The Minister for Petroleum and Caretaker Minister for Energy, Jimmy Maladina, has advised the Prime Minister that he will step aside from his office while a complaint filed against him is heard in an Australian Court. “As has been reported in news and social media, by police in Sydney after an altercation involving myself and another person over the weekend,” Minister Maladina said in a statement today (Sunday, July 7th). “This matter is before the court so there is not a lot that can be said publicly right now.” “I will make the general point that violence perpetrated by either a man or violence by a woman, cannot be tolerated.” “While this matter is being heard, I have advised the Prime Minister James Marape that I will step aside from my ministerial position awaiting the outcome of the court.” “The Prime Minister has agreed to this course of action and we both agree that perceptions and respect for the process are crucial for good governance,” said the 58-year-old Maladina, who is a member of the Marape-led PANGU Pati. He further stated that he has faith in the Australian judiciary to hear this matter independently and objectively. “I further thank the New South Wales Police officers who attended to this matter for the professional way in which they conducted their duties, and they have a process to follow in these matters.” “We will all have our day in court and I look forward to the facts of the matter being presented.”

The first female president of the PNG Olympic Committee (PNGOC), Mrs. Emma Waiwai, has successfully led the annual Trukai Fun Run in Port Moresby, just a week into her new role. Mrs. Waiwai, a veteran sports administrator and president of the Basketball Federation of PNG, was historically elected by PNGOC on June 29th for a four-year term, taking over from Sir John Dawanicura, who served as PNGOC president for the past 12 years. The Fun Run event, sponsored by Trukai Industries and organized by PNGOC, brought together communities, organizations, schools, and individuals in a celebration of fitness, unity, and national pride across Port Moresby, Lae, Kokopo, among the 10 locations nationwide. Held today, Sunday July 7th, under the theme "Our Steps, Their Dreams," the event aimed to raise crucial funds for Team PNG's Olympic preparation and participation efforts. In Port Moresby, the beautiful weather saw a huge turnout of participants of all ages, donning colorful Trukai Fun Run t-shirts and eager to hit the 5km route. The atmosphere was electric with excitement and camaraderie, as the route wound through downtown Port Moresby, offering stunning views of various city landmarks. Among the notable attendees were the French Ambassador Guillaume Lemoine, NCD Governor Powes Parkop, and Mr. Micah James, CEO of the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation. The PNG Olympic Committee, in a social media post, expressed gratitude for their presence and support of Team PNG at the 2024 Trukai Fun Run. In Kokopo, the route started on the Kokopo-Rabaul road, continuing through the Kokopo Golf course and ending back at the starting point. The event was a nationwide success, with funds raised through the sale of K20 Trukai Fun Run T-Shirts, contributing directly to Team PNG's efforts to compete in the Paris Olympics from July 26th to August 11th. Earlier in the week Desmond Kaviagu, PNGOC’s Secretary General, expressed deep gratitude for Trukai Industries Limited’s enduring support. "We are immensely thankful to Trukai Industries Limited for their steadfast support, which has been instrumental in empowering our athletes to strive for excellence and represent Papua New Guinea on the global stage." Since 2000, Trukai Industries Limited has been the proud sponsor of the Trukai Fun Run, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to promoting sports, health, fitness, and national pride. CEO of Trukai Industries Alan Preston, also this week, highlighted the efforts of the organizing committee and host partners. "The Fun Run organizing committee and host partners in each of the participating locations have done a tremendous job to sell the T-shirts and we are anticipating 40,000 people to attend this event." The Trukai Fun Run was supported by sponsors including IBS University, Air Niugini, Theodist, Coral Sea Hotels, Enzo’s Pizza, Trophy Haus, the National, CPL Group, and Vodafone. Last month’s t-shirt auctions in Port Moresby and Lae were a remarkable success, raising K277,500 through the sale of 11,100 t-shirts generously donated by Trukai. Mrs. Waiwai's leadership in the Trukai Fun Run marks a positive start to her tenure as PNGOC President, uniting the nation in a shared goal of supporting Team PNG and fostering a culture of health and fitness.

