Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698054797614.pdf (Papua New Guinea)
FIFTH DAY _______________________ Tuesday 18 February 2014 DRAFT HANSARD _______________________ Subject: No Page.
QUESTIONS ..................................................................................................................... 1 ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA – ANNUAL MANAGEMENT REPORTS, 2008, 2009 AND 2010 – MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF PAPER ...................................................... 16 GOODWILL VISIT TO THE AUTONOMOUS REGION OF BOUGAINVILLE – STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER – MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF PAPER ...................................................... 21 MOTION BY LEAVE .................................................................................................... 31 SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS – RESCISSION OF MOTION .................................................................................... 31 GOODWILL VISIT TO AUTONOMOUS REGION OF BOUGAINVILLE – STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER – PAPER NOTED ............................................................................................... 32 POSTPONEMENT OF BUSINESS .............................................................................. 54 EXCISE TARIFF (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 ......................................................... 54 ADJOURNMENT ........................................................................................................... 55 FIFTH DAY Tuesday 18 February 2014 The Speaker (Mr Theo Zurenuoc) took the Chair at 10.10 a.m..
There being no quorum presented, the Speaker stated that he would suspend Parliament until the ringing of the bells.

Sitting suspended.

The Speaker again took the Chair at 10.30 a.m.; and invited the Member for Abau, Sir Puka Temu to read Prayers: „Gau iboudiai ikarana diravana e, oi na tanobada idoinai bona emai tano lohiana.

Emai tano, emai taunimanima bona emai Palamen na oiemu.

Ai, ina Palamen Memba mai badurumai emai gaukara baia karadia mai goadamai ida.
Emai ura ginigunanabe emai taunimanima edia namobaia taua.

Hari dina ba hakaumai emai lalohadai bona emai gwau lasi ba hanamodia, bena emu helaga toana emai lalokau tanonai baine hedinarai ai emai amo.

Amen.‟ QUESTIONS Mr SASINDRAN MUTHUVEL - Thank you Mr Speaker, I direct my question to the Minister for Works.

My question is in relation to the Hoskins – Koimumu road.

The Minister visited my Province and saw the appalling condition of the road.
Mr Speaker, the Government has allocated K4.4 million to fund this road.

Of the K4.4 million, K1 million was presented to the Minister last November.

An additional K2.4 million was also appropriated together with an assurance letter under the New Britain Palm Oil Tax Credit Scheme.

Therefore, a total of K3.4 million has already being 1 appropriated.

The Department of Works will appropriate another K2 million which will see the commencement of works on this road.
Mr Speaker, my question is, until today nothing has been done on this road even though the contract was prepared on the 17 August, 2012.

However, the condition of the road continues to deteriorate causing a lot of accidents.

(1) Can the Minister inform the Parliament as to when he is likely to award this contract?

There are three contractors bidding at K4.8 million.

The Minister is also aware of the deteriorating condition of the Mai-Kimbe road.
The Department of Works has spent over K2 million for the stabilizer and awarded Dekenai Construction to fix the 5km road.

Mr Speaker, I think K5 million is an appropriate amount to also fix 22km road from the Hoskins Airport to Kimbe town.

(2) Can the Minister explain what a stabilizer is?

The Kor Bridge along the Hoskins Airport–Kimbe road is a very important bridge funded under the National Highways program.

We needed K4.5 million to erect a prominent one.


02/05 The Honourable Treasurer gave assurance to fund this bridge during the presentation of the West New Britain Provincial Budget because he witnessed it firsthand.

Since the time of my predecessor this bridge was never given any attention.

(3) Can the Minister give some assurance to that core and very important bridge?
Mr Speaker in regards to the so called oil palm roads, I have to inform the Parliament that the World Bank has pulled out its support from the West New Britain Province and also other oil palm growing provinces like Oro.

Mr Speaker, in last year the Minister assured our people that the Government will continue its support to maintain the oil palm industry which generates close to K200 million in tax revenue and contributes almost K1.2 billion GDP for this country.
(4) Can the Minister address my questions?

Mr FRANCIS AWESA – Mr Speaker, I thank the Governor for West New Britain for those four very important questions?

2 In regards to his first question on awarding the contract for the Hoskins to Koimumu road, I visited that road in August last year (2013) and I assured the Governor and his people that we will award that contract.
Mr Speaker, I had a briefing with the Secretary for Works and the senior Managers of the Department and I directed them to speed up the work as that road was priority because West New Britain contributes substantially to the economy through the Oil Palm Project in the province.

I have no idea why these delays are taking place.

I will assure the Governor and the Parliament to look into this immediately and advise him this week.
In regards to his second question relating to the Kimbe road, which K2 million was spent on a stabilizer and the road not yet maintained, this is, in fact true.

I have been to West New Britain on a couple of occasions last year and I know the situation that this is one of the most important door links to one of the most important agriculture provinces in Papua New Guinea.

Mr Speaker, I will also look into this issue and advice the Governor during the course of this week.
Mr Speaker, paying K2 million for a stabilizer seems to be a big problem where we have been buying stabilizers but no road maintenance has occurred.

There are other instances and I am going to address all these.

The third question relates to the main core bridge between the Hoskins Airport and the Kimbe town, which has been outstanding for a very long time now.

Mr Speaker, I am aware of that situation and the Governor is correct in saying that it will cost up to K4.5 million to repair that bridge.
This bridge collapsed due to the floods and landslips which has been outstanding for over 3 years now.

I want to assure the Governor and this Parliament that I will reply in writing but I can assure you that actual work will be done immediately.

03/05 The last question relates to the Oil Palm roads.
I am informed that normally in the past some of these small roads were constructed through the Tax Credit Scheme and the 3 oil palm company was managing the funds, but since the company was concentrating on their own roads, very little attention was given to the small holder access roads.

That is something that we need to review and address in the future because the smallholders contribute about 30 per cent of the total production of oil palm in West New Britain.
They produce about 10 000 tons of oil palm from the smallholder sector.

So there is no reason why we have to ignore the smallholders because they are very important and contribute significantly to the oil palm industry in West New Britain.

It is the same in other oil producing provinces such as Oro, Milne Bay and in time in East Sepik.

This is area that we, as a Government need to look at in the future Budget.
And I also want to assure the Governor and people of West New Britain that we will address this problem, being mindful that very little money was put in the Budget for maintenance this year but it‟s time for us to take stock of what we are doing with maintenance component for all infrastructures in PNG.
And I stated this very clearly at the Leaders Summit at the Gateway Hotel a couple of weeks ago that we have tended to concentrate on new infrastructure, especially roads but have forgotten the maintenance component.

Right now we have a backlog of maintenance agenda which needs to be done and it adds up to K3 billion.

As leaders, we have to be mindful of the fact that when we are talking about building new roads we also have to balance it with road maintenance.
This is one of the issues that we, as a country moving forward have to be mindful and very conscious of.

So the oil palm projects to the smallholder blocks are a very sad situation of neglect which I witnessed as I went there as the Governor has stated and we have to do something about this.

I assure the Governor that I will get back to him with some response during the week on how we are going to do this.
Mr NIXON MANGAPE – I direct my questions to the Minister for Internal Security, and this is the second time I am asking these questions.

Police personnel in Porgera who are engaged in Ipili Operations are using hired vehicles to carry out their normal duties for almost six years.

(1) Why are they using hired vehicles to carry out their normal duties?

4 (2) Porgera generates revenue for this country and so why cannot the Department purchase standard vehicles for Police to use the Province?
Mr NIXON DUBAN – I thank the Member for Lagaip-Porgera for his questions.

Yes, these questions were raised some time ago and are very important as they concern an area that has an high rate of illegal miners and such activities are rife.

I want to assure the Member that his concerns will be attended to immediately because it‟s a genuine concern which is related to the overuse of a hired vehicle by Police in the area.
I will first of all investigate with the superiors and find out about Police personnel carrying out their normal duties using hired vehicles.

I also want to state here that much has been talked about lately regarding the Mobile Squad and their behavior and I will shortly be discussing with the Police Commissioner and present to Parliament a statement regarding all these issues in the Police Force.
04/05 I want to assure the Member that whatever activities that are being carried out and the Police are not behaving accordingly and uncontrollably without supervision then we will do everything possible to make sure they are being dealt with.

We will conduct our investigations and inform the Member in due course.

Mr SOLAN MIRISIM – Thank you, Mr Speaker, for recognizing the people of Teleformin.

I direct my questions to the Minister for Sports.


The O‟Neill-Dion Government has allocated a lot of money into Sports in preparation for the 2015 South Pacific Games.

At this time, you will notice around the city that there is a lot of upgrading and rehabilitation of sporting facilities and the Minister envisions having these entire work completed well before the Games commence.

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When you compare the population in the city to that of those in rural areas, you will find that most of these people live back at each of their districts.

5 Do you have plans for these groups of people?

(1) Do you consider sending in scouts to the rural areas to bring in unrecognised talents and groom them for the Games?

(2) Do you have star sports personnel in all team and individual sports that are likely to bring in medals for the country during the Games?
Mr JUSTIN TKACHENKO – Thank you Mr Speaker, and the Member for Telefomin for his questions especially in relation to the talent identification for future sportsmen and women and for the last three to four years we have had the „Gold to Gold‟ and the „Grassroots to Gold‟ programs through the PNG Sports Foundation as well as through the PNG Olympic Committee who have been working tirelessly around the country to find our future stars in all the different sporting codes to be represented at the Pacific Games in 2015.
The one thing that has being used to identify talent in the country is the PNG Games.

And through these Games it has united the country and identified such persons like Toea Wisil from Jiwaka who is an Olympian.

She was just any ordinary rural young lady that ran bare footed in the village.

She is now running amongst the World‟s best when it comes to sport as an athlete.
05/05 We have done that with all the sporting codes and we are now choosing the teams for the Pacific Games and identifying those people that are truly worthy of being the next champions in the different sports.

And the Olympic Committee and through the different sporting federation throughout Papua New Guinea are making sure that we have a team that will ensure that we win gold in 2015 and be the absolute champion of the Pacific Games without fear or favour.
Yes, we‟re building all these infrastructures that will be a lasting legacy for this country but we must also win the Games as well.

For that we have allocated significant amounts of money through the Sports Foundation and the Olympic Committee through the Gold to Gold Programme which is 6 working in the districts and provinces through the different sporting codes getting out there.
But in saying that, we are also working through the new Sports Enhancement Programme as well in getting into the districts and provinces in developing sporting infrastructure.

I know a lot of you Members and Governors have benefited from that last year and will continue to do so this year.

But it‟s a very positive note, Mr Speaker, that we will have one of the best assembled team that this country has ever seen ready to rock and roll or make it happen for the Pacific Games in 2015.
We don‟t want to disappoint this country.

We are putting in a lot of money, hard work and effort to ensure that these Games are something very special for our country and also very special for our athletes and our communities as well.

