People who ought to be in the cabinet

PETER O’Neill’s cabinet was named last week but I was disappointed with the line-up.
There is too much emphasis on regional or provincial balance at the expense of the nation.
For example, Michael Malabag should have been at public service and Sir Puka Temu at Health and HIV/AIDS.
Bire Kimisopa should have been awarded the internal security mi­nistry as he would have given it the integrity it needed.
The appointment of Kerenga Kua as the minister for justice and attorney-general was appropriate.
Likewise, Richard Maru should have been at public enterprises.
All that would have been on merit.
In my opinion, this line-up was more like “jobs for the boys”.
Important ministerial portfolios were awarded to trusted individuals and cronies so that the network can continue to be maintained.
This is politics and is the name of the game.
The agenda by this government to fight corruption is beginning to look more like a smoke screen and media propaganda.
The deputy prime minister post should have been awarded to one of our two senior statesmen – Sir Michael Somare or Sir Julius Chan.
I would say the best brains we have in the 9th parliament are Anderson Agiru, Gary Juffa, Sam Basil, Joseph Lelang, Kimisopa, Kua and Maru.
They are the individuals that I va­lue with great respect for they are intelligent and articulate with good leadership qualities.
PNG is a small community and the outdated regionalism and provin­cialism should by now be a thing of the past.
Finally, I would conclude that this is not a government of reconciliation and reconstruction but a government carved out of a conglomerate of competing demands and interest groupings.

Kali Walu
Kagua-Erave, SHP