PNGBLOGS

by JACK TOAPELIS Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has broken his promise to PNG LNG landowners to support their purchase of 4.27% equity in the project. A leaked policy submission by the Prime Minister, Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch and Finance Minister Jame Marape says landowners will have to go it alone and raise their own funds to buy the equity. The Prime Minister had previously agreed to debt financing by NPCP/Kumul Petroleum for the landowners so they could pay for their equity. This promise was effected in NEC decision 208 of 2015 – now the Prime Minister wants to rescind that decision through his new policy submission. Virtually all the recommendations in the Prime Minister’s submission are in breach of the 2009 Kokopo Umbrella Benefit-Sharing Agreement. Indeed the O’Neill Government has always been in breach of the Kokopo UBSA, notably in making agreed payments to the UBSA participants. As Sir Michael Somare said in a statement late last year:  “This g

by NRI INSIDER There was always something a little strange about the collapsing kin. First we were told by Peter O'Neill and his corrupt cronies Marape and Pruaitch that the kina wasn't going down or that the slide was only temporary. But as we saw days of kina sliding turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, that lie no longer worked. Today we have a clear graphical record of a slide in the kina that began nearly from the moment that Peter O'Neill was re-elected and took office again and has continued up to now. The Masters of Deception now admit this is the case but say that they've got everything under control. Most certainly not. If you look at the rate at which the kina has been declining against the US dollar in recent weeks you can see that the slide started becoming steeper than it was before. The Masters of Deception can lie all they want but the bare facts don't lie. An outright collapse of the kina to God knows what low levels is being pre

by BRYAN KRAMER   The National Alliance Party convened its first formal caucus meeting on Saturday (26/9/15). The meeting was called by four party members led by former Attorney General Kerenga Kua and Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare to discuss the concerns about the state of the economy and whether it was in the Party's best interest to stay in Government going into 2017 National Elections. Political insiders confirmed that Pruaitch met with Prime Minister Peter O'Neill the day before he agreed to the meeting. It was alleged Prime Minister put to Pruaitch in no uncertain terms if he fails to get NA's house in order they would be sacked from his Government. Senior Ministers close to the Prime Minister were openly boasting on the eve of the meeting Pruaitch would sack both Somare and Kua from NA. The meeting was convened around mid-day and attended by the full 14 Members of NA. The motion was moved and seconded whether it was in the best interest to stay in Government. Eac

by JACK G WAUGLE Peter O'Neill and his out of control government have been running what has been a functional dictatorship.  There is no opposition and nearly all the MPs we elected proved to be docile puppets who spoke not a word of protest or concern, so focused were they on getting their DSIP and other development monies from the PM which in turn, was what they reckoned was their key to getting re-elected.  Hardly ever did nationalism come first or concern for PNG.  There were warnings after warnings about the out of control, loan fuelled infrastructure building for the Pacific games especially, a gigantic waste of money that all has to be paid back with interest.  Made all the more wasteful because of the built in kickbacks to Tom, Dick, Harry, and oftentimes the Chinese themselves.  So many people on the social media just didn't get it.  Maybe the warnings of pending doom all looked like a dreamland, but again and again the evidence was presented: 

By: SAM  BASIL MP The Prime Minister caused the Publication of the National Ministers constitutions the NEC and their respective Responsibilities in the National Gazette on Thursday 3'd March 2011, National Gazette No. G57 of 2011. In the publication, particularly Schedule 30 provides that Patrick Pruaitch as the Minister for State Assisting the Prime Minister. This is in direct contempt of the Orders of the Supreme Court in the case of Pruaitch v Manek [2010] PGSC 7;SCl052 (31 May 2010) where the Supreme Court declared that the leader was automatically suspended when the charges were served on the Tribunal. The highest Court of the land constituting Kirriwom J, Gavan-Nanu and Davani JJ declared that the leader was suspended forthwith. How could the PM then appoint him to be a minister of his cabinet?   The Tribunal is yet to hear the case against Mr. Pruaitch and as far as I could recall, there was no Court Order setting aside the Supreme Court Orders. Until the Tribunal finally d

By: SAM  BASIL MP The Prime Minister caused the Publication of the National Ministers constitutions the NEC and their respective Responsibilities in the National Gazette on Thursday 3'd March 2011, National Gazette No. G57 of 2011. In the publication, particularly Schedule 30 provides that Patrick Pruaitch as the Minister for State Assisting the Prime Minister. This is in direct contempt of the Orders of the Supreme Court in the case of Pruaitch v Manek [2010] PGSC 7;SCl052 (31 May 2010) where the Supreme Court declared that the leader was automatically suspended when the charges were served on the Tribunal. The highest Court of the land constituting Kirriwom J, Gavan-Nanu and Davani JJ declared that the leader was suspended forthwith. How could the PM then appoint him to be a minister of his cabinet?   The Tribunal is yet to hear the case against Mr. Pruaitch and as far as I could recall, there was no Court Order setting aside the Supreme Court Orders. Until the Tribunal fin

SOUTH PACIFIC POST We were inundated with telephone calls from our readers all day yesterday for news on the latest political developments in Waigani from our readers throughout the country. All we did was to inform them that the updates were still coming in and by the end of the day; we will have something solid for them. By the end of the day, we learnt that the Highlands Bloc of the National Alliance Party was meeting with the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, which culminated in a petition to the Grand Chief to rescind his decision to replace Don Pomb Polye with Sam Abal as the Deputy Prime Minister. Abal, the son of one of the Highlands region most respect Parliamentarians in the colonial era, was not present at this meeting, we were told. The Prime Minister is yet to respond to the petition, or if he did late last night after we went on to print it, we are not aware so it is safe to assume that Mr Abal, the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Minister is the new Deputy Prime

SOUTH PACIFIC POST We were inundated with telephone calls from our readers all day yesterday for news on the latest political developments in Waigani from our readers throughout the country. All we did was to inform them that the updates were still coming in and by the end of the day; we will have something solid for them. By the end of the day, we learnt that the Highlands Bloc of the National Alliance Party was meeting with the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, which culminated in a petition to the Grand Chief to rescind his decision to replace Don Pomb Polye with Sam Abal as the Deputy Prime Minister. Abal, the son of one of the Highlands region most respect Parliamentarians in the colonial era, was not present at this meeting, we were told. The Prime Minister is yet to respond to the petition, or if he did late last night after we went on to print it, we are not aware so it is safe to assume that Mr Abal, the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Minister is the new Deputy