Mr ROBERT GANIM – Thank you, Mr Speaker, my question is directed to the Honourable Don Polye, our Treasurer.

Mr Speaker, on two different occasions Honourable Don Polye visited my Electorate without me knowing about it.
One of course, was an official trip and the other one, unofficial.

Mr Speaker, during his visits Honourable Polye made some commitments which the people of Wabag asked me to ask him to clarify on this Floor of Parliament.

On his first visit, he went to Rakamanda with Honourable Ben Micah and at the gathering on the occasion of Rakamanda Restoration Programme he asked the Working Committee there to make a submission to him for less then K100 million to help with the Restoration.
I want him to clarify to the people of Wabag where he is going to get that less than K100 million from.

On such a commitment made by him as a senior Minister in this Government, it is proper for him to ask me as the Member for Wabag to be present when such commitments are made.

I was not impressed that he took the former Member for Wabag with him when he made that commitment so certain sectors of Wabag people want him to clarify this.
7 I believe you are not aware of the commitment that my JDP&BPC had made to this project and it is also proper that you should consult with my office before you make such commitments.

On Saturday, the Minister again visited my electorate on a private visit but he went to another major project site in Wabag, the Wabag Chicken Project.

From information that I gathered from my sources, the Minister again made a commitment to fund the project for its reopening.
Again, the people of Wabag want to know where he will get the money to fund that project?

How much will he put into the Wabag Chicken Project?

Can he also, if he wishes to visit and make commitments, invite me to accompany him?

06/05 Mr DON POLYE – Thankyou Mr Speaker.

I thank my colleague, the Member for Wabag for the important questions that relate not only to Wabag but, the whole of Papua New Guinea.
Mr Speaker, I gather that the questions links to local politics but I would respectfully answer these questions.

His question relates to my visit to his Wabag Electorate both officially and unofficially.

Mr Speaker, I normally pass through that district.

I am from Kandep and because there is no airstrip, I have to drive from Hagen.

I travel to my brother‟s Wabag electorate which is our headquarters.
I pass through the honourable Member‟s house and village at Wapenamanda and Wabag greeting the people as I go along.

I also pass through Laigaip- Porgera and lo and behold I end up Kandep.

So I will always be travelling thorough that same route.

But I understand the sentiments that he has expressed.
Mr Speaker, on his question the first visit was to Rakamanda, I want say that, Rakamanda is a very special place because it is where the pioneer Seventh Day Adventists Missionaries from Mussau in the New Ireland province settled when they were travelling up the Highlands.

8 Mr Speaker, excuse my indulgence, but I also belong to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Likewise, my other colleagues here belong to other churches and we are a Christian country.
When the Prime Minister visited Enga, Wabag and Kompiam, a team of Ministers escorted me to a program in Kandep and after that program we decided to visit Rakamanda.

The Rakamanda station was built by the pioneer missionaries who unfortunately where burned down to ashes during a tribal fight.
I like to commend the Governor of the Province, the former Member for Wabag, Sam Abal, the current Member Robert Ganim and the Member for Kompiam-Ambum, John Pundari for really involving in diffusing tribal fight warfare which also burned down a school, a church, training centre and a radio station transmitter.

They have established peace and now they have to restore and build the infrastructure.
The Minister for Public Enterprise, Ben Micah and his wife Lynn, also being Seventh-day Adventists and since the pioneer missionaries were their ancestors, I thought it was a mutual thing to invite them to give some words of courage and their presence would restore the confidence and ignite a motivation to build that Station again.

So that was how we went there.

Mr Speaker, I don‟t give figures to anyone in Papua New Guinea.
I work under the Prime Minister and I stand by my records and wherever I visit I have never made any commitments because I know my Budget.

I can‟t commit what is outside of the Appropriation.

Other Ministers do, but I know it comes back to fiscal management.

07/05 In terms of the economy, I am responsible and answerable if anything goes wrong.

Therefore, I stand by that principle, and so, I did not make a commitment of K100 million.
The only commitments that I make are based on genuine grounds like I made to the Manus, Oro and the Gulf provinces.

We took a look at the Budget process and decided that the K10 million that should go down to the smaller provinces in PNG.

Therefore, I would like to assure the honourable Member that I never made a K100 million commitment like he reported or was informed of.
What I did say and this was also in the presence of the Minister for 9 State Enterprises was that, I called on all the leaders to work together to support the local and community leadership in Rakamanda.

I did mention the honourable Member for Wabag, Robert Ganim‟s name and I also mentioned our Governor as well.

I had also mentioned the names of the other Members of Enga for us to work together under the O‟Neill-Dion Government.
I also articulated very clearly and quite comprehensively to the people that there is a Church-State Partnership Policy in place and that such programmes like the Rakamanda Restoration Programme can benefit from this policy.

I indicated that I work with two Ministers who are part of the Economy Committee.

They are the Ministers for National Planning and Finance.

Therefore, my comment was very clear because I do not want to mislead anybody.
Therefore, I did not make a commitment of K100 million and whoever is saying that is misleading everybody.

What I did say was to write a comprehensive submission of the place and bring it to the Government to will look at it.

Therefore, we can assist and partner with the people, churches, provincial government and the Electorate Member to restore Rakamanda to its full glory like it used to be before.

Those were the responses that I made at Rakamanda.


Mr Speaker, with regards to the honourable Member‟s concern about the former Member Sam Abal‟s presence there, I would like to say that Sam Abal was invited by the church.

The organisers of the Rakamanda Programme were Minister Ben Micah and myself because this was partly a peace offering as well.

The Prime Minister‟s stand on such issues has been to forgive and forget.

Let us reconcile and work together as a team.


Put national, provincial and district interests ahead of politics and other interests.

That has been the stance of the O‟Neill-Dion Government.

Therefore, even after the political impasse that we went through before the National Elections, we have all reconciled and come together.

That is what we want this country to do.

If anyone on the Floor of Parliament was to be very upset and angry with Sam Abal, then it would be none other than Don Pomb Polye.
Mr Speaker, when I was the Deputy Prime Minister then under Sir Michael Somare.

I was also the Minister for Works, Transport and Civil Aviation and then also 10 the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

I watched the Leader of the Highland‟s faction of the National Alliance in the Somare Regime.

Mr Speaker, I was the Deputy Prime Minister.

When the Grand Chief was admitted to Singapore hospital the man who should have been the Acting Prime Minister was honourable Don Pomb Polye.
Mr Speaker, it never happened that way.

My own brother from the back came to the front and he was not a leader of a party either.

He was just a member of the Ruling Party that I led.

Nevertheless, I am forgiving everybody, working together and reconciling just like the Prime Minister Peter O‟Neill said.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Leo Dion said, let us work together because the national interests is far bigger than Don Polye‟s little political interests, Sam Abal‟s interests and the honourable Member for Wabag, Robert Ganim‟s interest.

This is what I am doing here and I thank the honourable Minister for State Enterprises and his good wife for supporting me in doing that.
I also would like to thank the Prime Minister for setting the stage where we can forgive and forget, reconcile and work together for the common good of Papua New Guinea, for Enga Province and Wabag.

With that spirit, I shook hands with Sam Abal on the grandstand, I said, today in front of these people I forgive you.

And I think the people of Wabag will be proud of this reconciliation.

08/05 Mr Robert Ganim – Point of Order!


You are talking about your gathering in Wapenamanda and the chicken project so you should tell us more about the chicken project.

Mr SPEAKER – Thank you Honourable Member, you have a valid point.

Member, please answer the questions.

Mr DON POLYE – Mr Speaker, he is married to my niece so in fact, he is also a relative of mine but I am just trying to say, let us reconcile and work together.
11 Mr Speaker, this is a Rakamanda issue so my call is that all the Engan leaders Rakamanda say that you restore the place.

It is a pleasure to be proud of but we lost that pride, dignity, integrity of the service given to us by the people not from Enga but from people who walked and sailed across the seas.

The chicken project was established under the Somare regime.

I visited the site and it is huge.

It has a cooler a huge 640 kilowatts gen-set with vegetable coolers at the back.
It was a huge investment by the National Government irrespective of which government.

Mr Speaker, I did talk about it on the Floor of Parliament during debates as well as did presentations that we should look at PNG‟s livestock commercialization policy.

The Prime Minister and the Minister for Agriculture both support me on that matter.

So if you see a huge chicken factory, for instance, the Ilimo Chicken farm has been closed down, while the other two are in Lae.

This one I am talking about is in Wabag.


Millions of Kina has been spent already on these factories so what do I do, forget it and forgo.

Mr Speaker, as the Treasurer, I look at the economic aspect and draw up strategies to grow this kind of economy.

I made a commitment to say that this is part of the Government‟s commercializing of Livestock and Agriculture.

So the Government should support that in a proper way.
In a similar fashion, I did recommend but I had no figures because I do not know the figures yet.

I do not know the details of the project yet.

A Government should not allow an asset to go to waste like this, we must continue including the Wabag Town market.

Whatever was undertaken by the previous Government I encourage the current Member for Wabag to continue the program.

Mr Speaker, Philip Kikala is putting another chicken farm project there and I am also supporting it regardless of politics.
This is a Government Investment Project under the commercializing program and we should continue.

Mr Speaker, I am aware of what the Honourable Member said and I want to support these programs which are of national interests in respective provinces and not on political agenda.

Thank you.

Mr WILLIAM POWI – I direct my question to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, unfortunately, he is not in the Chamber so I re-direct it to the Prime Minister instead.
12 Recently, the Prime Minister visited the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and its Government and conducted a peace and reconciliation ceremony.

It was an historic visit undertaken by his Government.

Mr Speaker, the visit was timely, as the autonomous province is going through a transitional phase.

Two days ago, very alarming newspaper reports about foreigners bringing in big suitcases filled with foreign currency.

They are interfering in the process that we have managed.
Mr Speaker, instead of allowing the media to report as it is reporting, the Government needs to take very serious steps in dealing with such people who are interfering in our business of running our country.

09/05 Can the relevant Minister or the Prime Minister explain to the people of this country on what this Government is doing so that we set the pace and the scene in this country?

Mr PETER O’NEILL – Mr Speaker, I thank the Honourable Governor for Southern Highlands for this question.
Mr Speaker, let me inform the Parliament that I will be making a statement on the recent visit to Bougainville during this Sitting of Parliament.

In the matter relating to illegal monies that were printed and brought into this country from another country either through the Philippines or elsewhere, it is understood that an American citizen who traveled via Philippines brought these monies in.
Mr Speaker, that is illegal and those funds have no legal standing in Papua New Guinea and as such it has no legal standing and value in Bougainville as well.

It was printed to satisfy a self proclaimed King that is locked away somewhere in Siwai.

Mr Speaker that matter is criminal in nature and the Customs officers will arrest this person and the Chief Commissioner for Customs has made a statement that he will prosecute this matter in the Courts.
The American citizen has been arrested and he will appear before the Courts and certainly he will be tried according to our laws.

