Marape calls on PM to ask Aust about Paladin deal

MINISTER for Finance and Leader of Government Business James Marape has asked Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato to send a strong protest note to the Australian government on the Paladin contract saga.
A disappointed Marape said yesterday that other related issues in regards to Manus asylum seeker arrangements must also be taken up with Australia.
“Since we put our hands up to assist Australia in 2013 on the camping of asylum seekers in Manus, we sacrificed Manus’ reputation as one of world’s safe tropical islands for an Australian media propagation of an island infested with malaria and crime,” Marape said yesterday.
“Since then, Manus and PNG continues to pay the price of negative news.
“We again are hit hard with negative news on the issue of Paladin security contract.
“There are other inferences made as if, on PNG side, we initiated and facilitated corrupted contracts, which in reality are Australian government contracts.
“We demand Canberra carry out a full-scale investigation and report on the asylum deal.
“That must entail whether the Australian government has fulfilled all commitments to Manus Island and PNG.
“Their assessment and findings on the Paladin contract must be made to the Parliament of our country.”
Marape said PNG had offered a helping hand to Australia in the first place and in return had received bad press by an unappreciative Australia.
“I have come out to inform the public, and especially Australia, of the growing dissatisfaction over the negativity PNG and Manus continue to receive,” he said.
“This is despite PNG’s willingness to assist them in the first place when they were facing boat crossings into Australia.
“We have sacrificed our sovereign reputation for Australian people and their companies.”