Don Polye

“The permanent parliamentary committee on private business resolved in a meeting that the VONC presented be required due diligence checks to ascertain the compliance with parliamentary practice and ensure that procedural qualifications have been met,” Acting Speaker Aide Ganasi wrote in a letter to the Opposition Leader Don Polye.

Ganasi is chairman of the parliamentary committee.

When responding to Don Polye’s questions today on the PNG LNG project revenues, O’Neill said he has no business or stolen any money for his own personnel interest.

He called on Polye to give evidence and not come up with allegations to destroy the reputation of the government.

“Sopos yu gat wanpla evidens, yu tromoi toktok lo wei igat mining lo em. Noken tromoi toktok nating nating lo kirapim bel blo ol pipol blo yumi. (If you have any evidence, prove it. Do not debate on issues that will stir up our people’s feelings.)

He said advice received from two constitutional lawyers have shown that the Opposition had followed the requirements of the Constitution and Standing Orders of Parliament when filing the VONC last week.

Polye said he has received assurance from the Deputy Speaker Aide Ganasi last week that the Private Business Committee will sit this Wednesday to go through the VONC motion.

The Oposition Leader further added that the VONC is of national importance because of the current economy of the country and also many outstanding allegations against the Prime Minister.    

When responding to Polye’s question during Question Time in today’s Parliament session, on why he (O’Neill) should not allow the police to clear him, O’Neill in a defensive tone said he could not, on a political witch hunt subject himself to such ridicule to undermine the office of the Prime Minister and set the precedence.

However, he stated in Parliament that: “ If there is evidence that I have received one financial benefit I will resign tomorrow.”

O’Neill said most of what Polye is raising on the floor of Parliament are results of what the previous government had made decisions on.

“It’s a grandstanding to the highest degree for us to come and say anything we want to say but we must be responsible on what we say and factual about what we say,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill admitted that the country’s currency had been under pressure but has never declined as describe by Polye.

He said the country’s total debt is K17 billion below the total GDP and not K24 billion as claimed by the Opposition.

Opposition Leader Don Polye made the call and said the country’s 3.1 per cent population growth rate was too high when compared to developed economy like New Zealand, which has only 0.88 percent growth rate with a population of about 4.6 million.

“If the basic services provided by the government are not on par with the country’s population growth, PNG is sitting on a time bomb,” Polye warned.

He added the country’s Census in 2010 recorded about 7.3 million people.

Opposition Leader Don Polye called on Police Commissioner Gari Baki to arrest and charge those responsible for professional negligence.

Polye was shocked to learn about professional negligence of police officers on a victim of domestic violence.

He made the call when commenting on 42-year-old Ruth Apinas who broke the silence on Loop PNG of her suffering at the hands of her violent husband.

Opposition Leader Don Pomb Polye said he doubted whether the decision last week was “a plot to hang Mathew Damaru and Timothy Gitua out to dry until they compromise their duties and services due to lack of legal representation.”   

“As we know the Attorney General Ano Pala has not been in good terms with Damaru and Gitua over his contempt of court or perversion of course of justice charges.

Opposition leader Don Polye said the ICCC must plan to create a win-win situation for the seller and the buyer within the context of current economic challenges.

He said the ICCC needs to upgrade their programs and introduce a new strategy to prescribe minimum (standardised) pricing for oil (fuel, gas) related trade in PNG. 

“The ICCC should not lay back and play a “wait and see” role as the determinants for world oil prices are clear which show that the oil price will not come up beyond US$50 per barrel quickly for the medium term. 

The leader of the opposition Don Polye said PNG should seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund following revenue shortfalls caused by the global collapse of oil and mineral prices.

Public servants in PNG have complained this month about not being paid wages and funds for basic services in the provinces appear to have dried up.

Economist Paul Flanagan said the IMF was a good source of cheap finance.

"The opposition is talking about maybe going to the IMF. The IMF is actually reasonably cheap finance to assist with these types of transitions.