13 Mr Speaker, this just goes to highlight the need for the Government to be involved more in Bougainville.

We have seen from past experiences that there has been a lot of what I term as „carpet beggars‟ fly-in fly-out businessmen and women who are after quick money who get into Bougainville and mislead our people.
Mr Speaker, we need to regulate the control of foreigners who are entering in Bougainville and we will be working closely with the ABG but we will be shortly sending out advise to our Foreign Affairs that all persons who want to visit must have a clearance from our Government and that of ABG and travel to Bougainville.
Mr Speaker, there will be no other way they can be given permission to do so and I want to say that the Government is opening up more services to Bougainville including the opening of Aropa Airport which is due to happen in a few months from now and we can be able to control people in and out of Bougainville more orderly.
Mr Speaker, we are not trying to restrict genuine people both businessmen and women and investors who want to invest in Bougainville but we must get rid of all the conmen and every other person who is coming to take advantage of our people.

Mr KILA HAODA – Mr Speaker, I direct my question the Honourable Minister for Internal Security.
Mr Speaker, just last Friday during Grievance Debate, I complained in this Parliament about the harassment and humiliation of my people on the affects of the betelnut ban in the National Capital District.

Mr Speaker, on Saturday the very next day, a group of police officers went in a „white ten-seater Toyota‟, registration, LBI 511, to Porebada village, and harassed and humiliated women and children and upended their markets and took betelnut from them and the youths retaliated and stoned the vehicle.
(1) Can the Minister tell my people who gave these orders to carry out this raid?

Mr Speaker, time and time again, undisciplined officers tarnish the name of the disciplined forces in Papua New Guinea.

(2) What actions are we going to take against this group of people?

14 Mr NIXON DUBAN – Mr Speaker, I thank the Governor for his questions.

I am aware that we have a betelnut ban in this city and it appears that the National Capital District has taken a strong approach to the sale of the betelnut.
It is very interesting to see Police providing security and monitoring at the borders of Central Province and NCD.

10/05 Mr Speaker, we have a situation where for the interest of this city we seriously put up a fight against the sale of betelnut.

I respect the Governor for NCD for his stand but the Police involvement in this particular issue has also raised concern about their duties and whether that should be encouraged to continue is a question.
I have realized that Police Personnel are heavily involved in a couple of road blocks and engaging themselves in certain activities is a major concern to me.

Let me state here that Police involvement in the sale of betelnut is an issue that we have to put our foot down as to whether police should really be used in that regard or not When we have bigger law and order issues to manage and they have been heavily deployed not in the core functions of their duties.
Mr Speaker, I think we need to find a way forward for police involvement in that area and I don‟t think they should heavily participate in that regard.

They may only be allowed to assist in certain sections.

I want to assure the Governor that if police have conducted themselves in a manner that is not acceptable then I would like the Governor to provide the concerns to me and the Commissioner.
Their actions are very embarrassing especially during this time when the Government has given a lot of support for the modernization program and there is no excuse to go out and harass any member of the public for that matter.

Mr Kerenga Kua – Point of Order!

I didn‟t get what you have just said?

Mr SPEAKER – You can go ahead and present your statement.
15 ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA – ANNUAL MANAGEMENT REPORTS, 2008, 2009 AND 2010 – MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF PAPER Mr KERENGA KUA (Sinasina-Yonggamugl – Minister for Justice and Attorney- General) – Mr Speaker, I present the following papers pursuant to statute: Annual Reports for the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

I ask leave of the Parliament to make a statement in connection with this Report.

Leave granted.
Leave granted.

Mr Speaker, and Members of this Parliament, I rise to present to you the Annual Management Report for the Years, 2008, 2009 and 2010 for the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission, which is one of the major agency‟s of my Department.

This Annual Management Report, reports on the performance of the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission core functions in the years 2008, 2009 and 2010.
11/05 The Financial Reports shows all expenses incurred by the Commission in those years between 2008- 2010 and account for the total Budget for the Commission during those years and by reporting in detail all the cheques that have been written during that period.
Mr Speaker, the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission‟s core functions include reviewing the Constitution, the Organic Law and any other laws with a view to developing and reforming them systematically and investigating into and reporting to the NEC and to the Parliament on the development of the underlying law and on the 16 appropriateness of the rules and principles of the underlying laws to the circumstances of the country from time to time.
Additionally, the Commission is one of the few authorities under Section 19 of the Constitution has the right to make special references to the Supreme Court on any questions relating to the interpretation or application of a constitutional law as well to the validity of a law or proposed law.

During 2008, work commenced on a number of terms of references, while three other references were presented by the, then Attorney General to the NEC.
This resulted in legislative reforms being brought to the Floor of Parliament.

The Terms of Reference that were progressed in 2008 included; the review of ex-parte proceedings in the court, the review of proof of business and electronic records and the review of the Environmental and Mining Laws relating to the management and disposal of tailings.
The final report and the draft legislative amendments on the review of committal proceedings, review of indictable offences, trial-able summarily and the review of Incorporated Land Groups (ILG).

And a design of a system of Voluntarily Land Registration endorsed by the NEC and the amendment went before Parliament for debate and enactment.
Mr Speaker, since the establishment of the Commission, the first step of its annual report for the years 2005-2007 were tabled in Parliament by the former Attorney General in the March Sitting in 2008.

The Commission also participated in a number of conferences which included the Australasian Law Reform Agencies under the theme; „Making Land Work’, where invited guests throughout the Pacific Island countries made presentations on how each country proposed to pursue land reform.
The other conference attended by the Secretary of the Commission and his delegation was on Deep Sea Tailings Placements hosted by the Department of Environment and Conservation led by the Scottish Academy of Marine Sciences.

These conferences had presentations from renowned scientists on deep seat tailings placement, especially the layers of the sea floor and the effects of tailings on the sea floor and marine life.
17 The Commission made a presentation on the progress made on the review of the laws to regulate tailings management in the country.

The Commission also attended the 11th Mining and Petroleum Investment Co-operation conference in 2008 in Sydney.

The Commission‟s attendance was to gather background knowledge and information for the review of Environmental and Mining Laws relating to the management and disposal of tailings and to be well versed in Mining and Petroleum practices and standards.
Also in 2008, additional Commissioners namely, Honourable Malakai Tabar, Honourable Puri Ruing and Professor John Luluaki were appointed and sworn into office for a term of four years.

Mr Speaker, in 2009, the Commission focused its attention on two of the seven references that it had been recommended to look into.

Reference no.4 was on the Review of Business and Electronic Records where the Commission managed to complete the issues paper and conduct a nationwide consultation from August –September 2009.
12/05 The other reference is reference no.5 on the review of Incorporated Land Groups and design of a system of Voluntary Customary Land Registration.

A nationwide awareness on this reference was conducted under the National Land Development Programme.

The amendments to the Incorporated Land Groups Act and the Land Registration Act to enable the registration of customary land under clan titles were successfully passed by Parliament as a result in March 2009.
The other activities undertaken by the Commission in 2009 included working with Intellectual Property Office of PNG on a joint working paper on Collective Management Organizations regulation to implement certain aspects of the Copyright Enabling Rights Act 2008.
Collaboration with the Village Court Secretariat of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General to review and revise Village Court Act 1999, work with the National Capital District Commission to review the Vagrancy Act and the production of a discussion paper on betel nut survey in Port Moresby.
18 The Commission also participated in the Pacific land Programme sponsored by AusAID to provide technical assistance to Pacific Island countries in developing their customary land reforms similar to that of Papua New Guinea.

In 2010, the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission focused on progressing four of the seven references that the Commission received from the then Minister for Justice and Attorney-General.
The Commission continued work on the review of ex-parte proceedings, progress work on the review of the proof of business and electronic records by completing the issuance paper and conducting consultations which was followed by a draft report on the reference being completed.

Some work was done on the review of environmental and mining laws relating to management and waste disposals of tailing.

However, by the end of the year the reference was still outstanding.
The other reference that was progressed during 2010 was the review of the law on sorcery and sorcery related killings where the issues paper was completed and launched in early 2010.
The other activities undertaken by the Commission included the Supreme Court Reference which raised the argument that polygamy is unconstitutional in that it discriminates against women contrary to Section 55 (1) of the Constitution, the National Goals and Directive Principles and the Basic Rights and Social Obligations under the Constitution.

Secondly, that it was repugnant to the general principles of humanity in view of many negative social consequences experienced from polygamous marriages.
In 2010, the Commission hosted two conferences.

In November 2010, the Commission organized and conducted a workshop on the coding system at the Granville Hotel.

This workshop was conducted as part of raising awareness on the new changes on the process of the Incorporated Land Groups and Voluntary Customary Land Registration System.

19 In December 2010, the Commission in collaboration with the Department of Justice and Attorney-General hosted the underlying law conference in Alotau, Milne Bay Province.
This conference was hosted as an avenue to assess the development of Papua New Guinea‟s Jurisprudence.

Mr Speaker, and all my fellow honourable Members, in reporting on the performance of the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010, I acknowledge that we have not submitted our reports on time.

This has been due to changes in leadership and management of the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission at the levels of departmental head and the chairmanship.
Since the appointment of Dr Eric Kwa as the Secretary of the Commission and the Honourable Benjamin Poponawa as the Chairman, these annual reports have now been finalised and I commend the teamwork and the special effort by these two learned gentlemen and their team.

Mr Speaker, I wish to conclude my statement by advising that work is currently being done on finalizing the Commission‟s annual reports for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013.
And I hope to present these reports in another sitting of this honourable Parliament in the course of this year.

With that, I hereby commend this report to this honourable Parliament.

Mr JAMES MARAPE Tari-Pori –Minister For Finance & Acting Minister for Education) – I move – That the Parliament take note of the paper.

Debate deferred.
Debate deferred.

20 13/05 GOODWILL VISIT TO THE AUTONOMOUS REGION OF BOUGAINVILLE – STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER – MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF PAPER Mr PETER O’NEILL (Ialibu-Pangia – Prime Minister) - Mr Speaker I wish to make a statement to this Parliament on my recent visit to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Mr Speaker, the purpose of my visit was to reconnect with the people of the Autonomous Region and to show them that the National Government and the people of Papua New Guinea are deeply committed to correcting the wrongs of the past.

Mr Speaker, it was the first visit by a Prime Minister in 15 years.

