PM highlights irony of Micah’s Apec snubbing

IT is ironic that Kavieng will host an Apec tourism ministers’ conference next year, and yet Kavieng MP Ben Micah wants to cancel the Apec summit, the prime minister says.
Speaking to supporters at Ela Beach on Tuesday, Micah said he will  cancel the summit if his People’s Progress Party forms the next government after this month’s general election.
“The world is looking at us,” O’Neill told hundreds of people at Cartaret Oval in Kavieng during a campaign rally for People’s National Congress candidate Martin Aini yesterday.
“Your member was in Port Moresby and gathering all kinds of people together (at Ela Beach), and telling them that he will cancel Apec.
“You must know that in Apec 2018, tourism ministers with more than 200 delegates, will be here in Kavieng.
“We try to promote tourism, and here, we will have tourism ministers from 21 of the most-powerful countries in the world here in Kavieng.
“What a great opportunity for you to display the tourism potential of Kavieng and New Ireland.
“But here, we have someone who is painim toktok (looking for something to say).
“Em painim toktok (he is looking for something to say).
“We are talking about the good of the country, where education is going to go, where health is going to go, don’t talk about self-interest and ego.
“Ego never achieves anything, pride never achieves anything – it only causes problems.”
O’Neill said Aini, who was Kveing MP before losing to Micah in the 2012 general election, will be their next representative in Parliament.
“Martin Aini doesn’t have a house in Singapore, Martin Aini doesn’t have a house in Australia, Martin Aini lives in the village,” he said.
“This is the kind of leader that we want.”