Alternative Prime Minister nominee and Finschaffen MP Rainbo Paita is strongly urging the government not to sell PNG’s shares in BSP Financial Group, saying that it’s a bad move for the country. In a statement, Paita urged the government and Prime Minister James Marape to reconsider the decision to sell the country’s shares in BSP Financial Group held by Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL). Paita was responding to the National Executive Council’s (NEC) Special Meeting No. 11/2023, Decision no. 94/2023, which opted to sell these shares due to depleted national coffers. However, Paita explains that these shares bring in steady income to support our national budget, highlighting that the people of Papua New Guinea collectively own BSP through shareholdings managed by Kumul Consolidated Holdings Limited (84,811,597 shares, 18.15% ownership) and MVIL (31,243,736 shares, 6.69% ownership). He argued that BSP’s consistent dividend yields, averaging 10% annually, provide crucial support to the national budget, unlike the volatile resources sector. "The state’s BSP shares are valued at K2 billion, yet the Prime Minister seeks to sell MVIL’s portion for a mere K300 million,” Paita said as he criticized the proposed sale. “This hurried divestment is not in the country’s best interest," he said, raising concerns about the sale, and demanding transparency, and further asking important questions about how the sale will be handled, as he maintains that selling the shares is not in the best interest of the people. Paita is urging all MPs to oppose the sale of BSP shares, calling it a vital asset for future generations. He has warned financial intermediaries against participating in the deal, promising rigorous investigation by a new government. "The country demands an immediate and transparent explanation from the Government for this extraordinary decision," Paita said, posing critical questions about the sale process and its implications for MVIL.

Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey is under fire from the Opposition for allegedly failing to address pressing economic issues in Papua New Guinea. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Chuave MP, James Nomane, has accused Ling-Stuckey of diverting attention from real problems by focusing on technical economic terms like "flow" and "stock", and defending his borrowing practices, instead of providing solutions to the country's economic woes. Ling-Stuckey recently accused the Opposition of spreading false information about the economy. However, Nomane argues that the Treasurer's explanations are merely an attempt to showcase his economic knowledge without addressing the everyday challenges faced by Papua New Guineans. The Deputy Opposition Leader urges Treasurer Ling-Stuckey to tackle rising inflation, and job shortages, and to stop interfering with the Central Bank. Nomane demands the Treasurer explain how he will lower the cost of living, create more jobs, and let the Central Bank control interest rates without meddling. He criticizes the government's borrowing, saying funds are being misused, and calls for cutting spending and taxes to fix the economy To expound, Nomane, who is Shadow Minister for Treasury, Finance, Economy, and Rural Development, posed three critical questions that he insists Ling-Stuckey must answer. First, Nomane wants to know how the Treasurer plans to tackle the soaring inflation rates, highlighting the skyrocketing price of a 10kg bag of rice from K50 to K100, causing a significant burden on households across the country. "What will the Treasurer do about the rising cost of living affecting everyone in Papua New Guinea?" Nomane asked. Second, Nomane questioned the employment situation in the country, because despite claims of economic growth, many people, including university graduates, are struggling to find jobs. "Where are the jobs that should come with the supposed economic growth Ling-Stuckey claims?" Nomane queried. He emphasized that economic growth should naturally lead to job creation, but this has not been the case, contradicting economic principles like Okun's Law. Okun's Law is an observed relationship between a country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) GDP and employment levels 12345. GDP is the total value of goods and services produced in a country As for Okun’s Law, it was coined by economist Arthur Okun, and it predicts that a 1% drop in employment tends to be accompanied by a drop in GDP of around 2%. The law describes how changes in unemployment impact economic growth, with a 1% reduction in unemployment leading to a 2% rise in GDP. Third, Nomane criticized Ling-Stuckey for interfering with the Central Bank, arguing that the Central Bank needs to be independent to effectively manage interest rates and control inflation. "Why is the Treasurer meddling with the Central Bank? It should be focused on reducing inflation without interference," Nomane stated. Nomane also took issue with the government's borrowing practices under Prime Minister James Marape, accusing them of wasting funds on unnecessary spending through programs like the CONNECT PNG Program, which he describes as the (alleged) "Con-act PNG", as well as discretionary spending at Treasury. He pointed out the lack of tangible benefits from this borrowing, questioning the absence of new world-class hospitals or schools since 2019. "Our (Opposition’s) diagnosis has revealed that all the borrowing under Marape has been pumped into discretionary spending. This nonsense needs to stop," Nomane declared, and proposed strict measures to cut spending and taxes as a solution to the country's economic problems. Nomane called on Ling-Stuckey to address these concerns directly and stop making videos attacking the Opposition, further urging the Treasurer to provide clear answers and take meaningful action to address the economic issues affecting Papua New Guineans. In a final remark, Nomane referenced a recent parliamentary session where Governor Bird gave Ling-Stuckey a can of tinned fish and a Snax biscuit as a symbolic lesson. "Stop deflecting and talk about issues that matter to the people of Papua New Guinea," Nomane urged.

