IS HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF UNDER PNC LED GOVERNMENT?
by BRYAN KRAMER I came across an article and research paper by Dr Bill Standish Consultant, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Group published back 1999. I've pasted a number of extracts from the article that interestingly enough are very much relevant today. CRISIS OF GOVERNMENT: THE SKATE ERA The Skate Government attracted international attention after its most senior ministers were videotaped discussing bribery and thuggery; and other personal scandals shocked the PNG community. Catholic bishops warned of popular revolt against declining levels of government services and increasing social misery and crime. It appeared that the independence of the Central Bank and the Judiciary had been seriously compromised. Having pushed through his harsh yet partly unfunded 1999 Budget, on 4 December 1998 Mr Skate used his numbers to adjourn PNG's National Parliament for over seven months. The effect of this was to delay by five months a motion of no-confidence which the Opp