Prime Minister's speech on the ICAC Bill

Hi all, after the passage of the 2014 Budget this evening the Prime Minister introduced the Bill to set up Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The first vote passed 92 - 0. It is now adjourned for two months as required by law, before the second vote is taken.

 

Mr Speaker,

Today I present a very important Bill to amend the Constitution to establish the Independent Commission Against Corruption (or ICAC).

Mr. Speaker, when we took office in August 2011, one of the first NEC decisions was to adopt the Anti-Corruption Strategy 2010-2030. This strategy is the first of its kind and sets a clear path way to address corruption and improve good governance.

Mr. Speaker, in November of 2011 NEC approved 11 key actions to be undertaken between 2012 and 2015 to give effect to this Strategy. One of the key actions is the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Mr Speaker, we knew that establishing the ICAC would take time. So the Government moved quickly to establish Taskforce Sweep to deal with immediate instances of corruption.

Mr Speaker, I am pleased to say that significant progress has been made by the Sweep Team. We are on course to seriously improve the integrity of our Country.  

Mr Speaker, today marks the first step in the legislative process to establish the ICAC. The first step is to amend the Constitution to establish the Commission. The full details of the Commission will be included in a new Organic Law.

Mr Speaker, I am planning to bring the Organic Law to Parliament early next year. However, the first thing to do is pass this Constitutional Amendment.   

Mr Speaker, the support of every Member of Parliament in voting for this Bill is a fulfilment of our promise to our people. It is a defining moment; a moment of truth; a moment each and every one of us in this House stand at the mercy of our people to judge us.

Corruption is an insidious crime against our people, Mr. Speaker. If we, as leaders, don't stand up and say no to corruption, who will? This is a noble challenge for us.

But today is an opportunity for every Member of Parliament to take this moral position and say no to corruption by voting for this Bill.

The Bill, Mr. Speaker, has been developed through an extensive public consultative process covering the four regions of the Country. Public servants have had public meetings, been on radio and received numerous written submissions.

From the consultation it was clear that people at all levels in the community overwhelmingly support the establishment of the ICAC as an independent constitutional office. People want ICAC to be free of undue political influence and to undertake its work without fear or favour. They want ICAC to be different from existing anti-corruption institutions. ICAC should be able to receive and initiate investigations on its own accord and prosecute the perpetrators.

Mr. Speaker, this Bill establishes the ICAC and sets out clearly its purpose, functions, powers and accountability.

The purpose of the ICAC is to contribute, in co-operation with other agencies, to preventing, reducing and combating corrupt conduct.

The ICAC will be headed by a Commissioner and two Deputy Commissioners who shall be appointed through an Appointments Committee.

The composition of the Appointments Committee will be provided for in the new Organic Law.

Most importantly, Mr Speaker, the proposed Bill provides that the ICAC is not subject to the direction and control of any person or authority. 

Mr Speaker, once the ICAC becomes operational it will naturally take over the good work that the Sweep Team has been doing.

Mr. Speaker, the ICAC will complement the work of the Ombudsman Commission and the Police. It will not subsume their functions. The Ombudsman Commission will continue to administer the Leadership Code and ensure leaders remain accountable. The Police will continue to carry out their fraud and anti-corruption work supporting the ICAC in the public and private sectors.

Mr Speaker, putting a stop to corruption is everyone's business. Work is currently being done by the Department of Prime Minster & NEC and Justice & Attorney General to embed the message of anti-corruption and good governance in our schools and tertiary institutions. We must educate our youth so they can become better citizens tomorrow.

Mr Speaker, this is not the only anti-corruption initiative of this Government. This Government is also preparing Whistle-blower and Freedom of Information legislation. This will enable people to get access to information and if they make a complaint - they can expect a certain level of protection.

Mr Speaker, I want to encourage every Member of this House not to fear the ICAC but to embrace it as a step in the right direction to reducing the tide of corruption in our Country.

I commend the Bill to the House.

UNHCR: Harsh conditions at asylum centres

Men, women and children suffering from harsh physical conditions and legal shortcomings at Pacific Island asylum centres: UNHCR reports

In two reports released today, the UN Refugee Agency finds that asylum-seekers who had been transferred from Australia to processing centres at Nauru and Manus Island in Papua New Guinea (PNG) were living in arbitrary detention in conditions that do not meet international standards of treatment.

In Geneva, UNHCR's Director of International Protection, Volker Türk, said that while the Agency understands Australia's determination to respond robustly to the challenges of people smuggling and to dissuade people from undertaking dangerous irregular travel by sea, those responses must not neglect the compelling protection needs, safety and dignity of the individuals affected.