The abolishment of private sector cheques has been rushed, says PNG National Party Leader & Sinasina-Yongomugl MP, Kerenga Kua. He says it is disappointing that the Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) has officially phased out cheques on June 30, without proper scrutiny and debate from Parliament. The phasing out of cheques has pushed many Papua New Guineans and businesses to use alternatives instead. “I still maintain that the phasing out of an important banking tool like cheques and should have been brought into parliament by way of a bill to be debated, and passed if agreed,” Kua said in a statement. “While I have no problem with our banking system moving toward the use of digital alternatives in due course, I still feel our country needs more agreement for such a move and a big shift should require the backing of parliament.” “What mandate does the Central Bank have to decide the fate of the very instrument which drives the economy?” “What other third-world countries in the world have done this,” Mr Kua questioned, stating that it is ‘merely an instruction by the Central Bank with no binding regulation’, and does not stop future governments from bringing back bank cheques. “The Parliament has had zero say on this issue, other than questions without notice last year.” “I also add that cheques can be classified as a type of bills, under the Bills of Exchange Act, so in my opinion, only Parliament should decide for the abolishment of cheques given it is a major paradigm shift in our banking system.” Kua further asked BPNG to further clarify how binding this decision is, and to liaise accordingly with the Treasurer to ensure ‘making decisions in the best interest of the country’.

Papua New Guinea is reeling from a fuel crisis that, according to Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Chauve MP, James Nomane, is a deliberate, man-made catastrophe, allegedly driven by greed and political manipulation. Nomane has called for the Prime Minister to address critical questions regarding the crisis. The Deputy Opposition Leader, who is the Shadow Minister for Treasury, Finance, Economy, and Rural Development, said the root of the crisis appears to be a conflict between Puma Energy and the Central Bank, raising concerns about the State's directive for Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL) to act as a de facto Central Bank. He said this move has led to speculation about whether the Central Bank has exhausted its US Dollar reserves, with further questions about the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in restricting the Central Bank, potentially causing kina devaluation and inflation. Nomane has highlighted troubling connections between key political figures and entities involved in the crisis, further demanding clarity on the relationship between Prime Minister James Marape, Hela Governor Philip Undialu, Hela Investments, Arafura Energies, and Puma Energy, over serious claims that Hela Provincial Government is using taxpayer and landowner funds through Hela Investments and Arafura Energies to allegedly meddle in the fuel industry without fulfilling contractual obligations, leading to significant financial losses. Nomane also raised additional questions about the role of Petroleum and Energy Minister Jimmy Maladina, who is accused of pressuring Puma Energy and acting beyond his regulatory powers to benefit Arafura Energies. It is alleged that the Prime Minister directed KPHL to intervene to prevent a US$6 million loss for Arafura Energies, raising concerns about how KPHL will recover these funds. The situation is further complicated, allegedly by Arafura Energies' failure to meet a second order, potentially incurring penalties and damages totaling US$11 million, which Nomane insists is imperative to determine whether the State or Hela Investments will bear these costs. He said these serious allegations point to possible impropriety and demand an immediate investigation.

Opposition Leader, Douglas Tomuriesa’s Supreme Court case regarding the Vote of No Confidence (VoNC) motion returns on July 19 at the Supreme Court in Waigani. This follows directional orders made this morning (Monday, July 1) by Justice Derek Hartshorne sitting as a single Supreme Court judge. The directions are part of the process towards a substantive hearing date. The short hearing this morning follows last Friday's unanimous decision by a 5-men Supreme Court bench led by the Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika declaring Mr Tomuriesa as having the legal standing to bring this Supreme Court application for the high court's interpretation. On Friday Mr Tomuriesa, accompanied by the Deputy Opposition Leader James Nomane, Sina-Sina Yongumugl MP Kerenga Kua, and other Opposition members, including the Alternate Prime Minister nominee Rainbo Paita. A happy Mr Tomuriesa spoke outside the court room, welcoming the decision, addressing the public. "Our people of Papua New Guinea, the case now will move to substantive hearing and we as the opposition will be moving very fast to make certain that it is presented to the Supreme Court within this week or possibly next week (today) so that we can advance the VONC court decision on what we think is an unfair decision by the government," he said Minister for Justice and Attorney General Pila Niningi also spoke to the media, congratulating the Opposition Leader on the court ruling. Minister Niningi said we must respect the rule of law and the court processes. However, he said his objection to competency application was on foot and he will pursue it. The Opposition Leader welcomed the Minister's remarks, stating: "At this juncture I would like to thank the Attorney General, the Minister himself, when he came before me to speak to you, he stated that they respect the court's decision, and they would like to see that this case moves forward." " I think that is very, very important."

Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa said today that the Opposition remains committed to Court rules and processes and will maintain its mandated duties outside the courthouse. This was his only comment following the Supreme Court directions hearing this morning before Justice Derek Hartshorn. Today the issue deliberated was on the appropriate time needed for the interveners to the Vote of No Confidence case to file their statements in response to the substantive case, after a full bench ruled in favour of the Opposition Leader on Friday, June 28th. The interveners are Speaker of Parliament Job Pomat and the Attorney General who is also Justice, Minister Pila Niningi. Order 4, Rule 25 of the Court Rules gives the interveners 14 days to serve their statements in response to the substantive case. However, Justice Hartshorn this morning truncated that period, proposing to meet the parties halfway and ordered that the Interveners have until Thursday 11th July to file and serve their response, and on being served, the Opposition Leader has until Thursday 18th July to file his reply. The case next returns on Friday 19th July for further directions.

The Defence Council, which consists Minister for Defence Dr. Billy Joseph as Chairman, Defence Secretary Hari John Akipe, and Acting Chief of Defence Force Commodore Philip Polewara, are reviewing the final draft of the Defence Bill 2024. Minister Joseph said the Defence Counil were presented with the final working draft of the Defence Bill 2024 yesterday (Thursday, June 27) from the legal team reviewing the Defence Act 1974 and Defence (Amendment) Act 2009. After thorough review, the Bill, which aims to modernize the PNG Defence Force and enhance national security, will proceed to the National Executive Council for Parliament's endorsement “The Defence Council will now take time to read through the Bill before taking it to the National Executive Council for endorsement by Parliament’ and ‘if this Bill wins the approval of the Parliament, it will become the Defence Act 2024,” Minister Joseph said in a statement today (Friday, June 28). He further commended the legal team - made up of lawyers from the Defence Organisation and the Office of the State Solicitor – for their dedication and expressed confidence in the Bill's approval following extensive consultations and stringent reviews. “The success of this Bill will produce an Act of Parliament necessary for the growth and modernisation of the PNG Defence Force and Department of Defence, consequentially improving our Defence Organisation and National Security." “This Bill is being put forward following wider consultation of stakeholders and numerous internal consultations within the Defence Organisation. Work on the Bill started in 2022 and I am happy that it was put through intense quality check and critiquing,” Minister Joseph said. “The Bill went through a stringent review process in meeting all the necessary requirements and I am confident it will receive the support required from the NEC and the National Parliament.”

This news just in! A unanimous decision this morning from the 5 men Supreme Court bench that Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa does have the legal standing to bring the motion of no confidence vote to Court. The decision handed down at 9:50am. More details on the 12pm news on Legend FM, Yumi FM and Nau FM or follow PNG HAUSBUNG for more on this story.

