the 2007 election , but joined the governing National Alliance Party upon his election , stating that he and other Milne Bay politicians had been " promised a better share of the cake " . On 28 August 2007 , he was appointed Minister for Culture and Tourism in the Somare government . His time as Minister for Culture and Tourism saw an agreement with his Chinese Chinese counterpart on Approved Destination Status for Papua New Guinea , a wide range of issues regarding the popular Kokoda Track , including preservation , nearby mining , track access , and airline connections , and seeking the return of illegally exported artefacts . During this time he also initiated a Settlement Reform Committee in Milne Bay to address the issue of squatter settlements , and while acting as Minister for Civil Aviation dealt with the response to the Airlines PNG Flight 4684 crash
Airlines PNG Flight 4684
Airlines PNG Flight 4684
Charles Abel