Kalinoe reappointed as justice secretary

By MALUM NALU

 Justice and Attorney General Secretary Dr Lawrence Kalinoe has been reappointed for another four-year term on his own merits.

Attorney General Kerenga Kua broke from convention by recommending to the Public Service Commission that Kalinoe be reappointed, which was then endorsed by the National Executive Council.

"He has served a full term already as secretary of the department," Kua told reporters yesterday.

"The department is big and has so many different agencies which includes the public prosecutor, public solicitor, public curator, parole board, village courts, district courts, and both the national and supreme courts, and a number of minor agencies.

"He's served in the capacity for the last four years, one year under my leadership as the minister for the department.

"He's done most of his term under the previous attorneys general.

"At the end of his term, I think all of us come to the view that Dr Kalinoe has proven himself as a very competent and very well-motivated departmental head.

"He has achieved a lot under many different attorneys general including myself and we felt that he ought to continue in this job as secretary for this very important department."

Kua said he then made the very unusual recommendation to the Public Service Commission that there be no advertisement because of Kalinoe's exceptional performance.

"Forunately for me, the Public Service Commssion and the Public Service Minister, Sir Puka Temu, in their own assessment, came to the same conclusion and they agreed that there is a case to be made in the case of Dr Kalinoe," he said.

"It went to cabinet, and I'm happy to say there was not a single dissension in cabinet.

"Cabinet has now confirmed the renewal of his contract for another four years."

Kalinoe promised to deliver after the vote-of-confidence.

"I feel that there is still a lot of work that we must do," he said.

"I look forward, rejuvenated every day to come to work.

"The energy's still there, we want to push on with what we have started.

"The small gains that we have made, we want to consolidate.

"That's a commitment that we stand by and we shall deliver in the years ahead."