The Defence cooperation between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia has been elevated to another level with the announcement of 12 new armoured personal carriers (Land Cruisers) to be delivered in October this year to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF). Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph in a statement described these vehicles as a lighter version of the Bush Masters armoured vehicles used by the Australian Defence Force (ADF). They will be used by the PNGDF and Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) for internal security operations. The support was announced by Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles alongside Minister Joseph while attending the 30th PNG-Australian Ministerial Forum in Port Moresby this month. According to DPM and Minister Marles, the Australian Government will also fund the refurbishment of the Air Hangar for the PNGDF Air Transport Wing (ATW) at the Jacksons Airport in Port Moresby to provide an operation space for both PNGDFand the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Minister Joseph in his statement said the announcement for provision of the armoured vehicles is based on a request he made to the Australian Government and the ADF, in his first meeting with the Australian High Commissioner John Feakes in February this year. The Minister made this request following the lessons learnt from the February 10 riots and looting in Port Moresby and the other urban centers around the country. Both Ministers are impressed with the ongoing activities under the bilateral defence cooperation program and committed to work together in strengthening the close relationship shared between the two countries. The defence minister thanked the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and the Government of Australia for adding more value to the bilateral defence partnership, which underpins the two countries' bilateral relations. “On behalf of the Government, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Richard Marles and the Government of Australia for the strong partnership and their continued investments and strategic interventions in addressing some of the capacity and capability issues faced by the PNGDF with the recent announcement of support." Minister Joseph noted the provision of the armoured vehicles a welcome news for PNG and will serve the need to use them in specialized operations like counterterrorism and riots in the country. "In as far as "strategic trust" is concerned; Australia must trust PNG to protect its domestic security interest and vice versa for our mutual benefits." "Therefore, building the capacity of PNGDF to acquire critical skills and assets to perform its constitutional duties is the way forward in our relationship," Dr. Billy said. With the refurbishment of the ATS hangar by Australia, Minister Joseph indicated that the PNGDF will now focus on building the PNGDF Air Capabilities - procurement of both new and used fixed and rotor wings from Airbus (French), which is being discussed with support from the French government representatives. "The final decision on arrangement procurement will be made in the next few months," Minister Joseph said.

A five men Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika will deliver their ruling today on whether the Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa has legal standing to bring the Supreme Court application relating to the Vote of No-Confidence motion. The Opposition Leader, along with Deputy Opposition Leader James Nomane, SineSine Yongumugl MP Kerenga Kua, and several other Opposition members including Alternate Prime Minister nominee Rainbo Paita were in court to hear the outcome of Thursday's hearing. After the judges sat down, Greg Sheppard, senior counsel for Mr Tomuriesa, told the court that an objection to competency had been filed by the Attorney General Pila Niningi, however the court was of the view that it was an 'eleventh hour' application because it was filed and served just Wednesday afternoon. The court also said the issue at hand was on legal standing, and the objection related to the merits of the application, which they were not at that stage yet. Legal counsel for Speaker of Parliament was also berated for handing in extracts of their submissions on Thursday in court without asking for leave from court to do so. Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika told him it was contemptous in nature, when consensual directions was for these to be filed on a previous date. As the morning progressed, the judges kept on asking both counsels for the Speaker and the Attorney General, who was also present in court, to provide one reason as to why the Opposition Leader had no legal standing. "I need to hear one reason, one reason, I'm asking for only one reason, not ten or twenty, just one." Counsel for the Speaker offered up a 'he is a busy body' reason to which the Chief Justice reminded him that the Opposition Leader was a member of Parliament, and as Opposition Leader, had a duty to speak on matters of national importance such as the debate on the VONC issue. Dane Mel, legal counsel for the Attorney General argued that the laws, rules and processes of the VONC motion has already been interpreted and set in a previous similar precedent case - 2016 case Polye vs Zurenoc. However Justice David Cannings said that line of argument was going into the merits of the case, in which the Opposition Leader in his grounds wants to know if these precedent was breached in this current VONC motion. After over an hour, the court reserved its ruling for this morning, Friday June 28th at 9:30am. Outside the court, Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa appealed to the public to remain calm, and allow the process to be heard. "We ask that you restrain from anything that you may want to do with regards to this case." "This is before the courts, and let's respect the courts and allow the courts to make their decision." "I want to thank our lawyers, I want to thank the Deputy Opposition Leader, Hon. James Nomane, the Alternate Prime Minister nominee, Hon. Paita, Hon. Kerenga Kua, and all the Opposition Members, Members of Parliament who are here with us, who continue to support our case." "We feel comfortable." "There's no pressure on our end, and we will allow the wisdom of our lawyers to take us through." "I call upon again the people of Papua New Guinea that we are standing up strong for our country and we'll make sure that there is a better Papua New Guinea and a better new generation of this nation." "We thank God for all the blessings for this nation." "And we know that through God alone, all things are possible for this nation." "And thank you again, many of you, for waiting for us." His lawyer Greg Sheppard told media that he did not want to say anything. "I don't want to predict the outcome for today." "So let's just possess ourselves in patience and wait." The Attorney General Pila Niningi, who is also the Justice Minister, along with his legal counsel also spoke to the media, stating that if the court does not declare the Opposition Leader, as having legal standing, then that would be the end of the case.