Pacific Scoop:

Report – By Keith Jackson

Former journalist and poet/gospel singer Loujaya Toni, 46, who shocked a strong field of male contenders to become Papua New Guinea’s newest female parliamentarian, was born in the city she now represents.

She ousted her grandfather, veteran Public Service Minister Bart Philemon.      (That's Special!)

Before yesterday’s win in Lae Open, Toni had been an aspiring politician for some years. She contested the national elections in 2007 and the Local Level Government Elections in 2008, giving her male opposition candidates a close run for their money.

While still at school in Port Moresby in 1978, she was nominated as PNG’s youngest poet by the University of Papua New Guinea. Her collection of poems, A Sense of Interest, was later published by the Education Department.

In 1985 she launched a string of solo gospel music albums under the name Loujaya Dunar and has since been recognised as a singer/songwriter. She wrote and performed the song, Keep the Fire Alive with the group Tambaran Culture as a tribute to the 9th South Pacific Games held in Port Moresby in 1991.

Former journalist

Toni is a qualified journalist and teacher and also a practising naturopath. She is a part-time tutor at the University of Technology in Lae and has been a full-time student in the Department of Communication Development Studies, graduating in April, 2012.

Under the banner of the Indigenous People’s Party, Toni polled  polled 7364 votes, ahead of the businessman Fred Wak with 5842 votes and sitting MP Philemon, trailing third with 4680 votes.

This poem by her, with a powerful political theme, was written as an entry in this year’s Crocodile Prize:

Twenty-two women

by Loujaya Toni

Twenty two women

Sitting ducks

Shot at

Mercilessly

By trigger happy mouths;

A

Nameless, faceless number

Posing

Threatening shadows

Women in waiting

Wanna-be politicians

Hopeful governors;

Unknown but significant

Twenty two women

All wanting

In on parliament;

They are daunting shadows

Reaching in

To the men’s haus

Haunting his wildest political dreams

Forcing a hand in his schemes

Being

A very present number

At all

His deliberations

Seen and heard more

Than a mere apparition;

Twenty two women

Waiting their dues.

Blaah, Blaah, Blaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!