Minister Responsible for APEC, Justin Tkatchenko, has condemned the statement by Australia’s politician regarding the purchase of 40 Maserati vehicles by the PNG Government.
Pauline Lee Hanson, an Australian politician and founder and leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party, in a video widely circulating on social media platforms, called for the withdrawal of Australian aid to PNG.
Hanson, whilst expressing her anger at the PNG Government's recent purchase of forty Maserati for APEC next month, described the current Government’s deals as ‘corrupt’.
Minister responsible for APEC Justin Tkatchenko has labelled the comments by Pauline Hanson as defaming and a total disgrace to the people of PNG.
Hanson said she has nothing against the people of Papua New Guinea, but disagreed with how the current government is running the show and calls for the withdrawal of AusAID.
“I’m sick of hearing about the corruption that’s happening over there,” Hanson said.
“It is actually our taxed dollars - dollars that we are actually borrowing to give as foreign aid to other countries. And as far as I am concerned, withdraw our foreign aid, because if they can afford to buy Maserati cars for APEC leaders, they don’t deserve or need our foreign aid.”
The Queensland Senator’s comments did not go down well with Minister Tkatchenko.
When this newsroom contacted him for comments, Tkatchenko said he does not reply to ‘racist woman’ who has no evidence and is going on with false and misleading information.
A total of 40 Maserati executive vehicles were brought into the country by a B747 code F aircraft last week which raised a public outcry from taxpayers in the country.
According to Minister Tkatchenko, the vehicles were already paid off by private sectors and will be handed to them after the APEC Summit.
The question now is which private sectors have paid for the vehicles that cost about seven hundred thousand kina each.
(APEC Minister Justin Tkatchenko slams Senator Pauline Lee Hanson for statement)