UPNG PROTEST ON TODAY

UPNG BOYCOTTS IN PROTEST OVER BILL, 

source: http://www.pngblogs.com/2012/03/upng-protest-on-today.html

 
Students at the University of Papua New Guinea boycotted classes today in protest over Parliament's passage of the controversial Judicial Conduct Bill.

And there's still uncertainty whether the boycotting will continue.
...
In a statement, the Student Representative Council President Emmanuel Issac labelled the new law as dictatorial, that will interfere with the Constitutional functions of the Judiciary.

The student council has put together a petition, consisting more than one-hundred points, for Parliament to rescind its decision.

Copies of the petition will be presented to Speaker Jeffery Nape, and Parliament-elect Prime Minister Peter O'Neil by the Student Representative Council, while other copies will be given to the 109 members of Parliament.

A Review of the Judicial Conduct Bill 2012

We, the students of the University of Papua New Guinea have met today in light of the actions of our National Parliament in regard to the passing of the Judicial Conduct Bill, which virtually gives Parliament the power to suspend Honourable Justices of the National and Supreme Courts. 

While we honour the pledge we made to support the O’Neill/Namah Government back in the Prime Minister’s September 2011 visit to THE Waigani Campus, WE IN THE STRONGEST OF TERMS DENOUNCE THE PASSING OF THE JUDICIAL CONDUCT BILL 2012. 

As educated Papua New Guineans we have discussed the Bill and its implications at length in forums sanctioned by the UPNG SRC. We have had our Law Students, Politics students, Public Policy Students and students from all schools of thought read into the Bill and offer their learned views on what this law will effectively mean for the future of Governance in Papua New Guinea.

And we have, in One Voice concluded that the Judicial Conduct Bill is dangerous and abusive of established Constitutional and legislative processes and Offices already in operation and force.
In this brief paper we will discuss the Bill’s substantive provisions and our concerns regarding to each.

Yama urges Madang people to back Peoples Labour Party

By TODAGIA KELOLA, Post Courier, 22nd March, 2012

PEOPLE of Madang have been urged to support their Madang-based party, Peoples Labour Party because the party’s policies and platform are based on Madang’s livelihood and lifestyle.
Government services such as schools, health, infrastructure and more importantly the deteriorating road conditions in Madang town are immediate goals for the party to solve.
The call was made by Peoples Labor Party Leader Peter Yama last weekend in front of thousands of supporters who had travelled as far as Raicoast all the way to Bogia and the border of East Sepik.
Mr Yama told the crowd that Madang had been neglected for a long time because elected leaders were from parties that are based in other provinces and that very little or no assistance is given to the leaders to bring back to their province.
“Parties from other provinces come and launch their parties in Madang and go away whereas PLP is for Madang and my appeal to you Madang people is to support the party and its policies because the party originates here and it’s for Madang,” he said.
His eldest son Emmanuel Yama will be contesting the regional seat while he will contest the Usino Bundi electorate. “PLP will be concentrating its effort in Madang and then moving out to other centres to assist our candidates from other parts of the country.”
He also stated that PLP will work with other parties either in the Somare Agiru camp or the O’Neill Namah Government.
“The party is going in to the election with the motto “friends to all and enemies to none”. We didn’t fare well in the 2007 elections but now we have learnt our mistakes and we will be going in to the 2012 Election with a bang” he said
He also used the occasion to explain his court battles including his referral by the Ombudsman Commission when he was the member for Sumkar.
“Leaders must respect the law and processes and procedures that are in place, take my case for example, I was referred by the Ombudsman Commission to a leadership Tribunal, I never interfered or tried to use the process to stop the Ombudsman Commission, instead I allowed due processes to take its course and because I know in my conscience that I did not commit any wrong I was cleared by the Tribunal, then the BSP Bank tried to take over my assets, I never relented and went to court for 10 years and in the end the highest court of the land the Supreme Court determined that I was right all along, this you see is the correct process and procedure.
“Leaders must observe and strictly abide by this if they want to be good leaders,” he said. During the party’s launching a song about Madang Province and PLP was composed by famous Central artist Mokai depicting the once considered beautiful Madang slowly becoming a pothole town.

A few looks of Madang...!!

People crowded for the PLP Convention close to Smugglers & Madang Lodge

MST New Look from Bus Stop

MST's New Look... A rise from Ashes...!!