"These reports must be seen in the context of what UNHCR has observed to be a sharp deterioration, during the course of the year, in the overall quality of protection and support available to asylum-seekers and refugees who come to Australia by boat," said Türk.

 "Indeed, they highlight that when policies and practices are based primarily on deterrence, they can have harmful and, at times, punishing consequences for people affected, particularly families and children,"

he said

 Releasing the reports of its most recent monitoring visits to Nauru and PNG today, UNHCR Regional Representative Richard Towle said that a number of  deeply troubling  shortcomings were identified in common at both centres, and urged all three States involved to consider the findings and recommendations in the reports.

 "In both Nauru and PNG, UNHCR was deeply troubled to observe that the current policies, operational approaches and harsh physical conditions at the centres, not only do not meet  international standards, but impact very profoundly on the men, women and children housed there"

Towle said.

 "In particular, they constitute mandatory detention that is not compatible with international law, they do not provide a fair and efficient system for assessing refugee claims, do not provide safe and humane conditions of treatment in detention, and do not provide for adequate and timely solutions for recognized refugees," he said.

 With respect to Nauru, UNHCR acknowledged some positive developments since its last visit in March.  However, it also observed significant setbacks in refugee processing and a deterioration in reception conditions since the 19 July riot and the announcement that no refugees arriving to Australia by boat 19 July will be settled in Australia. 

 "We are deeply concerned that, despite a processing system being in place under Nauru law, only one decision has been handed down in the 14 months since the centre reopened and no decisions at all have been finalized at the centre in PNG," Towle said.

 Similarly, while some improvements were observed since UNHCR's last inspection of the PNG centre in June, the physical conditions within detention, together with the slowness of processing and the lack of clarity regarding safe and sustainable solutions for refugees were likely, together, to have a serious and negative effect on the health and welfare of people transferred from Australia.

 At both centres, the psycho-social well-being of vulnerable people - including survivors of torture and trauma and unaccompanied children - is likely to be an issue of growing concern. UNHCR also called on all three States not to transfer children, particularly those who are unaccompanied, unless and until there has been a marked improvement in conditions in both centres.

 "UNHCR is particularly concerned by the impact of policies that will prevent recognized refugees from finding safe, dignified and sustainable solutions in the medium to long term. The prospect for refugees in PNG finding permanent protection there presents formidable challenges, and it is clear that Nauru will offer only very limited refugees even in the shorter term," Towle said. 

 "The arrangements at Nauru and PNG would benefit from a much clearer articulation of the policy and operational framework that would set out how, when and where refugees will be able to secure protection and exercise the rights required under the 1951 Refugee Convention" he said.

  UNHCR makes a number of recommendations in relation to the concerns outlined above, and stands ready to discuss these with the States concerned.

The full reports, including recommendations, are available at:

www.unhcr.org.au

PM: Massive investment in infrastructure vital for growth

 

 

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill gave his full backing of the 2014 Budget today, saying it continued the foundations laid in 2013.

He said the record spending in infrastructure development, health, education, and business development (SME) was justified for the continued growth of the country's GDP.

"No economy can grow without investing in infrastructure development. That is a fact all around the world," the Prime Minister said during debate in Parliament.

"We are continuing the rehabilitation of the highlands highway with K150 million, we are putting another K100 million into Lae city roads. There's K10 million for the Buluminski Highway to complete the upgrade to Namatanai.

"With ADB funding we will upgrade and seal the Malalaua – Kerema highway. This will continue to Kikori, and link up with the Southern Highlands Gulf Highway which is being funded. This will connect that part of the world to the rest of highlands, and Lae and Madang.

"The Australian Government will fund the Ramu – Madang Highway. And there are allocations for other roads in the country which must be upgraded and built so our people can use them to have accessibility and give them opportunities."

Mr O'Neill said the K50 million allocated for the development of the Sepik plains will create opportunities in that part of PNG.

"There has been a lot of talk over the years to develop this region, but nothing is ever done. I want to commend the Commerce and Trade Minister for initiating this project and engaging a developer for this project which will create a lot of opportunities for the Sepik people and also the country at large."

The Prime Minister also explained an allocation in the budget for the PNG LNG project which would enable landowners to directly participate in the massive project.

"This was agreed to when we sanctioned the project during the UBSA negotiations. We are now allocating the funds to allow the landowners to participate, to give security to the project that is vital to our economy.

"The Opposition leader has misrepresented himself and misled the house by describing it as expropriating something belonging to our people. If he reads the budget books better, he will understand and not make misleading and inflammatory comments like he did," he said.

He urged the Opposition leader to debate facts, and put the interest of the country first before personal and individual interests.

