PNC team intact, strong: O’Neill

PEOPLE’s National Congress Party leader Peter O’Neill says their “solid team” of 17 MPs in Parliament remains “intact and strong”.
He said they were looking forward to the resumption of Parliament next Tuesday to welcome their latest inclusion, Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip who won the recent by-election.
“The PNC maintains strong relationships with MPs of like-minded parties, both in the Government and Opposition, who we have worked with for many years,” O’Neill said.
“We are ready to work with our partners to restore confidence in our country and our economy and recover from the damage that has hurt our people so much over the past year.”
O’Neill resigned in May last year, allowing Tari-Pori MP James Marape to take over the reins.
O’Neill said a couple of former party members had tried to make light their resignations from the party a year ago, and had only decided now to make their resignations public.
He wished them well, but the PNC focus “is the future”.
“For 27 years, the PNC has held true to our core beliefs and our fundamental policies continue to be refined and strengthened,” he said.
“These are policies that are dear to our people, and shared by elected leaders who were part of the growth and development we achieved over eight years.”
O’Neill said the party wanted to restore policies shelved by the Marape-led government.
“PNC will return children to school, with an improved and higher quality education system, and return to the training of more teachers and building more classrooms,” he said. “The recent redirection of health funding to pay for the state of emergency has reduced the healthcare capacity in our country.
“We will immediately restore funding and work closer with our international healthcare partners.”
He said the “next coalition government” would get people back to work by creating jobs and stimulating business growth.