I made it my business to travel to all four corners of Papua New Guinea and Bougainville is part of Papua New Guinea and they deserve a visit.
Mr Speaker, I want to acknowledge the Ministers who accompanied me, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for State Enterprises and the Minister for Mining and also two Governors who accompanied me, the Governor for Gulf and Governor for East New Britain and Member for Kokopo.
Mr Speaker, it also gives me great pleasure to extend my appreciation to the people of Bougainville especially the ABG Government President, John Momis and the four Members of the Bougainville Region, the Regional Member, Joe Lera, Member for North Bougainville Louta Atoi, Minister for Communications and Member for Central Bougainville, Jim Miringtoro and the Minister for Bougainville Affairs and Member for South Bougainville, Steven Kamma.
Mr Speaker I also want to express my appreciation to the Leader of the Mekamui Tribal Government, Philip Miriori and the landowners of Panguna for making this trip a very successful one.

Mr Speaker, we are all too familiar with the details of the Bougainville conflict but, what matters now is the long road to peace and reconciliation and restoration of normalcy on the island.

21 In 2002, the peace agreement was signed at Arawa between the National Government and the people of Bougainville.
That agreement was given legal effect by this Parliament in 2002 through the Organic Law on Peace Building in Bougainville and the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Bougainville Referendum.

The National Government also amended the Constitution and paved way for Bougainville to pass its own constitution in 2004.

Mr Speaker, the first election was held in Bougainville in 2005, where the people of Bougainville voted their own representatives and the Autonomous Government of Bougainville was formed.
Under the Constitution we recognise only the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

Other groups maybe formed and give themselves the titles but the legal and rightful government is the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

Mr Speaker, the ABG is not like any other Provincial Government.

The arrangements of Bougainville came from a very tragic and unfortunate event which gave rise to this very unique solution.

The arrangements provide for transfer of powers and functions to the Autonomous Government.
I am pleased to say that a lot of hard work has been done and a lot has been achieved.

The legislation to create Bougainville Public Service has been approved by the Bougainville Executive Council and the Bougainville Parliament.

The Bougainville Parliament will consider this shortly.

Once the Public Service is established the transfers of powers from the National Government will be complete.
Mr Speaker, I am also aware that ABG has some acute capacity problems, whilst all provinces face the same problem because of poorly trained and aging workforce, it is even worse in Bougainville.

The conflicts saw many young people denied an education and were forced to flee their homes.

I encourage young enthusiastic men and women to take advantage of many of the training opportunities that our Government and the donor agencies are providing on the island.
The conflict resulted in a complete breakdown in delivery of services.

After years of neglect of roads, health centres and schools have virtually collapsed to an unacceptable level.

22 14/05 We need to rebuild these institutions.

Due to the special needs of the Autonomous Bougainville Government a very different funding arrangement was established.

The funding arrangements that we had in place were inadequate and were not addressing the issues on hand.
The Government in 2010 then identified the depth of the problem and a special intervention fund was established.

It was then agreed that the ABG would receive K500 million over period of 5 years starting from 2011.

Mr Speaker, in 2011, the National Government allocated K100 million to the ABG for major impact projects.

These extra funds were to rebuild infrastructure and allow for the delivery of services to Bougainville.
Unfortunately, there were disagreements on how these funds were to be used and allocated.

Therefore, after much discussion with the ABG and the leaders of Bougainville we now have a clear path and purpose for which these funds will be utilised.
Mr Speaker, I am pleased to inform this Parliament that the priority projects for 2014 as agreed are; the sealing of the Kokopau to Buin road, the re-opening of the Aropa airport, rehabilitation of the Buka Island Ring Road and the sealing of Buka town roads, restoration of water and sewerage for Arawa and Buka, restoration of the Kieta Wharf, rehabilitation of bridges along the South-West road and restoration of Radio Bougainville.

These projects have been scoped and are ready for implementation.
This will make a huge impact to the lives of the people of Bougainville.

Mr Speaker, the purpose of my visit was to show the people of Bougainville that the National Government stands ready to assist them.

I want all Bougainvilleans to be able to send their children to school, get their crops to the markets and get their sick to the health centers so that they can receive proper treatment.
Mr Speaker, over the three days that I spent in Bougainville, I was privileged to visit Buka, Buin, Siwai, Panguna and Arawa.

In the true Melanesian Way, Mr Speaker, peace and reconciliation ceremonies were held between ourselves as the representatives of the Papua New Guinean Government and the local leaders.

These ceremonies were well received by the communities and particular, I was deeply moved in the ceremony in Panguna with the family of the late Francis Ona and other leaders in the mine area.
23 I would like to thank the people of Bougainville for showing their hospitality.

Thousands of people travelled great distances to welcome our party to their homes, and this was greatly appreciated.

Mr Speaker, I also would like to thank the Mai Mais of New Ireland and East New Britain provinces who travelled with us to participate in these ceremonies.
Mr Speaker, throughout the visit, I was assured by the people of Bougainville that they appreciated the National Government‟s commitment to the peace process and ensuring that life returns to normalcy for the people of Bougainville.

Regarding the mine, I now that this is a very delicate issue as it caused a great deal of heartache and suffering for many of our people.

Mr Speaker, in my view, this matter is for the people of Bougainville to decide upon.
Bougainvilleans must decide their fate and the future of the mine.

This is a matter where it is not for me to interfere.

Mr Speaker, one of the most important parts of the peace agreement is the referendum on the political future and status on Bougainville.

Bougainvilleans have to make their decision about their future between 2015 and 2020.

Mr Speaker, my immediate priority is to re-build the infrastructure of Bougainville.
This is so that when we hold the referendum for the Bougainvilleans, it is going to become a meaningful choice.

Mr Speaker, our Government is working very hard.

We have gotten off to a slow start but we are making good process.

Mr Speaker, when selecting the date of the referendum several considerations has to be given.

The conditions that are to be met are whether the weapons have been disposed in accordance with the agreement.
Secondly, whether the Bougainville Government has been conducted in accordance with internationally accepted values, principles and standards of good governance.

15/05 Whether the Autonomous Bougainville Government has been internationally accepted standards will be determined by the Joint Supervisory Body after considering the findings of independent reviews of the arrangements.
24 Mr Speaker, every five years, the National Government and Autonomous Bougainville Government are required to commission an independent review of the implementation of the peace agreement.

Last year, the National Government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government commissioned that review.

The review is now complete.

The review found that there have been significant failings on both sides.

We have not done enough to implement the agreement fully.
Mr Speaker, the Autonomous Bougainville Government has a lot of hard work ahead of us.

However, with the imminent passage of the Bougainville Public Service Act and with continual support from National Departments, the Bougainville Public Service is slowly being rebuilt.

Mr Speaker, during my visit it is also very obvious that the ordinary Bougainvilleans have a very poor understanding of the peace agreement and the autonomous structure of our Government.

This concerns us.
This concerns us.

I am pleased to say that the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the National Government has committed to a public education campaign on Bougainville so that people are aware of the responsibilities and the peace agreement structure as well as the structure of the autonomous government.

Mr Speaker, this Government is also taking its obligations seriously.
I will be recommending that a Parliamentary Committee is established to provide political oversight and leadership in relation to the Bougainville referendum.

Mr Speaker, I think we can all agree that what occurred in Bougainville was a terrible tragedy.

But it is now time to rebuild.

My visit to Bougainville was historic and served as an important marker in the peace and reconciliation process.
My visit was an assurance to the people of Bougainville that the National Government is firmly committed to fully implementing the peace agreement and returning normalcy to their lives.

I want to ensure that the people of Bougainville are once again able to enjoy essential services that we all take for granted.

Mr Speaker, work is already started on this and many of our national departments and state-owned enterprises have started to re-establish their services on Bougainville.
Among them Mr Speaker, Port Services are already operating the Kieta port, PNG Power 25 is already supplying power in Arawa.

The road sealing have already taken place in Arawa town, and I think the first 10km parks from Kokopau to Buin road has already started.

Mr Speaker, the Arawa Hospital is functioning as we speak and the BSP has already opened up a branch in Arawa.
I also want to congratulate the Ministers for State Enterprises and the Civil Aviation for re-establishing the postal services and the Air Niugini Office in Arawa yesterday.

We are now waiting to open the Aropa Airport within the next two months so that Air Niugini can fly directly to Arawa.

Mr Speaker, this is the beginning of the re-establishment of services on Bougainville.

Once again, I wish to thank all parties especially the leaders of Bougainville for extending a warm welcome to our party.
Thank you.

Mr BEN MICAH (Kavieng – Minister for Public Enterprise and State Investment) - I move – That the Parliament take note of the paper.

Thank you Mr Speaker, I would like to inform the people of Papua New Guinea especially the people of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville that the Prime Minister‟s visit at this particular point in the history of our nation is a very important step towards restoring lasting peace not only for Bougainville but throughout the whole country.
The crisis has created a lot of scars in the minds of every Papua New Guinean who have lived through it.

16/05 Mr Speaker, I must state here that the Prime Minister‟s visit to Bougainville has signaled a new beginning and if this Parliament will not take advantage of this historical visit we will continue to ignite and carry forward the past wounds and scars in our hearts.
Mr Speaker, I have lived through the politics of this country over the last 30 years and I have served under great Prime Ministers like the Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, Sir Julius Chan, Western Highlands Governor Paias Wingti, Sir Rabbie Namaliu and Sir 26 Mekere Morauta and I have seen how this issue has frustrated and caused so much hindrances in the development of this province.
Mr Speaker, all these Prime Ministers in their different times have tried and especially those who were faced with the shutting down of the mine and the beginning of the conflict.

Many can play the blame game on these former Prime Ministers on what they should have done or never did but I must say here that we have to let go of all of these triumphs and failures and take advantage of Right Honourable Peter O‟Neill‟s visit recently.
We must come out of the shadows of the blame game and that goes for the people of Bougainville too.
Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister‟s visit is so important because the very place where this conflict originated and was almost out of bounds for any Prime Minister and any Government Minister where roadblocks were set up for more than 20 years in Arawa, in Siwai, were King Pei the second, who was my former General Secretary in the National Union of Students, is now running his some kind of a kingdom that the Prime Minister visited.
He also visited Buin where during the last battles to control that place about 11 or 12 soldiers lost their lives ambushed in one of the beaches in Buin at the Kangu beach.

Mr Speaker, I did not accompany him to Buin, but Minister Pirika and all the other leaders accompanied him.

I stayed on in Arawa.


Mr Speaker, the other delegation Members who accompanied the Prime Minister can testify that the people of Bougainville from Buka, Arawa, Panguna, Siwai and Buin they came out in the thousands to meet the Prime Minister whom they called Papa.

You know if we are fighting and arguing and chasing them and on a visit they come back after so much pain and call us, our papa of this nation has come, how do we respond to such an exclamation of Papa?
They referred to the Prime Minister of their country as Papa you have come to visit us.

Mr Speaker, on behalf of all the Prime Ministers who led this country throughout this conflict, Honourable Peter O‟Neill did one of the most rare thing, when I looked out on all the faces of all the men who were sitting in Panguna there were tears of accepting the situation.

Our Prime Minister before his speech, he came out and said I am sorry.

