PNC wants MPs to set standards for others to follow, says leader

PEOPLE’S National Congress Party leader Peter O’Neill wants his Members of Parliament (MPs) to deliver policy and legislation that provide a strong foundation for Papua New Guinea (PNG) to move forward.
“For the past seven months, I have remained relatively quiet so that our members give the new Government every opportunity to demonstrate the massive and complex task of managing the country,” he said in his New Year message.
“We brought this Government together and gave our support as a coalition partner to build on the successes of the previous Government.
“The change of Government had given the MPs the opportunity to review and reflect on what has worked and what will be done better in the future.
“Our then Government delivered new hospitals, roads, bridges, airports, training colleges and housing nationwide.
“This can never be taken away and is the legacy of our members after we were elected to power in 2011 and 2012. We inherited a Government and economy that was in serious trouble.
“While the PNG-LNG project construction inflated growth, this was somewhat hollow because there was nothing else happening in the economy.
“When the construction phase of the PNG-LNG project ended, so did the jobs and growth. Our focus was on national economic growth as the Government’s policy platform.
“With real economic growth, we delivered positive changes for our people.
“We further ensured business expansion for large companies and small-medium enterprises to grow their businesses as well.”