Prime Minister Peter O’Neill

The three day 2017 Pacific Public Service Commissioners Conference (PPSCC) starts today in Port Moresby.

The theme of the conference is ‘Ethical and Value – Based Leadership and Governance in the Pacific’.

“Having been a Public Service Minister for many years and having closely worked with (Department of Personnel Management) secretary (John) Kali, I (understand) what the public service machinery of each countries continue to face,” O’Neill said on Monday when officially launching the conference.    

“The public service is now based on the skills, experience and education that individuals possess,” O’Neill said on Monday.

He was speaking at the 2017 Pacific Public Service Commissioners Conference (PPSCC) launching in Port Moresby.

The three-day conference starts today. 

“In Papua New Guinea, we are going into quite a change taking place not only in our infrastructure development and growth of our economy but the reforms we are making in the public sector structure,” O’Neill said.  

He was responding to a statement by Treasury Minister and National Alliance Party parliamentary leader Patrick Pruaitch.

Minister Pruaitch said the ability for police to secure a free and fair election is now being compromised with inadequate funding.  

Pruaitch said, he was shocked to learn last Friday during a meeting with Police Commissioner Gari Baki that the police force had only received K8 million of its K121 million budget allocation for election operations.

“That’s just rubbish,” Prime Minister O’Neill told Loop PNG.    

O’Neill said he is confident he will have the numbers to form the next government, and dismissed any doubt of a new government reviewing and possibly putting off the hosting of the APEC meet.

He said this during the APEC Security Partners Working Group sixth (SPWG6) meeting.

“Papua New Guinea is right now in the middle of an election and you will be hearing some political debates around APEC as well,” said O’Neill.

In support of the Peoples National Congress Party candidate Michael Malabag in his nomination today, O’Neill said Papua New Guineans don’t judge them for the good work that they’ve done.

The PNC Party leader said there are too many lies out there and too many rumours that are being spread about PNG being mismanaged.

“If we are mismanaging the country, why are we still building roads, airports, hospitals, funding the districts, paying school fees and continuously funding the health system in the country?

The issue in the judicial review proceeding was for the National Court to review the decision of Chief Magistrate Nerrie Eliakim, who issued a warrant of arrest against the Prime Minister on June 12, 2014.

The review was filed by Geoffrey Vaki in his capacity as the then Police Commissioner on June 14, 2014.

On July 28, 2014, leave was granted by the National Court to Vaki for a judicial review to be conducted against the decision of the Chief Magistrate on June 12, 2014.

O’Neill made this comment during a joint media conference in Port Moresby with his Australia counterpart Malcolm Turnbull.   

Turnbull is on an official visit to his country’s former colony. 

“Not many refugees want to settle in PNG and we cannot force them to resettle (here),” O’Neill said.

He added that the resettlement to a third country is guided by Australia and there are close consultations going on.

Meanwhile, Turnbull said “there is a resettlement process under way, and also discussions with United States.  

“Like any resource dependent economy around the world, we have had our share of challenges that had made a huge reduction in our revenues,” O’Neill said today in Port Moresby.   

“And we have to adjust our budgets so we can meet the short fall.

“But we have made no cuts to main sectors, health, education and law and order.”

O’Neill is currently hosting Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the Papua New Guinea’s capital.

Turnbull will depart Port Moresby tomorrow. 

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said in a joint media conference in Port Moresby with his Australia counterpart Malcolm Turnbull.    

“Writs will be issued on April 20, Australia Government will assist in logistics and also participation in the international observation throughout the country,” O’Neill said.

Australia will also provide training to security personnel, and further provide logistical support to Papua New Guinea to host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member states meeting in 2018.

Supreme Court: OC has power to investigate PM

The Ombudsman Commission has the jurisdiction to investigate Prime Minister Peter O’Neill under the Organic Law on the Ombudsman Commission and make comments involving interpretation and application of constitutional laws.

http://www.looppng.com/png-news/supreme-court-oc-has-power-investigate-pm-55611