Peter O’Neill

He appealed to citizens to allow the rule of Law to take its course.

With four days before the 1^st of December, the date set by Parliament on the 13^th of November to resume Parliament session, citizens are eager to know what will transpire on Monday, 30^th of November when the Supreme court sits to hear application filed by Ialibu Pangia MP Peter O’Neill challenging Speaker Job Pomat’s recalling of Parliament sitting on Tuesday, 17^th November.

Ialibu Pangia MP and former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is seeking the court's clarification, after Speaker of Parliament deemed the adjournment of Parliament to the 1st of December, illegal.

Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika yesterday asked both parties to assist the courts in solving this urgent constitutional matter by consulting their clients and negotiate with each other on an agreed date for Parliament to resume.

This is to ensure the state does not borrow to purchase equity in a project.

“The initial understanding we have with the second LNG and in particular Wafi-Golpu is that our participation in equity will be carried by the developer until the first export of either the gold and copper from Wafi-Golpu or in the second LNG Project, meaning we don’t have to borrow large sums of money that we are unable to repay.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said both projects, if approved, will bring in an investment of US$26 billion (K82.6 billion) and will have a significant injection into the economy of our country.

He said this in parliament on January 22^nd.

“In total there will be close to US$26 billion, which is close to K100 billion investment in the country and that will have a significant injection into the economy of our country,” said O’Neill.

This is in addition to other benefits that the State will get through a National Content Plan and Domestic Market Obligation.

The Prime Minister said this in Parliament yesterday in its first sitting.

“I think we are aiming for very good benefits out of this particular project in terms of equity that we will fully participate in that. In terms of royalties, (and) domestic market obligation.

Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the State and Total and its partners, ExxonMobil and Oil Search, the Prime Minister said they are happy with the current framework.

Among other things, Bryan Kramer asked if the other countries pay their teachers 12 toea a fortnight.

As his supplementary question on November 9^th, the Madang MP once again raised the longstanding issues that are affecting average Papua New Guineans on the floor of Parliament.

“Hamaspla i gat polio, hamaspla i gat drug shortij, hamaspla i baim titcha blo ol 12 toea, hamaspla i baim APEC CEO K500,000 – em sidaun lo baksait ya, mi no save, em niupla APEC ofis blo yumi?” Kramer stated whilst pointing across the floor.

He made this remark recently in Enga when signing the decentralisation of powers to the Enga Provincial Government.

O’Neill said Enga has quality leaders that will strengthen and embrace the work of autonomy in the province. 

“Work together and support the leaders rather than listening to petty politics on Facebook,” stated the PM.

He reiterated that for the last six years, the Government has been funding the districts and provinces through the DSIP and PSIP funds but people continue to complain.

Opposition Leader Patrick Pruaitch accused the Government of diverting K150 million to a separate account rather than the Disaster Trust Account set up on March 1, 2018.

He claimed that there has been no transparency on the restoration work carried out by the Controller of National Disaster state-of-emergency.

He said this in light of the recent announcement of a tri-lateral fund from the United States, Australia, and Japan, to counter the presence of China in the Pacific.

O’Neill said it was healthy there was competing sources of financing for the PNG.

“We need to have access to cheaper funds, and what it means is that the competition between China and Australia and the United States on the availability of funds to the Pacific and economy’s like Papua New Guinea at much lower rates is in the best interest of our country.