Chief censor, bishops and chamber of commerce slam phone lottery

By ALISON ANIS

 

THE censorship board, Catholic bishops of PNG and the Solomon Islands and the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce have publicly condemned mobile phone lottery in the country, The National reports.

Representatives of these organisations made known their views on Wednesday, calling for this form of gambling to be abolished, during a consultative meeting organised by PNG Lotto and the National Gaming Control Board.

Secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops Conference in PNG and Solomon Islands Fr Victor Roche said: “I do not think Papua New Guinea needs mobile phone gambling right.

“Our concerns are for children and the ordinary people in the villages who already have a financial stress on their budgets.

“In order to make one person a million-kina rich, we will make thousand others poor.”

Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce president Ron Seddon said the announcement of mobile phone lottery in PNG came as a surprise.

He said while this form of gambling had been successfully launched in developed countries like Spain, United Kingdom, United States and China, no third world country had tried mobile phone lottery.

“People in developed nations have more control over their expenditure. In PNG, we do not have that.”

PNG chief censor Steven Mala said the National Censorship Board was concerned about children being exposed to gambling and did not believe the assurances from PNG Lotto and the gaming control board.

“I do not think they are 110% sure that this will work.

“Children nowadays are smart; so, what is the guarantee that children will not participate?” Mala asked.

Roche, speaking on behalf of the Catholic bishops conference and Archbishop Francesco Panfillo, said while it was easy to say that parents should control their children, it was difficult to regulate children.

Seddon added: “I am a PNG citizen, and I do not want to see this continued any further.

“We will never stop children from going online.

“It is not the one person who wins a million kina; it is the five million people who lose K4.20 that they cannot afford.

“The government does not need the money. We have money, so let us stop mobile phone gambling,” Seddon said.

The chief censor said he was still not satisfied with the proposal and that the National Censorship Board’s concern was for Papua New Guinea’s overall population and how this would affect them.

“Our suggestion is that we stop this lottery thing and return to the old lotto using entry card manually,” Mala said.

The meeting was organised to collect views and feedbacks from the public following widespread opposition to mobile phone lottery, especially where children were concerned.

 

MPs court Nape

By DANIEL KORIMBAO

 

PARLIAMENT meets on Tuesday for the final session of 2010 before the house rises for the year, The National reports.

Because it is the November session, the focus of this sitting should be the 2011 budget.

But there is uncertainty on most minds because the murmur is for a vote of no-confidence in the prime minister to be introduced by the opposition.

Realistically, this is the only chance the opposition has of getting a no-confidence motion through to be voted on. The opening or window of opportunity provided by law closes in the new year as the Constitution bars any such vote 18 months before a writ is issued for the next general elections.

Speaker Jeffery Nape holds the key to how events will play out on Tuesday, and that is why all roads have led to Cairns, Australia, in recent days, where he has been holidaying.

Frustrated by the government’s failure to provide funds it has promised for urgent maintenance work in parliament, Nape has holed up in Cairns for the last two months or so, and word is that the opposition and government factions have been courting him to allow the notice now before him to go through for a vote, ahead of the budget.

Sources said the prime minister paid Nape a visit last week and had lunch with him. That was followed by a visit from Treasurer and People’s National Congress party leader Peter O’Neill.

Then last week, Enga governor and People’s Party leader Peter Ipatas, United Resources Party founder and Southern Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru, and Rural Development Party leader Moses Maladina, and URP leader William Duma visited Nape for separate meetings.

On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye flew to Cairns for a meeting with Nape before flying back to Port Moresby.

Yesterday, Public Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare got on the Qantas flight from Port Moresby to Cairns, hoping to meet with Nape.

Somare told The National he was seeking consultation with Nape on his interpretation of the integrity law, or what’s left of it, after the Supreme Court has struck down some of its provisions as unconstitutional.

He is seeking his views on how members and parties should vote on important bills like the budget and a vote of no-confidence.

“I have my legal advice on this, and I believe the speaker’s would not be much different.

“That is why I am meeting him to discuss these, because it is important we interpret the laws correctly and set the right precedent.

“The laws may still require MPs to vote on important bills through party resolutions, and we need to set the ground rules for this in this sitting, given what has happened,” Somare said.

Under the integrity law, MPs must show their vote through a party resolution when voting on the budget, or a vote for the prime minister, including a vote of no-confidence. It was not very clear if this law had been struck down by the court, or was still intact, or was provided for in the standing orders of parliament.