Even little children find it very hard to say I am sorry.
27 Mr Speaker, the pride of the Prime Minister of this country is not a simple thing to say to one particular group or province for that matter.

This Prime Minister a great gentleman said sorry to the people.

Through the customary things that we all assisted him to perform to the people everywhere he went in Bougainville showed to them that he cared for them and sympathized with their struggles and he appreciated fully the nature of the conflict.
17/05 This, I want to say to the Parliament, that this Prime Minister in this time appreciates the historical context of the conflict, the struggle and the hardship where people live through 20 years of suffering without Government services in most places in that part of our country.

I want all Members of Parliament here today to dispel any thoughts in our mind that the people of Bougainville have some preconceived idea to live in this country.
I think we must now sit down and take advantage of this visit and critically understand the real issues that we need to work together, the National Government, the ABG and all parties on the ground to come to grips with the issue that needs to be addressed.

Prime Minister, I want to suggest here that when we open Aropa Airport, you must invite all the former Prime Ministers to accompany you.

Yesterday, when we open the new post office it was like opening the windows for the light to come in.
Most of Central and South Bougainville will be open to outside world directly.

All the delegation that accompanied the Prime Minister congratulated him because at the last minute he was advised not to go to that place.

Even when he was in Buin, they advised him not to go to Paguna but he went and came to Mogen Junction and met Chris Whuma, Ismael Toroma and all the excombatants and they saluted him and he went through.
It‟s only when men summon the courage to do things that are really necessary to be done.

With this step that he has taken I encourage all of us Members to work hand in hand to achieve what needs to be done.

Many of us here have some kind of relationship with Bougainville; probably have business there or married there and have families living 28 there.

We don‟t only talk about Government to Government but let us all work together to find a solution.
To conclude, yesterday I went to Arawa with Minister for Civil Aviation, Executives of Air Nuigini, Post PNG and Motor Vehicle Insurance and we opened the post office after 25 years, Air Nuigini has established its office within the new post office.

And I send my first SMK to my brother in Kavieng and Minister Jim Miringtoro for the first time paid for postal box after 25 years in Arawa Post Office.
After the opening, we held a meeting with all the landowners of Aropa Airport, key leaders like Sam Kauona, Ismael Toroama and leaders from Mekamui up on the mountain but their common interest was Aropa Airport to be open.

Prime Minister wanted the post office to be opened in two weeks and it was done so now we will do a ground breaking ceremony for Aropa Airport in two weeks.

It is because of this that they are saying, the Government led by Prime Minister Peter O‟Neill is the Government of Bougainville.
18/05 We are going to go back with all the relevant agencies to do a ground breaking ceremony with some customary obligations as well and the work on Aropa Airport will begin.

It is hoped that in two to three months time, the Prime Minister and his counterpart from the Solomon Islands will be invited to showcase that this airport when opened will cater not only for domestic routes but will also accommodate for international flights to Gizo and Honiara as well.
The MVIL is also established and vehicles can be registered in Kieta and the MMI Insurance Ltd will be setting up office there as well.

This Papua New Guinea owned company will underwrite all the risks of doing business in Bougainville.

These are some of the positive steps that the state-owned companies, the ABG and the National Government are taking up for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Mr JOE LERA (Bougainville) – Thank you Mr Speaker, I want to join the Minister for State Enterprises in thanking the Prime Minister on his presentation.

I would also like to thank him for his goodwill visit to the province.

His visit has made a huge 29 impact on Bougainville and the impact felt in many areas some of which he mentioned already but there are others that I would like to point out here.

One of the impacts of his visit united the leaders and the people of Bougainville.
For the first time after the visit, all four Members of Parliament and ABG leaders decided to hold consecutive meetings throughout the year and the first of these meetings was held before this Parliament Sitting.

The visit removed suspicions between the ABG and the National Government for almost 15 years after the crisis.
The suspicions contributed to bad working relationships between the ABG and the National Government and contributed to the delay in implementation of the Peace Agreement where the National Government and ABG were co-partners in signing the agreement.

Mr Speaker, even to this day, many of us do not understand and are not interested in making the Peace Agreement a reality on Bougainville.
We have to understand so that we can work together and make a difference for Bougainville with clear understanding especially now that this Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Peter O‟Neill is trying to do.

We have to clear our mindsets and look at positive changes for our people especially for the people of Bougainville.
The visit also gave hope to the people especially following the high impact projects for the province which the Prime Minister has already outlined, the people are happy for these projects and generally the people can‟t stop talking about the visit, they are very happy that the visit took place.

19/05 All of us leaders are glad and this gladness is continuing.

The people in the villages are still talking about it at village level leadership.
So the impact of that visit is immense because after 15 years this is the first visit by a Prime Minister and I thank him.

To conclude, I want to ask, all of us, leaders at the national level to unite and work collectively to understand this Bougainville Peace Agreement which is a core creation between the National Government and the ABG and try to bring it about within this little time left.

30 As I said already there are between four to five years left before referendum.
If we can bring it about, especially the development process and the relationship that our Prime Minister has built can change the mindset of the people so that they can decide on their future.

Maybe not total independence but maybe autonomy within Papua New Guinea, this is what we can all work together to achieve by understanding the peace agreement and hopefully the people can psychologically see that potential.
Mr JAMES MARAPE (Tari – Minister for Minister for Finance & Acting Minister for Education) – I move – That the Parliament take note of the paper.

Leave granted to continue debate at a subsequent sitting.

Sitting suspended from 12 noon to 2 p.m.. 20/05 MOTION BY LEAVE Mr JAMES MARAPE (Tari-Minister for Finance & Acting Minister for Education) – I ask leave of the Parliament to move a motion without notice.

Leave granted.
Leave granted.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS – RESCISSION OF MOTION Motion (by James Marape) agreed to – That so much of the Standing Orders be suspended as would prevent Parliament rescind its decision this morning and continue the debate on the Prime Minister‟s Statement on the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

31 GOODWILL VISIT TO AUTONOMOUS REGION OF BOUGAINVILLE - STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER – PAPER NOTED Debate resumed from 18 February (See Page….)
Sir PUKA TEMU (Abau-Minister for Public Service) – Mr Speaker, I want to continue to debate on this very important statement which the Prime Minister made on the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

I want to also associate myself with everything the honourable Minister for State Owned Enterprises has said this morning.

Once again, it truly highlights the importance of the Prime Minister providing the leadership not only in the country but also in Bougainville.
I think it was only right that the Prime Minister went to Bougainville because he can also see the footprints of his former party leader, the late Bill Skate, who was then the Prime Minister when the crisis was on.

The late Bill Skate played a very important role in bringing in the ultimate peace to the island.

Therefore, the PNC Party as a party has played a pivotal role on the issue of Bougainville, thus I commend the Prime Minister.
As their Regional Member has said, Bougainvilleans were waiting for a leader while they were having their own leadership crises after the crises.

Mr Speaker, as we know when the Constitution was amended including the Constitution of Bougainville, this Parliament allowed the establishment of a fully Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

In so doing, a transitional period was allowed to create positions for national Members of Parliament.
Unfortunately, we created in one seat for two people to seat on and that is the Regional seat for Bougainville and the Presidential seat for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

I think that was one of the reasons why there was this recent major disagreement between the President and the Regional Member.

Therefore our Prime Minister had to 32 reconcile with the President before he went to Bougainville.
The President under this arrangement was feeling out of place whilst the Regional Member and the other three Members of Parliament had access to the powers of Waigani and access to the so-called Waigani purse.

We created this disparity.

In supporting the Prime Minister, one of the issues that we really need to look at and no doubt will have to wait for the referendum period being 2015 to 2020 when Bougainvilleans must demonstrate that they meet all the prerequisites of the referendum to be conducted.
A review has been undertaken through the leadership of the Chief Secretary and the report is here.
The Prime Minister mentioned that many of the prerequisites for the referendum have not been met therefore, it is very important for us to make sure that as a responsible National Government we provide that support to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, their leadership, their Parliament, their Members of Parliament who are called Ministers in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and the National Members of Parliament who are here led by the Regional Member for Bougainville.
Mr Speaker, we have an important and also an influential role to play.

I want to express my sincere thanks to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises because he is also taking a very important leadership in making sure that the SOE services are brought to the island of Bougainville as all the public infrastructures were demolished and destroyed during the nine years of crisis.
It is also important for the other Ministers, agencies and public bodies to also make sure they visit Bougainville and create a working relationship.

21/05 What we have done, Mr Speaker, and as the Minister for Public Service is that, we have helped the Autonomous Region of Bougainville with their draft of their Public Service Management Act.
I have been advised that very soon in their first sitting of their Parliament they will pass the Bill and establish what has been missing for a long time, which is the ABG Public Service.

We therefore, hope that, that will bring momentum in terms of service delivery to its own Public Service.

33 Mr Speaker, one of the challenges that we have to face is how we manage this window period where a referendum is prescribed under the Constitution.

This is not far off as it is from 2015 to 2020.


While the Prime Minister has made a commitment of K500 million where K100 million is given every year, I think our greatest challenge is how we make sure that this money has something to show for on the ground.

There should be things happening to demonstrate that the Prime Minister‟s commitment has something to show for.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister has advised us that the first K100 million had, had very little to show for on the ground.
Therefore, the challenge that we are faced with which Cabinet has also deliberated has resulted in a recommendation that we should create a vehicle for the K500 million.

This is to make sure that it delivers projects nominated by both the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and National Government.

There was a body equivalent to the Gazelle Restoration Authority, Mr Speaker, but they did not want to call it the Bougainville Restoration Authority because its acronym would be BRA.
Therefore, they called it Bougainville Restoration And Development Authority (BRADA) but it also fell to its face.

Mr Speaker, I therefore suggest that Parliament legislate the establishment of this authority.

I strongly recommend that we establish the Bougainville Restoration and Development Authority by legislation and there is a law that demonstrates to our people in Bougainville that the Prime Minister when he made the commitment, he is actually mechanizing the public pronouncements that he made.
Thus, I recommend which the Prime Minister already alluded to, that we legislate for the Authority to deliver these big impact projects that both Governments agreed to.

This is because without it, and you and I know the dynamics of PNG politics and under the Constitution, Mr Speaker.

I am also a Bougainvillean by marriage.

Therefore, we Bougainvilleans are very smart and entrepreneurial.

This is why we asked for the Provincial Government legislation to be enacted in 1977.
Thus, Bougainville was the first to adopt the Provincial Government system and we are also the first to look at autonomy model.

Mr Speaker, I believe that the future of this country has to move in the direction of giving more power and transferring more power to the people.

This is the spirit of 34 autonomy.

We have to realise that this is inevitable.

On the Floor of this Parliament and through constitutional provisions full autonomy was given to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Therefore, it is our prayer that the referendum and the Prime Minister‟s commitment that are delivered on the ground will maintain the national unity.

Mr Speaker, the most exciting phenomenon that I think we should embrace is the issue of autonomy.

