During Question Time Prime Minister James Marape was pushed to explain the gold refinery proposal.
Abau MP Sir Puka Temu is the second Opposition MP after Opposition Leader Belden Namah who asked a series of questions on the proposal being mooted by the government to cause gold refinery to be done or take place in the country.
During Question Time yesterday Opposition Leader Belden Namah told Parliament the lack of transparency in which the government was pushing the gold refinery proposal was generating controversy.
Namah said:
' In order to ensure the government was kept in check on the proposal to build a gold refinery in the national interest the Opposition will challenge the government in court to stop.
' There are questions yet to be properly answered, before the gold refinery can be considered a good strategy to maximise the gain from the gold production.
The Opposition Leader asked a series of eight questions.
Today, during Question Time Abau MP Sir Puka Temu asked two questions amidst interjection from Mendi MP Michael Nali.
He wanted the Prime Minister James Marape to tell Parliament that the public policy option on the gold bullion refinery was rational and not an absurd step.
Sir Puka Temu asked:
' Can the Prime Minister confirm that the Governor - General already signed off on the proposal without ratification of the Parliament through legislation?'
The Prime Minister told Parliament when he first got elected as MP for Tari his DNA defined who he was.
He said since 2007, the direction he wants PNG to take in terms of the role of the extractive industries in fostering the development path of the country was simple.
' We can get a better deal for our gold, oil, and gas and the time to change the formula is now, or never'.
However, Sir Puka told Parliament the lack of legislation and due process and therefore accountability by the government on the gold bullion refinery proposal is tantamount to treason.
Sir Puka szid the State Solicitor did not have the benefit of becoming involved in vetting the proposal.
In the process of the heated debate on the floor, the Prime Minister used the adjective ' bloody' to reinforce his argument for the gold bullion refinery.
He was asked by the Acting Speaker Koni Ikuan to see withdraw the word as it was against the decorum of parliamentary language.
The Prime Minister said the gold bullion refinery proposal was around for many years including the years Sir Puka Temu was a member of Cabinet which discussed the proposal.
He said there nothing sinister about the idea as made out by the Opposition.
Sir Puka previously served in the Marape/Stevens Cabinet when the controversial K10 million Covid - 19 ' snake oil' cure was approved by Cabinet without his input as Minister responsible for delivering health services to the country.
At the time, Sir Puka Temu said that he was not consulted by Prime Minister James Marape before the “K10 million on research proposals was brought before the National Executive Council”.
In a stunning admission, Sir Puka said Marape had brought the papers for research and presented them to the National Executive Council.
“Without consulting me, the most experienced health minister in this country, he put my name as a co-sponsor and brought the decision to NEC on the so-called K10 million on those research proposals,” Sir Puka said.
Read, here:https://www.thenational.com.pg/temu-overlooked-by-pm/
During Grievances Debate, Chuave MP Wera Mori referred to the Opposition MPs behind the public discourse to stop Prime Minister James Marape on the gold bullion refinery proposal as genuine in their criticism.
However, he said ' it is wrong to say what the Prime Minister James Marape has done amounts to treason'.
The Acting Speaker Koni Ikuan, shortly after 1.40 pm, adourned Parliament to Tuesday next week, 24 November 2021.
(Photo caption: Gold bullion refinery for PNG - Parliament debates heated up on the proposal this week with the Opposition questioning the validity and legality of the proposal mooted by the government; OLBN - during Question Time yesterday sought more clarity on the proposal, which former Prime Minister Peter O'Neill called a ' con - deal' when he interjected to insinuations by Prime Minister James Marape on his role to bring the concept to Cabinet earlier; Abau MP Sir Puka Temu - he asked the Prime Minister to tell the country if all due process of public policy and accountable government including ratification by Parliament were compromised, or not; the big question - the Opposition is seeking court interpretation, so what is the crime? Treason?)
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