Modilon MST & Papindo

Vehicle Congestion

Inter Oil Depo

The New Modilon Haus

New credit tax scheme launched for Ramu cops

Source: 

The National, Thursday 22nd March 2012

POLICE at Ramu in Madang, will get a boost with the support of a local company through its tax credit scheme, provincial police commander Supt Anthony Wagambie Jnr said.
Wagambie said Ramu Agri Industries Ltd would provide some houses and boost police manpower apart from other help it had given police.
“We have had other assistance from them in the past and with the credit scheme, it will
not only boost our presence but bring back confidence in the communities in the valley,” he said.
He was speaking during a parade to 28 reservists who had completed their training.
He said this was on top of what had already been in place between the police and Ramu Agri Industries Ltd (RAIL) in terms of providing logistical support and resources.
RAIL acting general manager Ruari Macwilliam said they had helped local police with vehicle repairs, refurbishing houses and fuel
but needed more
police personnel on the ground.
Macwilliam said they were happy to provide such a service to create a better relationship with police in the valley.
Ramu has been recently hit with waves of crimes that have led to strikes by employees of a section of RAIL over conditions of employment.
But that has been taken care of with the engagement of Labour and Employment officers
to attend to the employees’ grievances while community policing officers from Morobe province visited compounds and settlements to address law and order issues.
  http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/30520

House passes judicial bill

Source: 

The National, Thursday 22nd March 2012

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE government yesterday muscled the Judicial Conduct Bill through parliament,
drawing an outcry of criticism from opposition politicians, church leaders and a non-governmental organisation (see page 3 for details).
The law, introduced on Tuesday and passed three times by a vote of 63-7 yesterday, gave parliament the power to refer a judge to the governor-general who, in turn, must appoint a tribunal to investigate the judge who would be suspended from duty.
The government said the law would “promote the integrity of our legal system based on the principle that an independent, fair and competent judiciary shall interpret and apply the laws that govern us”.
It gave a set of nine “impartiality” rules judges must obey, the breaching of which will allow parliament to make a referral to the governor-general.
The speed at which the bill was passed drew a mixed reaction from MPs mindful of the several political and judicial tests over the past eight months.
The only parliamentarians who voted against the bill were Enga Governor Peter Ipatas, Middle Ramu MP Ben Sembri, Aitape-Lumi MP Patrick Pruiatch, West Sepik Governor Simon Solo, opposition leader Dame Carol Kidu, Southern Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru and Tambul-Nebliyer MP Benjamin Poponawa.
Tari-Pori MP James Marape did not to take part in the voting.
The clerk then had to come back and ask him whether he would vote for or against the bill and he said that since majority had voted for the bill he would also vote for it.
The law is retrospective to last Nov 1.
During debate, Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah said the Constitution had not been tested and it was about time it was tested to suit present day requirements.
He said under section 284, parliament had wider powers and could make laws to control and safeguard the judiciary.
He said judges were issuing permanent restraining orders like hot cakes and alleged that many of them were collaborating with politicians to obtain restraining orders.
He claimed there was systematic judicial corruption and by passing the law, the country will have a transparent judiciary.
Hagen MP William Duma said one or two judges were dragging the judiciary down and the law was needed to safeguard and promote the integrity of the legal system.
Dame Carol said: “We are taking a wrong way. We are breaking the fabric of the Constitution and I am really worried for the future of PNG.”
The government’s move is being interpreted as a broadside against the nation’s chief justice, Sir Salamo Injia, following the leaking of court documents and the quashing of an investigation into his financial dealings.
Dame Carol told journalists she was in little doubt the government would move quickly to oust Sir Salamo.
“I think that will happen very quickly.”
She said it removed vital checks and balances and placed total power in one arm of government.
“If checks and balances are not working, we are in an executive dictatorship,” she said.
“It is not in the interests of PNG remaining a truly democratic country.
“We will have judges afraid to toe the line.”

No plans on rising sea level, says minister

Source: 

The National, Thursday 22nd March 2012

THE government does not have mitigation plans to address the needs or relocate islanders in PNG currently affected by the rising sea level.
Environment and Conservation Minister Thompson Harokaqveh said although there were no plans, the issue would be part of the national protective system which aims to preserve the environment.
Harokaqveh was responding to concerns raised in parliament by Hela Transitional Authority
chairman James Marape yesterday.
Marape said small islands and atolls such as the Cartarets and Mortlock groups were sinking and this was affecting the lives of traditional inhabitants.
He said a recent documentary had indicated that the islands were sinking and action was needed to prepare and plan for the worst.
Marape said he was moved when he saw how the lives of the island people were being threatened by the rising sea level due to climate change.
There are several voluntary arrangements in place for the people to relocate to Bougainville but the government had yet to develop a relocation and resettlement plan for the people.

