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Grace period extended by parliament; investments more secure - Palm - 02-06-2013
Parliament has voted to extend the grace period to 30 months. This is important for many reasons, but a big one is that investors can be more confident of stability in PNG. The approval was by a very wide margin.
Grace period extended
Source:
The National,Wednesday 06th of February, 2013
By JEFFREY ELAPA
A MEMBER of the opposition boosted the government’s move to extend its “trial” term in office by voting for the bill to provide the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill confidence to run the country.
The extended 30-month grace (from 18 months) period started yesterday after the bill was passed with an overwhelming majority, 90-14 on votes.
Opposition leader Belden Namah was powerless to stop the bill despite his loud noises earlier, but it still planned to seek a Supreme Court interpretation, perhaps today, to prevent the extension.
A power blackout for almost 45 minutes in parliament, alleged to have been plotted to sabotage the passing of the bill, came to no avail.
The blackout is now believed to be a subject of investigation.
Namah said the opposition would file a Supreme Court reference today to declare the amendment unconstitutional and that there were also inconsistencies in the gazettal notices.
The only member of the opposition who voted in support of the extension was Lufa MP Jeffrey Kauve, a first-time politician.
Kauve said he did what he thought was right for the country.
The three founding politicians and former prime ministers Sir Michael Somare, Sir Julius Chan and Paias Wingti voted for the bill.
However the manner in which parliament conducted the vote confused observers and Sir Julius and Sir Michael were also confused as the earpieces malfunctioned.
Dr Allan Marat from the opposition was the only MP to debate the bill before the final reading was taken and passed.
Marat said there was no need for an amendment because stability was found through governance and the actions of people through democratic accountability and not through extensions of grace periods.
Opposition MPs claimed the amendment was unconstitutional as the prime minister could become so powerful to manipulate the government and there would be no check and balances.
O’Neill said that the amendment was in the best interest of the nation on the long run.
“These challenges (for economic growth and investment confidence) need stability,” he said.
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RE: Grace period extended by parliament; investments more secure - Spartina - 02-06-2013
Thanks Palm - looks like another box checked.
RE: Grace period extended by parliament; investments more secure - Palm - 02-06-2013
Great comments by Oneill on the importance of the official passing of the 30-day grace period. In this he mentions the importance to the PNG resource sector.
O’Neill: This is a historical time for PNG
Source:
The National,Wednesday 06th of February, 2013
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says parliament voted yesterday to put the national interest first by extending the no-confidence from 18 to 30 months.
“This is a history-making change,” O’Neill said.
“It strengthens political stability, it allows officials at all levels of government, national, provincial, district and local levels to be confident that
the record spending programmes outlined in the 2013 budget have the strong and continuing political backing they need.”
He said the change was not about increasing his powers.
“It is about locking into place the long term political stability our nation, and especially our people, have been denied for too long.”
O’Neill added that the
prime minister’s powers were always subject to the checks and balances of the “robust parliamentary democracy, the
independent judiciary and above all the national constitution”.
“This change ensures political stability for at least half the five-year life of this parliament, and all future parliaments,” he said.
“It is a reform our people have been calling for – and most certainly our business sector and out investors have been calling for.”
The prime minister reiterated that PNG offered major resource sector investors many advantages, high quality resources, a growing workforce, and growing markets to our north.
“We can now add to that political stability.
“It is what every investor seeks. It is what our own business community seeks.
“Yesterday, the chief executive officer of the ANZ Bank outlined with clarity just how tremendous the opportunity we have is.
“A study commissioned by the bank showed our resource export income can increase six fold in the next 20 years...creating at least 100,000 new jobs ... most of them for our own people.
“The study revealed a number of conditions needed for such massive growth to be achieved and political stability was high in the list and yesterday’s vote is to deliver that stability.
“The historic vote today strengthens not just the basis of our democracy, it is a building block towards delivering the good government we are committed to ... as outlined in our record national budget for 2013.
“We are on the very edge of massive economic growth ... and not just driven by our resource sector, but also by growing our agricultural sector, and boosting tourism and small to medium enterprises owned by our people.
“Today is a very important step along the road to a better and secure future.
“I thank the members of the national parliament for putting the national interest first.
“This is an historic day.
“Our challenge is now to deliver on the enormous opportunities it makes just that more possible,” O’Neill said.
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