More than the thin edge of the wedge
01 June 2010
BY PAUL OATES
PNG’s PARLIAMENT introduced new legislation Friday containing this clause: "The Director's decision is final and cannot be challenged in any court of law."
This form of words in effect nullifies any future court action by any PNG landowners who try to protect their environment by way of a court injunction.
If correctly reported, it appears the PNG Parliament voted 73-10 to stop injunctions such as the one preventing the Ramu Nickel mine from pumping millions of tonnes of waste into the sea off Madang.
At least ten MPs had the guts to vote against the new legislation.
It seems that, previously, an adverse environmental study on the Ramu mine had been withheld by the PNG government until after the government had agreed the mine could commence operations.
The implications of the new legislation are important and far reaching.
If the PNG government intends to gag future legal action by concerned PNG citizens relating to the environment, then this is the thin edge of the wedge.
By this action, the PNG government clearly intends to ride roughshod over the rights of its citizens, and their legal system.
I wonder where the Australia government stands on this suppression of rights, choking off of information and environmental despoilation in a country to which it provides nearly half a billion dollars a year.
PNG’s PARLIAMENT introduced new legislation Friday containing this clause: "The Director's decision is final and cannot be challenged in any court of law."
This form of words in effect nullifies any future court action by any PNG landowners who try to protect their environment by way of a court injunction.
If correctly reported, it appears the PNG Parliament voted 73-10 to stop injunctions such as the one preventing the Ramu Nickel mine from pumping millions of tonnes of waste into the sea off Madang.
At least ten MPs had the guts to vote against the new legislation.
It seems that, previously, an adverse environmental study on the Ramu mine had been withheld by the PNG government until after the government had agreed the mine could commence operations.
The implications of the new legislation are important and far reaching.
If the PNG government intends to gag future legal action by concerned PNG citizens relating to the environment, then this is the thin edge of the wedge.
By this action, the PNG government clearly intends to ride roughshod over the rights of its citizens, and their legal system.
I wonder where the Australia government stands on this suppression of rights, choking off of information and environmental despoilation in a country to which it provides nearly half a billion dollars a year.
Posted by: Rait Man | 01 June 2010 at 07:31 PM