PM defends adjournment

The National Main Stories

By HELEN TARAWA
PRIME Minister James Marape had defended the adjournment of Parliament to August was a result of the Covid-19 threat in the premises after 42 staff members recently tested positive.
National Covid-19 Pandemic Response Controller David Manning had informed Speaker Job Pomat in a letter on Monday of the “threat to national security” which existed as MPs were being exposed to the Covid-19.
Marape denied claims that the adjournment was to avoid the motion of no confidence filed by the Opposition against him.
He urged MPs to focus on the current surge in the Covid-19 cases in the nation which has reached Parliament staff.
“Parliament (in an) overwhelming majority (voted to adjourn).
“Only seven members (opposed) the adjournment (and it was not because) they did not know that the Covid-19 needs special attention,” Marape said.
“(Just because of) politics, they stood in the way of an adjournment.
“The overwhelming majority (voted) for the adjournment knowing that we need to address the Covid-19 and the economy.”
Marape said some key parliamentary businesses which needed to be addressed had to be carried forward such as the National Energy Bill to regulate the energy sector.
“(But) we passed the law that deals with immigration and employment, limiting foreign employees who want to seek employment in our country to come through only one gate instead of many gates that had been open in our country for so long,” he said.
Parliament was adjourned to Aug 10.

5 comments

  • Of course the majority of MPs would support Marape’s proposal…it gives them another 4 months of doing little or nothing. Wow what an easy job being an MP in PNG, in 12 months 8 months off. Absolutely disgraceful act of irresponsibility but obviously these MPs lack integrity and responsibility.

  • Please PMJM we are behind you. Forget all these power hungry politician. They have to go and developed their Province and help them at this time of these time of covid 19.

  • All Papua New Guineans are always with your decision, keep moving country forwards.

  • The country needs the parliament to sit to make decisions affecting all the people regardless of the so called cov-19 threats whatsoever. Leaders in other countries make sacrifices for their people and country but not in PNG. What about the new normal practice, where we all are required to adhere to? The parliament can be disinfected in a day and normal proceedings can continue but the easy way is to postpone sitting to August 2021. Please Lord help us, as I am starting to question and doubt where we are being led to in recent times when businesses in the country are affected in their operations due to foreign reserve shortfall, unemployment in the tourism and hospitality industry and activities in the informal sector has declined sharply which indicates a scenario of economic down turn/chaos for PNG.

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