Australian-built roads still surviving in Lae

By MALUM NALU

Lae road projects funded by AusAid from 1998-2002 are still surviving while 20km of roads funded by the Papua New Guinea government for K140 million from 2008-2012 have already fallen apart.

This startling contrast was pointed out by former Lae MP and respected statesman, Bart Philemon, who also questioned why Chief Secretary Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc was still sitting on a damning report commissioned by the government on the Lae roads in 2011.

An engineer involved with the AusAid project, which built roads from the industrial area near the wharf to Malahang, said things would never have gotten out of hand if the PNG government had simply worked like the Australians.

Busu Road - built by the Australians in 1998-2002, is still hardy as ever.Picture by MALUM NALU

"Lae City roads are a very complex issue," he said.

"It's complex because we made it complicated.

"It was so simple and AusAID showed us before that it can be done when all the factors are taken into consideration right from the beginning before we embark on the actual construction works.

"In short, there isn't a comprehensive plan that captures everything we want to do and yet things are being done and money is being spent.

"It's like someone wakes up one morning and says, 'ah, I know, we'll build Milford Haven Road using concrete'."

Meantime, K100 million allocated in the 2013 budget for Lae roads has not been spent and another K100 million has been allocated for 2014 in the national budget handed down last Tuesday.

"Compare that to the AusAid-funded A$43 million, which then was equivalent to about K120 million," Philemon said.

"They built 29km of first-class roads, bus stops and street lights as well, for K120 million.

"AusAid, Australian taxpayers' money, went through proper processes.

"Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC) was the engineering contractor.

"They designed and supervised all the roads under one well-established contractor, Barclay.

"There are local contractors now but they wouldn't have a clue.

"I don't know who's in charge of the roads in Lae now.

"It's causing great inconvenience to the people of Lae.

"You don't see a reflection of that money there.

"There are no street lights, no bus stops, very badly built roads.

Philemon said the government should be implementing the recommendations of the 2011 report.

"The investigation was done, a comprehensive report was done," he said.

"Reports are one thing but acting on reports is another thing, when you put it away and just forget about it.

"I ask Sir Manasupe to dig it up, he was chairman, and do something about it."

Philemon slams Australia for ‘blatant racism’

By MALUM NALU
 

Former Lae MP and respected statesman Bart Philemon has slammed Australian immigration for one of the “most-blatant racism” cases against Papua New Guineans he has ever seen in his life.

Philemon, who was educated in Australia and travelled frequently there as a politician and now as a private citizen, said all black passengers on an Air Niugini flight to Brisbane on Wednesday, Nov 13 were lined up and a sniffer dog set on them in scenes he had never before witnessed in his life.

Ironically, this same part of Brisbane airport known as the “red carpet”, was where former Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare was forced to remove his shoes some years ago.

Philemon said that the flight from Port Moresby arrived at Brisbane at 4.30pm and passengers disembarked for the normal passport check.

“I got my baggage and was then going through the quarantine section which is the last before they let you out,” he said,

“At Brisbane airport there’s a red carpet.

“There was a woman in front of me.

“We were told to queue up there and I stood behind the woman, who was Indian but she was black.

“I stood there and all the black ones who collected their bags came and there were about 20 of us, all queuing up on the red carpet, and they put on the sniffer dog.

“There was only one white man who was in that line.

“I told the quarantine man, ‘this is really bad as there is no white person here except for a white man who’s married to a Papua New Guinean so why are you doing this?.

“He said ‘go and check the government’ and I asked ‘which government’.

“He went and grabbed me a document about bio-security.

“I raised my voice and said it brought me ‘right there and then back to colonial times when there were black people here and white people there’.

“I said ‘I don’t care if I get arrested or deported back to Papua New Guinea but this is black and white discrimination where all the whites are going and all the blacks are locked up here in a queue’.

“The question I want to ask is ‘why is Australian quarantine singling out just Papua New Guineans, black skins’.”

“I don’t know whether they do that on every flight that goes in or pick on black people, but last Wednesday, it was really extreme.

“I’ve never felt discrimination in Australia before.

“That was the first time.

“I don’t mind if they did that to me, but when I see that they blatantly picked up all the black passengers and let all the white passengers in.

“That’s what really got my blood boiling.

I said this is nothing but ‘pure racism’.

“Worse things happened to Jews, but because they were Jews, Nazis singled them out.

“That’s 70 years ago.”

Massive corruption in Lae roads

By MALUM NALU

Former Lae MP and senior statesman Bart Philemon has described the K140 million for just 20km of Lae roads from 2008-2012 as the “biggest corruption” case in Papua New Guinea for which a lot of prominent figures in both politics and business should hang their heads in shame.

