O’Neill slams Sir Mekere’s claim to education policy

By MALUM Nalu
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says Sir Mekere Morauta should not fool the people of PNG that free education is his idea.
O’Neill, who was in Chimbu yesterday campaigning for his People’s National Congress Party candidates, made the comments after Sir Mekere released a statement claiming  free education was a policy he instituted when he was prime minister in 2001.
“What a joke,” he told The National.  “It is laughable.
“When he (Sir Mekere) was prime minister, he was shutting down departments, cutting back on services of health and education right throughout the country because of his right-sizing and down-sizing policy in the public service machinery.
“He never introduced a free education policy in the country.
“He has just given lip-service to our people.
“Our people are not fools.
“He has joined the long list of governments in the past who have made promises of free education to our people and never delivered.
“Only our Government — the People’s National Congress-led Government — has paid every K1 that we have committed for free education in the country to the schools.
“Our people know that; we all know that.”
O’Neill said Sir Mekere was completely out of touch with ordinary Papua New Guineans.
“Our Government has set the foundation for the growth and development of our nation and we are quite happy to continue when we return to form the next government.”