As Somare got off the Qantas plane at the Cairns airport, PNG Party leader Belden Namah and Bulolo MP Sam Basil were checking in to catch the Air Niugini flight back to Port Moresby after meeting the speaker.

Namah declined to give details of his meeting with Nape.

 

 

Aussies close border but send aid to Daru

THE Daru Island cholera outbreak is preventing travel from Papua New Guinea to the Torres Strait under provisions of the Torres Strait Treaty, Radio Australia reported yesterday, The National reports.

It said Australia’s department of foreign affairs had restricted travel under the treaty until further notice because of the outbreak on the island.

Yesterday, PNG health officials confirmed the death toll at 16 and had a chartered plane travelling from Port Moresby, with officers from the Health Department, World Health Organisation and AusAID, to distribute emergency medical aid and assess the situation.

More than 300 people were confirmed to have been affected by the disease and 70 admitted to the hospital for treatment.

Last night, there was unconfirmed report that the death toll might have reached 22.

The Australian newspaper reported yesterday that Australia was rushing medical supplies and aid to Daru.

It said that medicine and intravenous fluid, to treat dehydration associated with the deadly disease, was being stockpiled on the Queensland side of the strait.

Daru is about 4km off the PNG mainland and only 50km from the nearest Australian island of Saibai.

The newspaper quoted medical staff at the 60-bed Daru General Hospital describing horrific scenes, and pleaded for Australian help.

It quoted local Catholic priest Vinod D’Mello saying that sick people lay in the hospital’s corridors because all the beds were taken.

“There are two or three more deaths every day,” he said.

“I can hear the crying from the hospital when I am in the church.

“(The staff) are trying their best, but it is a tragic situation.”

Nurse Dawe Tuti said the hospital’s two doctors and other medical staff were running off their feet.

“We do not have enough manpower,” she told The Australian.

“The Australian government stands ready to provide additional assistance to the PNG government to respond to the outbreak as needed,” an AusAID spokeswoman said. “At this stage, no formal request for assistance has been made.”

Queensland health communicable diseases branch senior director Christine Selvey said: “Even though the cholera outbreak has now spread to Daru, it is exceedingly unlikely that cholera could spread locally within north Queensland.

“Hygiene and food preparation practices in the Torres Strait are good; there is ready access to safe-drinking water and there is safe disposal of human wastes.”

MRDC acquires Hevi Lift for LNG project ops

MINERAL Resources Development Co (MRDC) has acquired Hevi Lift (PNG) Pty Ltd and contracted to ExxonMobil for LNG-related aviation services, The National reports.

MRDC managing director Augustine Mano revealed this last week during the launching of MRDC’s website (http:www.mrdc.com.pg).

However, Mano did not disclose the cost of acquiring the aviation company, which took place last December.

Mano said the acquisition of Hevi Lift’s 50% shareholding was through a consortium of Mineral Resources Star Mountain, Petroleum Resources Kutbu, Petroleum Resources Gobe and Petroleum Resources Moran.

He also disclosed raising K250 million to buy MRDC’s stake on behalf of the landowners companies in the PNG LNG project.

Mano said the company had opened up  several  offices offshore, making MRDC the first multinational company collectively owned by resource-owners to have established offices abroad.

“We will be the first multinational company to have established offices in Indonesia, Shangai in China and Myanmar, with Thailand to follow suit.

“From an initial K600 million in 2008 since the transfer of the State equity interest for Eda Oil to Petromin and withdrawal of Mineral Resource Lihir, MRDC has now K1.2 billion in assets and investment portfolio,” Mano said.

Acknowledging the MRDC challenges ahead, he said his management and board were determined and positive to deliver benefits that were required and expected from.

 

 

Baki ousted

Tony Wagambie in as acting commissioner

 

POLICE in the nation’s capital was placed on full alert last night after the National Executive Council suspended Police Commissioner Gari Baki, The National reports.

The government moved quickly to replace him, naming veteran cop Tony Wagambie acting police commissioner and Fred Yakasa as deputy.

The NEC, in making the move, also ordered investigations into his conduct as police chief in the past four years.

Baki is under suspension with full pay until the investigations are completed.

Baki’s job was on the line after Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare removed Police Minister Sani Rambi and replaced him with Mark Maipakai.

In documents leaked to the media, the prime minister had accused Baki and Rambi of misleading senior members of cabinet into getting K10 million approved for LNG operations.

After transferring Rambi from police to the labour portfolio, the prime minister wrote to Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill to prepare papers to replace Baki.

The letter to O’Neill stated reasons that the commissioner had allowed the police force to run down and there was a general breakdown in law and order.