Kidu leads mounting criticisms of new law

Source: 

The National, Thursday 22nd March 2012

OPPOSITION leader Dame Carol Kidu has criticised amendments to the Judicial Act, saying it is a knee-jerk legislation by the government to remove certain individuals from the bench.
The law, introduced on Tuesday and passed three times by a vote of 63-7 yesterday, gives parliament the power to refer a judge to the governor-general, who in turn must appoint a tribunal to investigate the judge, who would be suspended from duty.
She said the Constitution and an independent judiciary had been critical factors in holding more than 800 tribes together as a nation until now. 
“The fundamental principles of democracy are enshrined in our Constitution and the separation of powers is one of those fundamental principles.
“If a judge is thought to be out of line in his or her conduct, then certainly he or she should face the consequences as would any citizen but to put the parliament and NEC above the judiciary is completely unacceptable.”
Dame Carol said now there was a higher threshold of scrutiny for judges than for politicians – “one could question which of the two groups of people are trusted and respected more by the people of PNG”.
“To bring judges under the scrutiny of parliament and NEC when they are already under the scrutiny of the Ombudsman Commission will directly compromise the separation of powers as enshrined in our Constitution.
“From that point alone, this bill would surely be unconstitutional and should not have been entertained by parliament.
“There are processes already in place to remove people from public positions if their conduct is in question,” Dame Carol said.
She said parliament was the supreme legislator “but this does not make parliament or parliamentarians in themselves supreme”.
“The Constitution is supreme and if there are problems with the Constitution (as there are), then amend the Constitution don’t undermine it.
“I would challenge the government to now draft a Parliamentary Conduct Bill 2012 and let us have the judges scrutinise the conduct of parliamentarians according to a long list of criteria,” she said.
 

Church expresses ‘shock and disbelief’

Source: 

The National, Thursday 22nd March 2012

By DULCIE OREKE
THE Catholic church expressed “disbelief and shock” after parliament yesterday passed the Judicial Conduct Bill 2012 into law.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands general-secretary Fr Victor Roche said churches “opposed the bill in the strongest possible terms”.
He said the government had not taken the right direction in its decision to pass the new law.
Roche said despite the government having the majority to rule, “the decision further fails to serve the interest of every Papua New Guinean”.
He said the National and Supreme Courts were the highest lawmaking body and it was not good to suppress them.
Any country that “suppresses the conduct of judges of the National and Supreme Courts is in big trouble”.
Roche said there was not enough time for non-governmental organisations, churches and public to gauge their views through a public debate on the law before it was passed.
He said they were pleased with opposition leader Dame Carol Kidu for opposing the bill.
Former chief justice Sir Arnold Amet branded the law as “dangerous and contrary to the independence of the judiciary”.
He said there were universal conventional laws built into the code of ethics for the judiciary and there was no need for any other law.

Sir Arnold questions constitutionality of judicial bill passage

Source: 

The National, Thursday 22nd March 2012

MADANG MP Sir Arnold Amet says the move by the Peter O’Neill-led administration to pass amendments to the Judicial Conduct Bill 2012 is unscrupulous and insubordinate to the Constitution.
Sir Arnold, from the National Alliance Party, expressed disappointment he had been refused to deliberate on the issue on the floor of parliament when the bill was passed into law.
The bill, introduced on Tuesday and passed three times yesterday by a vote of 63-7, gives parliament the power to refer a judge to the governor-general, who in turn must appoint a leadership tribunal to investigate the judge, who would be suspended from duty.
Sir Arnold described it “as a very dangerous pre­cedent that has very serious ramifications on the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law and constitutional democracy and the traditional separation of powers between the three principal arms of government; the legislature, executive and the judiciary”.
“It’s an abuse – it is corrupt.
“This has been coming after five months of continual efforts by the government to suspend the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, to intimidate, compromise, and control the conduct of members of the judiciary,” he said.
He said there were ample provisions already in the Constitution, including consequential procedures, to deal appropriately with Sir Salamo.
He said a legal team “will soon file appropriate proceedings to challenge the constitutionality of the act in court”.

NRI launches booklet to improve teaching

Source: 

The National, Thursday 22nd March 2012

THE National Research Institute has released a new booklet to improve the quality of teachers and their students in remote areas nationwide.
Research team leader and investigator Dr Eileen Honan said the booklet would provide teachers with an effective way to sustain their own professional learning without any assistance.
The booklet showed teachers how to enhance their learning and improve the quality of their teaching.
She said the research was based on a cycle of action that involved teachers identifying the problems they could solve, developing action plans to evaluate their progress.
“By improving the quality of teaching, we can improve the quality of education in PNG,” she said.
Honan said an important part of quality teaching “is ongoing learning where teachers continually work to improve their teaching to achieve better outcomes for their students”.
The booklet was a result of a joint research study completed by the University of Queensland, Australia, NRI and Deakin University.