We have the best example domestically with Bougainville and it is incumbent on us to make it work.
Mr Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the input made by the former Prime Minister and leader of PNC the late Bill Skate, the Grand Chief, the Governor for New Island, Sir Moi Avei, Sir Peter Barter and also the local leaders, the President himself and many other leaders from Bougainville, Our friends from Australia, New Zealand , the United Nations played a very important role.
22/05 Mr Speaker, I believe the world is envying our nation because we are able to settle crisis unlike many countries who cannot resolve their crisis.

We have the ability to settle our own disputes.

Mr Speaker, our people are very special because they are able to live in the same house with people of many different tribes.

That is why we know how to live together with one another.

So when crisis arise we know how to get together to resolve these disputes.

That is something that we have to be proud of.


Mr Speaker, the Bougainville Crisis is one example of after many years, we have the ability through the support of bilateral and multilateral relations have resolved these crises.

In that sense, according to President John Momis, they are an Autonomous Region, so they should be recognised and be allowed the powers.
Unfortunately, the process is slow and they have not transferred the mining powers and this month hopefully, we should pass the Public Service (Management) Act.

The Ministers for State Owned Enterprises, Fisheries, Forests, Health and Education have not transferred these powers yet.

However, these are prescribed in the Constitution under the autonomy, so we have to move them.
35 Mr Speaker, this is one of the most exciting political phenomenon that this country has ever faced in regarding the Bougainville Crisis.

There are also many Governors on the Floor of Parliament who are now asking for autonomy like the New Ireland Province.

The Morobe Province asked for it when Luther Wenge was around.

These provinces are prepared and are still waiting.

We, in the Central Province are now talking about it too.

I think, this is the direction under which we should go.
We should start moving all the powers from Waigani to the provinces because it curtails the delivery of services.

Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister is now talking about moving the powers of Public Service to the district authority arrangement.

These are powers of control and decision making but how do people elect provincial assembly members and the LLG members when Waigani is still holding onto all the powers.

It does not make sense here.


So we as a country and I urge all the leaders on the Floor of Parliament to move into the autonomous arrangement.

This is why our management processes and ability to transfer the powers of economy to Bougainville will set the pace.

We are very intelligent black people on earth and I believe we will make it work.

I have been around the world and I have not seen many smart black people.

But here we making some of the best decisions that nobody as ever made.
So I think we can set the global best practice in making that mechanism and I think we can move forward.

Mr Speaker, in the process we have forgotten that there is a lost generation of children out there in Bougainville.

Children under 12 years old have experienced the crisis and by the time they were 20 years old the crisis stopped.

So they missed the opportunity of being educated.

These children never went to school because they were tied up in the crisis.

There has been a big gap.


Mr Speaker, our PNG Defence Force soldiers were also heavily involved too including the Policemen and women.

The businessmen and women were also caught in there.

23/05 This is why the Prime Minister rightly apologized on behalf of the bloodshed of many Bougainvilleans.

36 Mr Speaker, one of the major things we have not addressed is the personal and social impacts of the crisis on that individual and those communities.

There are soldiers who still wake up with bad dreams.
They have been traumatized by their experiences during the crisis.

We never organized the churches to go and help them in counseling and educating them.

We have forgotten that lost generation.

Mr Speaker, with a medical background I am passionate about this type of development.

These people were left to manage this lifestyle on their own after the crisis.

We also left our soldiers to rehabilitate themselves and today some of them still wake up with bad dreams.
Some of the children who only saw gunfire and violence are still having bad dreams.

Mr Speaker, we need to have a network maybe through the Minister for Community Development and various Non-Governmental Organizations and the Education system to go back and start rehabilitating, reeducating, mentoring and guiding individuals and helping businesses that were lost and maybe create a credit scheme for them to try and get them back on the rail.
Mr Speaker, I take my hat off to the Prime Minister as someone very close to the people of Bougainville and that the people nearly forgot that they had a Prime Minister too.

That man was the Right Honourable Peter O‟Neill, when he went our people were so grateful.

The Prime Minister has set the pace and all of the Ministers will have to take the queue and mobilize our sectors particularly the public infrastructure and the Minister for Public Enterprises and Minister for Civil Aviation have the right team.
Mr Speaker, this is something that is only spoken about and as the Regional Member said, when the Prime Minister left he brought hope back to the people of Bougainville.

Hope is a wonderful phenomenon and hope is something that is really available when you are in trouble and it is like a man who has lost his ship out there and is sinking and dying until a boat comes by and throws a lifeline and hands on.

That is the type of relief the people have.


Mr Speaker, we really should establish a select Parliamentary Committee on Bougainville so that the whole of Parliament can provide a oversight on how the Executive Arm of Government is providing services to the island of Bougainville.

37 Mr TOM TOMSCOLL (Middle Ramu – Minister for Agriculture & Livestock) – Mr Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues on the issue of Bougainville and the visit by the Prime Minister Right Honourable Peter O‟Neill.
The crisis in Bougainville happened almost two decades ago.

The last Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea visited Bougainville more than a decade ago.

The current Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea brought peace to Bougainville to bring back development that the people of Bougainville desired for over the two decades.

Mr Speaker, it takes a great leader of a nation to take courage to walk into a place many Papua New Guineans have despaired.
24/05 Many leaders have been frightened to risk their lives to walk into Bougainville.

The current Prime Minister has the courage and shows true leadership to lead this people of PNG.

I was priviledge to accompany the Prime Minister and I should say that the most memorable and moving occasions was when the Prime Minister went into the Bougainville pit, the heart of the crisis to meet the landowners, the unofficial government of Mekamui, their military and the relatives of Francis Ona.
It was a very sad occasion and you could see it in their eyes.

They have been waiting for a Prime Minister of PNG for a very long time.

and when the Prime Minister O‟Neill arrived there was rejoicing and you could feel it in the air and see it on the faces of the people, when the PNG National Anthem was sang and the Pledge was made and the PNG Flag for the first time was raised in the middle of Paguna mine, the heart of the crisis.
The Prime Minister‟s visit reinforces the concept and mindset of the people and paves way for connections and relationships to be rebuilt and remodeled in Bougainville.

The onus of building that relationship is in us leaders to connect with the people of Bougainville.

The people are still fearful and suspicious and they cannot make the move.

The onus is on us to walk back in peace and offer them development.
The breaking point in the whole visit was when the Prime Minister actually went into Panguna, where the crisis started.

Right now when you go to Panguna you will realize that for many there is a desire for Government services.

People in Panguna and Siwai, the heart of this crisis they 38 want Government services to be connected back to them, but still these services will not amend the fact that one generation has been lost and they will never recover from that.
From the visit I could sense that the leadership in Bougainville is still not united; there is the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Mekamui Government and they are not united and still suspicious of each other.

This visit by the Prime Minister for the first time brought them together to see eye to eye and say hello to each other.
We must not riddle the fact and put away the fact that the people who owned the mine are the people who formed the Mekamui Government and they exist in the heart of the Island of Bougainville.

Nobody really planned that this Bougainville crisis would escalate to the extent that it did.

Clearly the people of Bougainville did not think it would go that far.
25/05 The fact that the problem emanated from the heart where Panguna is and those who have visited Panguna will know that it is a land lock location, therefore when the crisis broke out it was difficult for them to manage the crisis.

It may have never being meant to go onto that extent but another thing that was very clear was that a lot of Bougainvilleans have heard about the Peace Agreement but do not understand the concept of it.
They know that there will be a referendum in the next five years but they do not know what referendum and self–rule means.

A lot of awareness has to be done and this is clearly lacking and the idea of this concept is not understood.

It will only take a few leaders to hijack the whole process on the island.

Therefore, it is imperative on the Government of Papua New Guinea to go back to Bougainville and undertake a major awareness on the implications of the referendum in Bougainville.
Mr Speaker, there also clearly existed a misunderstanding and a clear conflict between the two Governments and two Regimes on the island, the Mekamui versus the ABG, so someone has to resolve and tailor Mekamui into the ABG.

The only Constitutional Government that we recognise is the ABG Government led by President John Momis.
One thing that clearly stood out from the rest of the issues that constrained the development on Bougainville which was clearly relayed to the Prime Minister and he 39 acknowledged and committed the Government to go into Bougainville and assist in bringing development.

The people of Bougainville desire to be educated and they desire for good health care and infrastructure.

They want the Bougainville that they knew of more than 20 years ago, not the Bougainville they know of today.
While a student at the university, I visited Bougainville and more than 30 years later, I went again, this time under the invitation of the Prime Minister.

I have compared the time I went as a student and now as a Member of Parliament, I compared the people of Bougainville to my own people of Middle Ramu.

At the time I first visited my people were struggling and were way behind development and I wished we could catch up with Bougainville.
But in my recent visit, my people are better off today than the Bougainville I saw 30 years ago.

That is how far they have fallen backwards.

The visit by the Prime Minister was timely and if he did not go to Bougainville, I am not sure if we could unite Bougainville together with Papua New Guinea.

Unity is built on relationships and it is built on personal relationships.

You cannot go down, sit and talk, then you cannot advocate.
26/05 Mr Speaker, this visit by the Prime Minister united the diverse leadership but most importantly, rallied the people of Bougainville together under the flag of this Prime Minister and Papua New Guinea because they know from their heart that it is only through this Prime Minister and the Government of Papua New Guinea that services on the island of Bougainville can be restored.

And the Prime Minister has committed to restore it.
The biggest challenge, Mr Speaker, for the people and leaders of Bougainville is actually not to try to build a relationship with PNG.

The challenge is to unite all the factions on the island of Bougainville.

It appears to me, during the conflict that there was no structured regime on the island.

Everyone accepted the fact that there were too many warlords on the island and they ruled over their specific areas.
So now coming out of the crisis the issue is, how do you unite all these warlords and all their armies because there is no single structure in 40 place?

When such a situation exists in a country or among people the greatest insecurity and risk does not come from outside it comes from within.

The biggest risk on the island comes from within the Bougainvilleans themselves because of the mistrust and insecurity that they feel.

Whilst in Panguna the message was very clear.


The re-opening of the Panguna Mine is not an agenda and the Prime Minister has affirmed that under this Government the re-opening of the Panguna Mine is not an issue.

The problem that created the Bougainville Crisis is the Panguna Mine.

Rightly, that cannot be on the agenda.

Our agenda is to clearly reconnect, bring health centres back, bring back education and other services back.
Mr Speaker, during the visit, it was very evident that the infrastructure was lacking, it was lacking all over but it was also evident in terms of human manpower that the Government must build the capacity for Public Services and public servants on the island of Bougainville.

Another thing that is also lacking is the reason and the only one reason that handicapped the flow and process of development on the island of Bougainville.
Mr Speaker, let me close by commending the Prime Minister for his courage and for his true leadership which he displayed in a true Melanesian Way.

