Get opinions before passing laws

Letters, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday August 2nd, 2013

 IT is time for Papua New Guineans to wake up and see what this Government has done within its short period in office by passing some laws and agreements without public debates on issues that are of national interest. 

Regardless of all its hard work and good things done, a few bad things can give it a bad image as is the case now. 

After the passing of the grace period extension, they went on to amend the Constitution to allow them stay in office for five years without any public debate or support. 

Without any proper Parliament debate, the PM went ahead and signed the new refugee deal agreement. It is  unbecoming of a government not to get its people’s views before passing laws and signing agreements that are of national interest.

This is what we can expect if we continue to remain silent and allow the Parliament to pass reckless amendments to our Constitution that give more power for them to stay in office and bulldoze through anything it sees fit.  

It is already too late for any good thinking Papua New Guinean to oppose any bad development by this government in future once Parliament passes the amendments on the no-grace period into law. 

This is something all Papua New Guineans must think of now and take very seriously. 

Although I am not a supporter of the Opposition but an admirer of this Government, I have observed that the opposition has been on its toes, monitoring every move of the Government while representing the interests of the silent majority.

But because there are so few of them, the opposition cannot be expected to do much.

So it is time for us to stand together and back our Opposition to correct the Government’s mistakes if it fails to listen and get our opinions first before passing bills and agreements, one after the other.

We must not continue to be blind and remain silent while allowing the government to do whatever they wish. 

Finally, as a supporter of this Government, I am beginning to lose confidence in it because they do not bother to debate issues that are of national interest.

They are just passing bills and agreements one after the other as if this country is a private organisation.

 

Wanbel Niape

Port Moresby