Alotau MP & NGOs take on illegal loggers

Good on you Isaac Taitibe MP, the Alotau representative in the PNG National Parliament.! Good on you EFF and Greenpeace...Go you good things!

PNG Post Courier Tuesday 14 June 2005

MP asks Chief to sack Pruaitch

ALOTAU MP Isaac Taitibe asked the Prime Minister during Question Time on Friday if he (Sir Michael Somare) would sack Forest Minister Patrick Pruaitch.
This was in relation to Mr Pruaitch “taking sides with foreign loggers and forgetting the interest of his own people”.
Mr Taitibe asked several questions but Speaker Jeffrey Nape directed the Prime Minister to answer only the last question.
Mr Nape said: “As some of the questions hinge on government policy, I will ask the Prime Minister to answer the last question (only).”
The Prime Minister had started answering Mr Taitibe’s questions but after the Speaker interjected with his direction, Sir Michael said in pidgin “em bai nogat” (it will not be possible) and resumed his seat.
The Alotau MP’s other questions to the prime minister were:
* SINCE it was the prime minister who gave notice of the forestry amendment Bill, would he have it withdrawn in the light of widespread opposition to it?
* DID the prime minister realise that the amendments would legalise illegal activities already subject to widespread community concerns and were of far worse nature than prior to the Barnett inquiry? and
* WHAT would happen to landowner environment and royalty claims brought against logging companies that were before the courts? That those pushing the Bill were doing so to exclude landowners from being consulted, thus making the claims void.

Source: The National, Tuesday 14 June 2005

Protest in Parlt

PM walks out in anger over logging protestors in House

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

ANTI-LOGGING campaigners took their protests all the way to the Parliament chambers on Friday, angering Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare when they stood up in their yellow shirts bearing anti-logging slogans in the public gallery in support of the Opposition's questions against the proposed amendment to the Forestry Act.
Sir Michael slammed their action, describing it as disrespectful to the "sacred house" and amounted to contempt of Parliament.
Since Forest Minister Patrick Pruaitch gave notice of the amendments in the last sitting of Parliament, the protesters have been camping at the mouth of the road in Waigani leading to Parliament with banners and placards urging MPs not to support the changes to the Forestry Act.
On Friday, they caught everyone by surprise. Wearing shirts to hide their yellow T shirts, they slipped under the guard of the Parliament security, took up places in the public gallery, and reacted in unison by standing up and removing their covers to expose their yellow shirts when Alotau MP Isaac Taitibe asked questions to the Prime Minister relating to the proposed amendments.
The Prime Minister took offence that the questions were drafted by the protestors for a Member of Parliament to read and when the Prime Minister was answering, the protestors removed their shirts to show their t-shirts.
"I just saw some people who walked in front of the Parliament who removed their shirts to show t-shirts. These are members of the environment group," he said.
The Prime Minister said if people want to protest or demonstrate, they have to demonstrate outside and the authority of Parliament must be respected.
"They come in here, write questions and give them to Members of Parliament to ask and when the member asks to remove the minister, they showed their t-shirts. This is contempt of Parliament," Sir Michael said in a raised voice.
Sir Michael said such behaviour that was practice in other countries should not be brought into PNG Parliament.
"If you go to our 'hausman', you show respect and you leave and express you frustrations outside and not come into this Parliament to express those frustrations," he said.
The Prime Minister accused them of misusing their freedom, adding that most have not read the proposed amendments properly.
He asked Members of Parliament to read the propose legislations and consult with Parliament lawyers before asking questions.
"Some of us just get out of bed and come and blow our tops here. We get questions from somebody and just read it, find out properly first before you come here and ask questions," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Sir Moi Avei backed the Prime Minister, accusing the protesters of being misled by institutions of the Western world.
He said Brazil, Gabon and PNG were the last remaining rainforest areas of the world, and the United States and Australia have logged their forest to build their country.
Sir Moi said the question to be asked was the hypocrisy of the western world.
"We have been told by certain institutions that Papua New Guinea has to behave in a certain way, while the same people have not seen fit to sign the Kyoto Protocol," he said.
The Prime Minister and most of his ministers left the chamber after criticizing the protesters, much to the ire of Usino/Bundi MP Peter Yama.
Mr Yama raised a point of order and complained to the Speaker that the Prime Minister and his ministers should be called back listen to members' grievances.
But Speaker Jeffrey Nape said there was nothing in the Standing Orders that gave him powers to order them back. Mr Yama walked out in protest. Only 11 MPs were present when Parliament adjourned for a week.

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Pruaitch will not be removed: PM

FOREST Minister Patrick Pruaitch is a haus kapa (permanent building) and will not be removed, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare has declared.
He gave the short and firm reply to Alotau MP Issac Taitibe who accused Mr Pruaitch of failing to uphold the interests of the people and the laws and asked whether he would be removed from office.
It was the only question allowed by Speaker Jeffery Nape for the Prime Minister.
He disallowed other questions from Mr Taitibe who pointed out that Sir Michael had been pushing globally for a global coalition of rain forest nations on carbon trade.
"While we are pleased with this initiative, we are baffled by the government's inability to deal with serious concerns over its failure to implement environmental laws especially the PNG Logging Code of Practice which requires logging companies to conduct their operations with respect," he said.
He said Sir Michael gave notice in the last sitting that Mr Pruaitch would introduce a Bill to amend the 1991 Forest Act.
"In the last few weeks, there has been widespread calls from landowners and NGO's in PNG and overseas to withdraw this Bill," he said.
Mr Taitibe said former chief justice Sir Arnold Amet had also described the Bill as unconstitutional illegal and flawed as it would remove landowners, provincial governments and local MPs from consultation on the allocation on timber permits.
"It also removes civil liberty groups from contributing," he said.
He also asked what would happen to the environmental and royalty compensation claims, totaling millions of kina, brought against logging companies and were now before the courts.
Mr Nape ruled that the questions were out of order as they sought the prime minister's opinion on government policies.