In our Melanesian culture a big man serves, he does not get served.

When the Prime Minister went to Bougainville he significantly showed that he was a true Melanesian leader which came down to the ground where many thousands of blood were lost to negotiate peace, in doing so, placing his own life at risk.
But, that‟s the responsibility and colour of a true leader.

The Prime Minister‟s visit has brought great joy to Bougainville and to Papua New Guinea and together we stand and salute the Prime Minister.

Mr DON POLYE (Kandep – Minister for Treasury) – Thank you, Mr Speaker, may I also join my other colleagues in giving my commendations to the courageous, visionary and very sensitive leadership provided by the Prime Minister in visiting the island.
41 That visit was very strategic and will kill many birds with one stone.

That one visit is going to win many benefits for Papua New Guinean as well as for the 250 000 people on the island.

27/05 I also commend the Prime Minister and delegation for the leadership provided and also the leadership provided by the government of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The former Governments and leaders both on the island as well as in the country have also provided leadership that has brought the level of peace on Bougainville.

Let us also recognise the leadership role played by the late, Bill Skate.

He started this process and he played an active role and of course under the same party that we all coalition to and lets salute the leadership provided by the PNC as well as the Coalition Government then under Bill Skate.
I also recognise the leadership role played by the then Prime Minister, Sir Mekere Morauta in the PDM Coalition of Government and Public Service and the roles that others played.

In 2002, when the Peace Agreement was signed, Grand Sir Michael was the Prime Minister and had just come in and the Sir Puka Temu and Sir Peter Barter were playing a significant role in enhancing some of the progressive work done on enhancing peace on the island.
The people in PNG and also they need our commendation and we do recognise the work they have done.

Our Prime Minister has taken a very courageous and strategic step taken in continuing to advance peace in the process.
I join other colleagues in also recognising the work that the Australia, New Zealand and Solomon Islands Governments, other Pacific island countries and of course, the United Nations abroad and within in whatever form or in profile they have contributed in achieving or starting the peace process.
The people of Papua New Guinea are also to give them that recognition and also to give them that recognition and profound gratitude for the work they have started in 42 partnership with Papua New Guinea under various governments of our people on Bougainville.
Mr Speaker, a series of fortifications made of stones, sticks, bricks tempered earth, and improvised material within the vicinity was put together to build over many dynasties and over 21000 km of wall now called the Great Wall of China that is conspicuously seen from the space above .

Mr Speaker, when you look at peace, it is like those built from earth; material but it is much stronger than anything seen, it is what the World is running out of today.
The media, both paper and television mostly report on violence not peace.

The world is now characterised by violence, civil unrest, fights and there is lack of peace everywhere.

Peace was once only associated with war, but today it has been integrated into all other aspects of life.

For instance, there is a crises coming out in Egypt and has now extended to the whole of Middle East and its economy is in shambles.

It has not stopped it is ongoing.


Look at Africa, the same thing is happening and even in Asia, it is now intensified; The style of life we live today is exacerbating the deterioration of peace amongst humanity in the world today.

Mr Speaker, I recall a text from the Bible and it says, „Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God‟.

28/05 Not that I am a good Christian, Mr Speaker, but I think that, that is where the focus should be because where there is peace there‟s economy.
Where there is less trouble there‟s good business and our financial institutions grow.

Peace must be conspicuous like a piece of structure that stands out for all to see.

I am proud to say that I am part of the Bougainvilleans.

I stand by the Government of PNG, our Prime Minister‟s efforts as well as other Prime Ministers and those who will come.

I am proud because here is a group of people in Papua New Guinea in Bougainville who would like to stand up for peace.
That must be recognised because when you look at it and what the Crisis developed into there was lack of peace in the 43 early 90s until we started to establish this process because the people of Bougainville have been so resilient.

I believe that the population of Bougainville is around 250 000 as indicated by the 2011 Census.
Nevertheless, they have said that they have the heart to forgive and forget but they are also saying that we also have the stamina and energy to build an economy and turn things around.

They are very resilient and courageous.

They have stood and said that they are part of a nation and we have got our own region and island to build and restore.

Commendations of the highest level must go to the people of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville because they have said, yes, to peace.
Without them peace would have been very difficult to come by, Mr Speaker.

Therefore, we respect and support them and the Prime Minister‟s commitment by supporting them in terms of economic development or infrastructure development in establishing those systems and mechanisms to restore them to the profile, like the Minister for Agriculture said, to the previous glories of Bougainville and I think this is a move in the right direction.
In response to a point raised by the Minister for Public Service, I would like to say, Mr Speaker that we at the Treasury will do our best to support in the programmes like we have always been doing since the peace process started in order to make sure that services are delivered in a timely manner exponentially on the island to support peace and achieve it.
I also would like to say that Bougainville people and I believe that before going into the referendum in 2015 they should be an integral part of Papua New Guinea.

Of course, they are part of Papua New Guinea but whatever the decisions may be the resolutions of referendum will come out and is yet to be seen.

Therefore, I would like to encourage a view that the Autonomous Region of Bougainville continues to be a part of Papua New Guinea.

Why do I say this?
Why do I say this?

If you look at what the world is doing today and how it is going today.

The experience that the world is facing today, fragmentation has never yielded sustainability in economic, business growth and progress.

Fragmentation has only brought on more fragmentation and differences come up and systems breakdown.

When 44 systems breakdown and to establish new systems takes a longer time as we experienced so far.
Therefore, my view of the 250 000 people under the leadership of Bougainville both at the national level and at the Autonomous Region Government is that the people and the island remain an integral part of Papua New Guinea.

This is because I think that, that is where the strength of the island lies.

To think otherwise would bring in further fragmentation at a time when today the world economy is not very certain and encouraging.
Although there has been some predictions that the economy is growing at some percentage better than prior experiences the issues are that it is uncertain.

We need each other for support and the focus should be to continue to maintain solidarity and the intactness as a nation.

29/05 I also see the huge benefit and the potential there in the island leading Papua New Guinea in economic growth.
Compared to other provinces in Papua New Guinea, the Autonomous Region has experienced extreme part of lives and now naturally you will find that they are actually moving towards the other extreme where there is prosperity and peace.

I can see that people are already doing that under Prime Minister O‟Neill and the current Bougainville leaders because I have seen agriculture experts including tonnes of copra bags being exported out of Bougainville to the world markets.
Through the program announced by the Prime Minister, Bougainville is growing quiet a formidable economy compared to other provinces.

We should focus on that and grow the economy of the people of Bougainville.

Mr Speaker, let‟s take into consideration the Panguna Mine.

I heard many leaders talk about that issue.

I share similar views on that but we should leave it to the people of Bougainville.
So based on their decisions, the National Government at our level should continue to support and give them the autonomy of decision-making so that they can establish an economy as an Autonomous Region.

Mr Speaker, I would like to sum up the Bougainville issue as an example of other programs in PNG.

According to those Members who have debated on the Floor of Parliament, there are impacts in the interventions made by the National Government.

We 45 have also experienced lessons from this crisis.
We now have other mines in the country like the Ok Tedi mine, Porgera Gold mine, Lihir Gold mine, the Wasik including other up-coming ones too.

There is also the Petroleum Project too.

But looking at the crisis in Bougainville, I think, it should never have popped-up but somebody forgot to do something along the way.
Maybe somebody at the leadership level at that time overlooked something very important or in the public service fell ill and forgot that he or she had something very important to do the next morning.

May be it was a review that needed to be done in the Mining Agreement.
So Mr Speaker, some concentration should have taken place with the National Government and the Provincial government at that time that did not eventuate accordingly and eventually led to a break-down in partnership between the people, the Mine and the government including various organisations within the system.

So, as a result other issues also popped-up.

Mr Speaker, by now Papua New Guineans should be more efficient, effective and vigilant.
This should include collective collaboration with the National Government, the Autonomous Region Government including the public servants.

A lot of complacency and lack of attention to issues that can lead other process go down the same road.

Therefore, we would be a very foolish people.

I heard Sir Puka Temu commenting that we are a smart intelligent “black people”.

But I suggest that he refrain from calling our people “blacks” but rather smarter and prudent people instead.
There is nothing wrong with black but I do not want to be discriminated because we are all human beings.

Mr Speaker, I would like us to be smarter but the Vision 2050 said to be wiser.

So everyone in PNG especially those custodians of important positions and functions by now should know that due to lack of actions we should not create similar problems in the future.

I think Papua New Guineans have learnt a lot.


30/05 We do take note of implementations and let‟s make this peace process under the Prime Minister‟s leadership to strengthen the process to stand out as an example amongst 46 other nations who have similar problems.

We have to show that the way we make peace in this country is long lasting and eternal.

Mr Speaker, let us also show what we have learnt in the past that there will never be any other similar mistakes in the future.
That means we should be more prudent and smarter in addressing the issues more proactively and strategically so we will diffuse any issues that will give rise to such problems in other projects as specially.

Mr Speaker, let me commend the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Coalition Government that is supporting the peace process in Bougainville.
The Bougainville people will not be a different people but they will be of Papua New Guinea and in the referendum they will choose to be an integral part of Papua New Guinea because their strength lies with us and Papua New Guinea national sovereignty and integrity also lies with keeping Bougainville a part of it.

Let us learn the lessons and be smarter and wiser.


Mr MARK MAIPAKAI (Kikori – Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations) – Mr Speaker, I commend the Prime Minister in echoing the former Prime Minister, the late Bill Skate‟s setting of the foundation for this peace agreement.

Mr Speaker, despite our political views the timing is right under the current Prime Minister to bring peace and normalcy and get the infrastructure going.
Mr Speaker, I am so privileged that I am one of the leaders who brought the transitional period of Bougainville from 2002 –2007 when I was the Justice Minister.

Mr Speaker, the first time I set foot on that island was in Siwai straight after the crisis and we were in the Bi-Partisan Committee going down there.

The children there stood up to sing the National Anthem and the Pledge and I remember all of us standing all breaking down into tears.
We realized that this were innocent children caught in a cease-fire without knowing where there hope is.

I tell you that was a very emotional experience.

Mr Speaker, in Arawa I saw with my own naked eyes what was in the no-go zone.

When we gave the Bougainvilleans, the Autonomous Constitution there were two sticky issues.

The first one was the gun issue.

The United Nations was very much against this but somehow we compromised.
If the UN strictly stood by that we would have never 47 brought normalcy and we would have never seen the daylight.

We agreed with some respects to allow that process and let them maintain that and slowly we resolved the issue.

Mr Speaker, the other issue was the issue of citizenship in the event that it went their way.

We also left that issue because we knew that lot of intermarriages were happening and what if a mix raced Bougainvillean would stand up to contest for the public office?
How would the Courts or the International forum look at that?

In the general agreement, we agreed to leave some guns around and normalcy will come eventually when the issue of referendum comes we will then address the issue of guns.