Baki had responded last Friday, categorically denying the allegations that he had misled the prime minister and senior cabinet ministers.

He said in his briefing to cabinet that the withdrawal of police personnel did not affect the whole of the LNG project areas, but only in Kopi, Kikori and Gobe.

The main reason was on logistics difficulties that police were experiencing for the whole LNG project, and it was necessary to secure additional funding from the government in addition to what Esso Highlands was providing for operational work, which was outside the agreed arrangements covered in a memorandum of understanding.

Baki’s brief also explained that by solely relying on the funding provided by the LNG developer would create a notion, or allow people to form opinions, that the deployment of the police mobile squads to the LNG project sites was merely a private security arrangement for the project.

He stated it also questioned the constitutional independence of the police force.

Factions within the police force received news of the suspension of Baki with mixed reactions.

One group mobilised last night on Burns Peak, ready to move into a deserted police headquarters at Konedobu.

Security was also stepped up for senior cabinet ministers and the prime minister amid the reported build-up of tension last night.

 

 

Pala: Motion to vote out PM not on paper

THE vote of no-confidence in Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, promised by the opposition, may not take placeon Tuesday, The National reports.

Justice Minister and Attorney-General Ano Pala said the 2011 budget and the 2010 supplementary budget would take precedence over all other parliamentary business next Tuesday.

Finance and Treasury had issued a “budget lock-up” statement for the media from 10am to 2pm when parliament resumes.

Finance, Treasury and Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill, when contacted last night, said the budget had been approved by cabinet and he looked forward to introducing it next Tuesday.

O’Neill declined to give details on next year’s budget, claiming that key areas such as the medium-term development plan, district service improvement programme (DSIP) and other government priorities would be addressed.

Pala said as far as he was concerned, there was no notice of a vote of no-confidence before the house.

“At the moment, there is no notice of vote of no-confidence before parliament.”

The attorney-general and justice minister said the meeting of parliament on Tuesday was specifically called to introduce next year’s budget.

“We are not privy to any information that comes up, and we are not aware of any notice of the vote becoming a property of parliament,” he said.

Pala said the budget would be handed down next Tuesday, and that would be the main agenda for the government.

“Parliament will resume on Tuesday for the handing down of the 2011 budget, and we have to wait for what comes out in the notice paper.”

He said the 11 Southern region MPs had declared their loyalty to the prime minister in passing bills in parliament.

Pala said: “We will be voting together with the government.

“We are now a family of 11 MPs who are members of NA.”

A senior parliament source stated last night that there was no notice of a motion before parliament at this stage and the session next Tuesday was restricted to the budget.

“It all depends on the government to suspend standing orders to introduce the budget.

“In all democracies, it is all about the numbers game.”

The source said private business committees always seat in on Wednesdays to consider notices and petitions to be brought before the house in any session.

“The vote of no-confidence notice has not come to the attention of parliament and the committee.”

 

 

Daru cholera claims 16, 70 admitted

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

THE death toll from cholera on Daru Island in Western and nearby mainland villages has climbed to 16, The National reports.

Daru General Hospital chief executive officer Dr Amos Lano gave the updated figure yesterday, saying four deaths were reported at the Fly River village of Kenediba and one more in Daru.

He said, however, that the Kenediba deaths could not be confirmed as cholera-linked although patients reported acute watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting.

Lano said the situation in Daru appeared to be under control and, so far, only one person was admitted on Tuesday night.

He said since the first case of acute watery diarrhoea was reported in Daru on Oct 15, more than 250 people had been treated at the hospital, 70 were admitted while 16 – mostly children and the elderly – were now confirmed dead.

Lano said most deaths were from the waterfront areas, an indication that the sickness was suspected to have spread to other areas on the mainland.

Meanwhile, health authorities in the Australian state of Queensland were monitoring a cholera outbreak, Radio Australia reported yesterday.

Queensland health said it had alerted staff at clinics on islands in the Torres Strait to be on the lookout for anyone with the symptoms.

Radio Australia quoted Dr Steven Donohue as saying that there was no real risk of it spreading further.

“It is not to say there will not ever be a case but, even if there was, provided that they got to medical care in time, then, there really will not be much of a concern,” he said.

“The conditions are completely different in the Torres Strait islands of Australia.

“The conditions for the spread of the disease are just not there.

“Very little of the disease is spread person to person and most of it is through dirty food and water and the environment.”

Donohue said the islands had excellent clean water supplies, food and sanitation as well as health services that could deal with any cases if they arose.