THE OPPOSITION DOING ITS JOB

Image credit: PNG Opposition Media Unit

The Opposition has brushed aside the suggestions by Prime Minister Peter O’Neil that issues raised by Opposition to date are all lies.

It is best to leave the Prime Minister’s claim to judgement of the good people of this Country.

However, the Prime Minister is reminded that it is the job of the Opposition, not only to take the Government to task on matters of the National Importance after the event, but to even speculate and take pre- emptive action. This is based on the principle that prevention is better than cure.

It goes without saying that any person or group of persons, who assume any leadership role on behalf our people, must accept to be publically scrutinized in both their public and private lives. And not threaten them with defamation proceedings.

The issue we have are public knowledge. We must make it absolutely clear that we do not have any personal agenda against any of our colleagues in government, let alone the Prime Minister. As fellow Parliamentarians, we have the utmost for our colleagues in the Government. However, inappropriate conduct and or bad decisions by the Prime Minister and any of his cabinet Minister’s or collectively as the Government, will receive our utmost attention and scrutiny. That is our job and that is the commitment we have made to the people of Papua New Guinea.

Whilst the Prime Minister, in the media statement, has labelled all the issues we have taken the Government to task as lies, he has apparently only picked two out of the many issues we have raised, to ground the defamation suits against the Leader of the Opposition. This means then, that he accepts the rest of the issues we have addressed as truthful, except for the two and these are the Six Billion Kina (K6billion) Chinese Exim Bank loan and the amount of money involved in the Pineapple Building (Morea House) maintenance.

We do not believe what we have said in respect of these two issues are lies and defamatory of any nature. We, therefore, welcome any law suit against the Opposition.

With respect to the proposed Six Billion Kina (K6billion) Chinese Exim Bank loan, we have said that the Government has attempted to secure the loan in a hurry and without due consideration to many important factors. This is public record. In regards to the Pineapple Building, we have said what we have and we stand by that.

Mr. O’Neill’s claim that the Opposition Leader, Hon. Belden Namah is a national security threat is to us, the joke of the year. It is outrageous and baseless. The complete opposite is true and we have given our reasons why Mr. O’Neil is real national security threat. He has not given any serious reasons why Mr. Namah could be the national security threat. We dare someone to do a security assessment on Mr. Namah and Mr. O’Neil so the public can see who the real threat and liability to this Country is.

GOD BLESS PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Hon Belden Norman Namah, MP
Leader of the Opposition