Mr Speaker, I commend the then Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare straight after the late Sir Bill Skate‟s decision we took that onboard and gave the Autonomous Government.
We signed the Agreement without giving these people adequate funding to sustain the ABG Government.

Mr Speaker, these are people growing up with a totally different mentality and they don‟t consider themselves as Papua New Guineans because they have been shaped and molded by so called warlords and their agenda is totally different.

31/05 I salute our Prime Minister and his intervention is very timely with the amount of money.
I totally agree with what Sir Puka said, we have got to mentor these people and educate them and fund them to be actively involved in the public life because when it comes to referendum these are the people who have the voting power.

And I fully support the restoration program as that is the only way we can actually participate and implement programs there.
Mr WILLIAM DUMA (Hagen – Minister for Petroleum and Energy) – Thank you Mr Speaker, I wish to join in with my fellow speakers in commending the very important decision taken by our Prime Minister, and visited this very important part of our country.

48 The Prime Minister was supported leaders from that part of our country, lead by namely; Mr Joe Lera, the two Ministers, Mr Steven Kama, Mr Jim Miringtoro and Mr Lauta Atoi.
Mr Speaker, the ingredient of a successful restoration of services and successful return to what used to be the case in the past are there already.

We have one of our leaders who were there right from the start, Mr John Momis, who is still a very influential person on the Island.

We have Sam Kaona, and I was very happy to hear that he was present at that time and welcomed the Prime Minister.
Mr Speaker, the party which I represent has a special connection to that part of our country; it was once led by the former Member for North Bougainville and Minister for Mining, Sam Akoitai, who was the leader of the United Resources Party.

We also have in this Parliament two Members from our Province.
32/05 I was appointed by the Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare when he was the Prime Minister to be a Member of the Bi-partisan Committee which included leaders like Sir Puka Temu and honourable Mark Maipakai, that team was led by the Minister for Provincial and Bougainville Affairs, Sir Peter Barter.

And we had this Committee was led by our current Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mr Bill Dihm, ably assisted by Professor Jamie Wolfers.

There was a lot of very important and good work done by that Committee.
I remember being asked by the Grand Chief to accompany Sir Puka Temu to Buka Island to meet a team of Bougainville leaders.

At that time, I did not know who Mr Joseph Kabui was and what he looked like.

When we were on the island and led into the office, there was this burly man with a bushy beard and he sat down with no acknowledgments and looked at us and asked plainly, where is the money?

Before Sir Puka was about to speak, he banged the table and said tell Sir Michael Somare not to play games with me.
That was my only experience of leaders at that time but I have yet to come across a lazy Bougainvillean or a dumb Bougainvillean because most of them that I have come across are hardworking and mentally tough.

They are very resourceful and still have a lot 49 to contribute towards the development of this country and must remain an important part of this country.
We are one so everything has a time of its own and this visit was timely and for Peter O‟Neill who was not in the Government when the crisis broke out, he was able to go in his own humble way showing concern for the people of Bougainville.

And I am sure the people recognised his intentions for the goodwill visit.

And when we say we are not really after the re-opening of the Copper Mine we must mean it.
We must be genuine and if we are trying to bring services back to the island we must involve the people in the infrastructure projects, once we interfere we will only head into a disaster.

These are very clever people who have been through very tough times that most of us can never imagine.

Mr Speaker, and the issue of a lost generation or those who have missed out is a very important issue and the Government should look into ways of educating those who missed out.
If there is a possibility to introduce a program for those who missed out and allow even adults to take up grades one or two we must do it.

These are the people who will be helpful in restoring what was lost.

Once we have a generation of people who are not educated and who were brought up in a crisis, it will be a time bomb waiting to go off.

33/05 Mr Speaker, during our times we interacted and met a lot of fellow Papua New Guineans from that part of our island who understood us and we understood them.
As educated people from that part of the country they interacted well with us and felt that they were a part of this country.

But when you have this generation of people who missed out on education this is something that, not even the money that we pour in to restart the project will change.

We have to go back to the basics, that is my suggestion and I think we should do it.

To sum it all up, I want to commend the Prime Minister for taking the time to actually making that trip.
But as we all know, on the island of Bougainville without waiting for us or our Prime Minister‟s visit the Bougainvilleans have gone about resuscitating the businesses that they were involved in before the crisis.

50 There is still a lot of economic activities going on there and the visit by the Prime Minister can only serve to complement that.
As is said, Mr Speaker, virginity is like a balloon, one prick and it is gone so that visit by the Prime Minister has opened everything for all of us and so I see a good future for the people of Bougainville as well as the rest of the country.

Ms LOUJAYA KOUZA (Lae – Minister for Community Development) – Thank you, Mr Speaker I would like to contribute to the debate.
In the few weeks leading up to this time I have actually been very impressed as a first time politician and Member of Parliament with the manner in which the honourable Prime Minister has, in this visit to Bougainville, been able to pull of a coup of a vote of confidence from the people of Bougainville.
We‟ve had Facebook building up certain scenario; we‟ve had certain people from overseas calling us a failed State in certain areas and talking about our inability to be able to manage the situations, circumstances and scenario on the ground.

But this visit by the Prime Minister and the team to Bougainville has been very tactical, very strategic and has set back now all those who had thought otherwise by 10 times.
This is because the courage that has been shown and the vote of confidence on the ground has portrayed yet again that we are backing the right Government, we are in the right portfolios and we are backing the right Prime Minister who is able to, with courage, not needing to be deterred or to be influenced by what other people think in order to make a decision.
Having said that, the people of Bougainville themselves and very innovative and very resilient and they have proven that during the time in which the crisis happening they were able to come up with very innovative ideas in which to survive.

They have also been able to prove that a lot of the health conditions that were prevalent on the island, deprived of drugs and so on and so forth.

Most of them lost weight considerably, they trimmed down, they lost their paunches and they were able to survive.
There were may be little things like tropical ulcers and those that were manageable were the diseases on the island at the time but the lifestyle diseases that the rest of us suffer from were non existent there at that time.

So the island and the people 51 themselves are a very interesting case of study with regards to health consideration and that kind of thing.

Now, how does that relate to what exactly I am trying to say?
Now prior to the delegation going down to Bougainville and a delegation with the Prime Minister having set up a meeting in Kokopo for the transfer of powers my Department Secretary and I were privileged to go down and facilitate for the transfer of powers were civil registry and welfare were concerned.
From there we were able to have the opportunity again to meet with the women on Bougainville and we saw that the visit of the Prime Minister has given us the opportunity to lock in for a delegation of women from Bougainville to be able to attend our development partners forum and a UNDP Consultative Meeting that would be happening in March.
And I see that as an opportunity for the women of Papua New Guinea to be able to learn from what is happening on the ground there with the women of Bougainville and how we can move the agenda there considering that they are a matrilineal society and there is a lot of strength that we can learn from.
34/05 So once again, I would like to commend the initiatives that have been taken thus far with Bougainville and the challenges that lie ahead with my Department to bring the women and youths also in these interactions and the current encounter that we have with the Government moving forward.

Mr PATRICK PRUAITCH (Aitape-Lumi-Minister for Forest) – Mr Speaker, I also commend the Prime Minister for leading the Ministerial delegation to Bougainville to see how best we can assist Bougainville.
Bougainville as we know has undergone some trouble for the last 15 years.

There is one particular leader I would like to highlight, and that‟s honourable John Momis, who is the current President for Bougainville.

He resigned from the National Parliament to go and contest the Presidential seat for Bougainville.

He lost the election but came back to win the second time around.
I recognise his leadership; he came into 52 politics in 1972 to represent his people of Bougainville until the time when the first election was held in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

Mr Speaker, the efforts put in by the Prime Minister and the programs that he suggested are real and practical ways of ensuring that the services on the island are restored quickly so that our people can participate meaningfully in the economic development and at the same time improving their livelihoods in the region.
Mr Speaker, that in the last Somare Government, we enacted an Act, called Border Development Authority.

One of the main regions that came into focus then was Bougainville.

We suggested that it would become a special economic zone.

I believe that that the people in the region are hard working.

In the earlier days in terms of contribution to our economy, Bougainville people exported copra and cocoa 1970‟s up.
They were the leaders in agriculture before the Bougainville Mine and well before the highlanders started planting coffee.

They were exported tonnes of cocoa and copra.

I believe that if we have a special intervention in agriculture is the way to fast track economic growth on the island and we must focus more in that sector because they are able to work hard in order to improve their livelihoods.
Mr Speaker, if Bougainville is given the opportunity and the support that our Government has given under the leadership of our Prime Minister, I think they will come up and be in competition to some of our leading provinces in the country.

Mr Speaker, Bougainville has made its contribution and I think it‟s only fair that the National Government and the rest of the country need to make a contribution to see Bougainville come out of its current status and be part of a thriving region again.
Mr Speaker, although many people have talked about Bougainville being an independent State of its own, many of them will realise that the main island is still here.

We are the people on the mainland and with the attitude displayed by our Government with the kind of resources and leadership displayed at the National level and also at the Autonomous Region level which I believe will bring about peace.

At the same time, this will bring the people of Bougainville out the current situation they are in.
Mr Speaker, to conclude, I want to commend again the leadership from the past, the former Prime Ministers and moreso, our current Prime Minister who took it upon himself to go although there were last minute considerations of cancelling the trip but being a 53 Papua New Guinean himself, he demonstrated that able leadership to the people of Bougainville that PNG stands ready to give a hand to our provinces and he no doubt led the delegation.
Congratulations Prime Minister, your Coalition partners stand ready to support you in whatever develops next in Bougainville following your goodwill visit.

Motion (by Mr Don Polye) agreed to – That the question be now put.

Motion – That the Parliament take note of the paper – agreed to.

35/05 POSTPONEMENT OF BUSINESS Ordered – That Notice Nos.

92, 91, 93, 39 and 89 be postponed.

EXCISE TARIFF (AMENDMENT) BILL 2013 First Reading Bill presented by Mr Don Polye and read a first time.
Second Reading Mr DON POLYE (Kandep – Minister for Treasury) – I move – That the Bill be now read a second time.

Mr Speaker, this is an Excise Tariff Bill that is amended by repealing the excise tariff items description of goods and the rate of excise duties shown in the Schedule 54 replacing them with the excise tariff items description of goods and rates of excise duties shown on the Schedule.

Mr Speaker, for avoidance of doubt, the Act applies in retrospective to 1st of January 2012.
If you recall, it will make a comprehensive explanation to this Bill but in short form, we are making this amendment to give retrospective effect to this schedules of rates coming into effect backdating to 1st of January 2012.

Motion – That the question be now put – agreed to.

Motion – That the Bill be now read a second time – agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Third Reading Bill, by leave, read a third time.

36/05 ADJOURNMENT Motion (by Mr James Marape) agreed to – That the Parliament do now adjourn.
The Parliament adjourned at 3.50 p.m.. 55