PNG parliament could be irrelevant
28 May 2010
A RECENT EDITORIAL
in a PNG newspaper highlighted how the increase in the Somare ministry from 28
to 32 has effectively created a quorum that could govern PNG in its own right.
With 32 ministers and a Speaker, the required number of 33 for a quorum is achieved.
In future the Speaker could merely convene the ministry and have it pass laws without having Opposition or other members available.
The Somare government has finally reduced the PNG Parliament to a toothless and silent rubber stamp.
The government has in effect voted non government members into irrelevance.
Opposition members might just as well install cardboard cut-outs in their seats in Parliament or become computer images of virtual reality.
What happens when all members of Parliament other than current government ministers are excluded from the Parliament? If there was to be a lockout of Opposition members, or those members were in some way delayed from attending a sitting, the Somare/Temu government could become a law unto itself.
There is now, no effective way of holding the Somare government accountable either in or out of the Haus Tamberan. With one vote, PNG has entered an entirely new phase of non representative Parliamentary government.
The next step and final step is full blown dictatorship. But wait, could there be light at the end of the tunnel?
When the two new governors of the two new Jiwaka and Hela provinces, arrive in the House in 2012, the numbers required for a quorum will be altered. But then the creation or just one more ministry could always fix that hiccup.
So will the 20 new seats reserved for women alter the balance? Not if they are to have appointed members as occupants.
If the new female members are to be appointed by the government, this will deliver the final death blow to the last vestiges of PNG democracy.
So will these expensive machinations by the Somare government, worth millions of kina, produce a recipe for any better performance in a government that has presided over an almost total collapse of services and infrastructure.
Not by one iota.
The Speaker must quit. The Parliament is the highest institution in PNG. The legislative power of more than six million people is vested in Parliament and the person who ensures that the people’s lawmaking power is exercised by their elected representatives is the Speaker of Parliament.
Parliament is a deliberative assembly and if laws are not deliberated or debated properly, and bulldozed using the current government’s numerical strength, it defeats the very purpose of Parliament.
It is just the same as having no Parliament at all but a dictatorial executive government.
A Speaker inherits the mantle of spokesperson for and defender of the parliamentary democracy. The chief characteristics attached to the office of Speaker are authority and impartiality.
Parliament loses its dignity and respect if these characteristics are not observed by the person occupying the position of Speaker. It renders Parliament useless.
The Speaker has a role to ensure that all MPs are able to express themselves and to maintain order to enable such free speech.
The Speaker must be consistent and fair in his interpretation of the standing orders and practice and ensure that the minority’s right to be heard is diligently maintained, instead of hiding behind the curtains of parliamentary standing orders and procedures, gagging constructive debates on national issues and laws being tabled.
A fair degree of latitude must be given to the opposition and to allow debates, and to ensure there is check and balance on government sponsored legislation.
Section 107(1) of the Constitution establishes the offices of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Subsection 4 prohibits Ministers or parliamentary leaders of registered political parties to hold the office of Speaker, particularly to avoid party affiliations influencing the impartiality of the Speaker.
The most important function of the Speaker as stipulated in Section 108 of the Constitution is to uphold the dignity of Parliament.
In places like Britain, the Speaker of the House of Commons, once elected, disassociates himself from party affiliations. The Speaker is impartial in the chair, withdraws from party meetings and does not debate party issues.
In PNG, although we have adopted the British Westminster system of government, the Speaker is involved in party politics and, prior to chairing a session, he attends the cabinet caucus briefing and rules on the minutes of his party meeting on the floor of Parliament.
One need not to be a political scholar to conclude his party is ruling the session or he is ruling the session.
Our Speaker is the longest serving Speaker in PNG history and maybe the Commonwealth.
Nevertheless, he appears to be a partisan servant of the government. He has been rated the worst Speaker in the Commonwealth and is widely published on the internet (YouTube).
It seems the NA government and all its members, including the Speaker, are under a dictatorial spell and their conscience to distinguish the good from the bad has been defiled.
The Speaker cannot think for himself but facilitates the will of the dictator.
There is a certain boiling point and once that is breached, you cannot keep the lid on, no matter how hard you try.
Absolute power leads to discontent, which is a recipe for revolution.
Fortunately for the government, PNG does not have nationalists, but tribesmen who are more loyal to their ethnic groups.
What we are witnessing is a Speaker who is very partial.
His duty statement has changed and opposition MPs are frustrated with the way Parliament is conducted.
There are no debates on important legislative changes made by Parliament.
The current peaker needs to be removed immediately in order to restore and maintain the dignity of Parliament.
Posted by: Sam Koim | 04 July 2010 at 12:47 PM
And now the Parliament has ridden roughsod over the constitution and banned any legal objections to develeopent projects "provided the Government has issued the permits".
ABC
Papua New Guinea's parliament has passed legislation effectively banning anyone from using the courts to stop resource projects.
Amendments to PNG's Environment Act mean approvals granted by the environment department's director cannot be challenged in court.
It means people worried about the environmental impact of a resource project can no longer mount a legal challenge to the approvals.
The changes follow complaints from the mining industry after landowners won a temporary injunction preventing a Chinese-owned nickel mine from dumping waste into the sea off Madang.
ABC report below - lots more comment on the PNG websites.
ABC
Papua New Guinea's parliament has passed legislation effectively banning anyone from using the courts to stop resource projects.
Amendments to PNG's Environment Act mean approvals granted by the environment department's director cannot be challenged in court.
It means people worried about the environmental impact of a resource project can no longer mount a legal challenge to the approvals.
The changes follow complaints from the mining industry after landowners won a temporary injunction preventing a Chinese-owned nickel mine from dumping waste into the sea off Madang.
Environment minister Benny Allen says the extraordinary measures are in the national interest.
Lawyers say the amendments also mean people cannot seek compensation for environmental damage.
Posted by: Peter | 01 June 2010 at 08:07 AM
The simple answer, people on the street can tell is to remain on power by taking 'monopoly on the number game' in the Parliament.
There is no guarantee that increasing from 28 to 33 ministries can stop corruption in PNG and bring changes to the people. This will only satisfy certain group of people.
It is utter nonsense, and waist a lot of tax payer’s money annually.
It is clear that NA Government is trying to increase the number so that it can remain in power and to make sweeping decisions when it comes to decision making, as it is the number that determines.
NA is taking the parliamentary majority and privileges to blatantly and arrogantly taking the law of this nation as another name tag or something. There is no respect for the laws.
All the channels of communication when it comes to decision making that will alter the lives of the people, are not done as expected and required by he law.
There is a clear shift is government system from democracy to dictatorship.
Posted by: Joe Wasia | 31 May 2010 at 08:51 PM