Toni: Christian principles ‘vital’

 CHRISTIAN principles should be articulated in Papua New Guinea’s foreign policy, a government minister told Parliament yesterday.

Community Development, Youth and Religion Minister Loujaya Toni (pictured) said this would reaffirm and PNG’s reputation as a Christian nation.

 “When we sign up the agreements with other countries to partner with us and come in for the sake of trade, commerce and industry we must also stipulate that we don’t want their religious persuasions because we have determined on that,” she said.

“Because as we sit here, we do need to be mindful that our greatest strength is in the Christian persuasion. The strength of this nation is on Christianity and on Christian principles and so we must continue to have that Christian bias. 

“That is the message that carries right throughout the international community so why cannot this country stand up for its Christian principles and make that part of its articulation within foreign policy as well,” she said during debate. 

Toni urged her fellow Cabinet ministers consider outstanding international commitments and targets stipulated in conventions that were signed and have not been upheld.       

She said agreements that had lapsed needed to be reviewed.

“Many of these agendas need to be fulfilled in a short time. We need to anchor ourselves with the confirmation that we have, through political stability, enough time to give a comprehensive record by 2015 to the United Nations as regards our millennium development goals and move into the area of sustainable development across all borders,” Toni said.