Parliament Sitting 2021

On Thursday this week, Parliament voted in favour of an amendment bill presented by Central Governor, Robert Agarobe.

The passing of the private members bill also allows the Central Governor to sit on the NCDC board.

The bill was strongly opposed by NCD Governor, Powes Parkop, Member for Moresby South Justin Tkatchenko, and Member for North East John Kaupa. However, Member for North West, Lohia Boe Samuel voted in favour of the bill.

Opposition Leader, Belden Namah also opposed the bill, saying it will set a bad precedent.

“I want to assure Papua New Guinea that the Government is at work, despite challenges and obstacles and we will deliver our third Budget today (25th November),” he said.

“The handing down of the Budget is the single most-important parliamentary occasion of any government.

“With hangovers and effects of slowed economy due to COVID-19, your Government has used the last three years of National Budget to ensure our domestic economy was functional and alive and our crucial services were maintained.”

The session was delayed for an hour when it was supposed to start immediately at 10 o’clock, after the first bell was rung. Dr Allan Marat stated that the Opposition withdrew from chamber simply because the time had gone beyond 11 o’clock. 

The motion for Parliament to resume tomorrow was moved by the Minister for National Planning and Monitoring Rainbo Paita on Monday 13 September 2021.

Passed in that Parliament Sitting on Monday 13 September were three major bills:

Open Member for Yangoru-Saussia, Richard Maru sought answers from the Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, Rainbo Paita regarding the completion of these hospitals and the funding that is required.

Maru said K50 million is required to fund the completion of these projects.

“Can you undertake to this Parliament that our government in the 2022 budget will provide the K50 million required to complete the Port Moresby cancer facility and the Lae ANGAU Cancer Facility so we can complete these two world class hospitals in this term of Parliament,” Maru queried.

Previous sessions saw the passing of the Amendments to the Public Services Management Act 1995, Medical Registration Amendment Bill 2021 and the Oil and Gas Papua LNG Project Amendment Bill 2021.

In a press conference on Friday 3 September 2021, Minister for Petroleum Kerenga Kua said the Oil and Gas Papua LNG Project Amendment Bill 2021 will be subject to a redraft.  

Kua said, “Some late ideas have popped up and we going to have to redraft the bill again.”

Namah said, “We have before the house a large number of proposed Constitutional Laws at this sitting.

“Laws proposing to amend the Constitution or an Organic Law must undergo certain processes including time to scrutinize by Parliament. 

“We must also be very careful not to change the Constitution too often, otherwise we risk weakening it. Worse, we could make the Constitution an easy target for manipulation.

“That is why there are set processes and procedures set to follow including wide consultation and debate.

The Act now requires public servants to resign 12 months before contesting in elections, and restricts them from entering public service for 5 years after contesting.

Minister for Public Service, Joe Sungi, in the second reading speech for the Amendments to the Public Services Management Act said the State had to draw the line so the public service can operate on its own without the interference of those public servants who wish to contest the elections.