Speaking in Lae and later showing some of the shoddy road works, Philemon described the Lae roads as “the biggest scam, an open scam”. 

The road leading from the old airport to town is blocked off on Sunday, Nov 17.

Butibam Road along Voco Point remains to be completed.

Signboard for a new road contract but no explanation for previous contracts.

The shoddy dustbowl at China Town.

Meanwhile, K100 million was allocated in the 2013 budget for Lae roads, but has not been spent to date apart from K12 million already paid out to some “contractors”, and yet another K100 million has been budgeted for 2014.

“Talking about corruption, Lae roads is the biggest corruption,” he said.

“They dismantled the proper tendering process and they involved this certificate of inexpediency, so they could pick and choose which contractors.

“This was before the 2012 elections.

“The first contract was awarded in 2008 after the 2007 elections.

“(Former Prime Minister Sir Michael) Somare promised down at the stadium, during his campaign, after Somare and I fell out, that he would get rid of me in Lae.

“He promised K50 million for Lae roads.

“After the 2007 elections, they dismantled the normal tendering process and involved certificates of inexpediency, so they could handpick whoever they wanted.”

“They picked six contractors, Papua New Guineans contractors.

“Something happened and after 12 months they took that contract away.”

Philemon said the Finance Department administered funds for the Lae roads after that, dishing out contracts to a motley crew of contractors, some of whom never had a clue about road construction.

“After a couple of years, they got NME to be engineering supervisor, but every contractor’s original tender price exceeded by more than 20% to 60%, 100%,” he said.

“From what I understand, any government contract that varies in price more than 20%, a new contract has to be awarded.

“By 2011, they built less than 15km of road for K130 million.

“We managed to get an investigation team established.

“Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc was chairman of that.

“The investigation report was done, there were a lot of questions raised, very serious questions of governance issues.

“Cabinet looked at the submission and deferred to Operation Task Force Sweep, and we haven’t heard anything since then.

“During last elections, a lot of that money went back to the leading political parties for campaign.

“I don’t know who’s in charge, of the roads, it’s causing great inconvenience to people of Lae, and some of the roads have been closed for a long period of time.

“It’s hard to describe.

“Up to now they’ve spent K130-K140 million but you don’t see a reflection of the money there.

“When I left at the end of 2012, there was 20km of road built for about K130 million.

“This was the first stage.

“There were six contractors, there was no engineering design for the road, there was no bill of quantity, and there was no engineering supervisor.”

Ampo church celebrates another milestone

By MALUM NALU

St Andrew’s Lutheran Church at Ampo, the oldest surviving building in Lae which just last month celebrated its 80^th anniversary, had a momentous occasion on Sunday, Nov 17 when 81 young people were confirmed.

The young men and women – mainly from the Ahi villages of Butibam, Hengali and Wagang – were confirmed in front of a full house crowd of relatives and friends, who later exchanged customary gifts of food.

The young people line up to be congratulated outside the church on Sunday, Nov 17.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

A number of female boarding students from nearby Busu High School also attended.

Congregation pastor, Sakaria Malalek, said the occasion was like a light as the Word of God shone on the darkness of ongoing social problems in the Ahi community and Lae as a whole.

Customary gifts of food baskets being exchanged outside the church.

“It shows that Christianity is alive and well, even though there are so many problems in the community,” he said,

“It was heartening to see so many children and their parents.

Pastor Sakaria Malalek

“It is indeed a great day.

“It makes my job easier as I am like a shepherd with good sheep within the St Andrew’s congregation and in the villages.”

Pastor Sakaria Malalek with Lepung Nawatz, Jimmy Nalu and Juanita Gamoga.

Lepung Nawatz with proud parents Goromp and Alison.

Lepung Nawatz, Juanita Gamoga and Jimmy Nalu with proud parents Goromp and Alison.

Yours truly with nieces Lepung Nawatz and Juanita Gamoga.

Malalek, from Buang in Bulolo and a fresh graduate of Martin Luther Seminary, started his confirmation classes every Tuesday and Thursday since February this year.

The church, built in its present form in 1933, it is the only pre – war building in Lae and the timberwork still bears many bullet scars.

St Andrew’s Lutheran Church

During the war, it served as a Japanese hospital when its custodians from Butibam village fled into the foothills on the far side of the Busu River.

A bush material chapel was built at Ampo in 1912 by pioneer German missionary, Gottfried Schmutterer, and the first baptism took place on October 20, 1912.

Timber from Bukawa was put on the ship Bavaria and brought to Lae on Feb 11, 1933.

They started building the church on March 4, 1933, with dedication being on Oct 8, 1933.