Deputy Opposition Leader, Sam Basil, opened debate on the floor of parliament today and gave his reasons as to why Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, should be replaced.
Basil outlined major issues covering parliamentary process, the handling of the economy, debates on the 2016 budget, the ICAC bill, and the Gun Summit amongst others.
In his series of points, Basil attacked the Prime Minister over LNG revenue and the allegations levelled against him.
Much of the debate has previously happened outside of the Parliament House; however the opposition had a lot to say on the floor of parliament today.
Basil said the 2016 national budget has not been debated. He also raised concerns regarding budget cuts to church run health agencies and the underfunding of the Electoral Commission.
Matters of PNG’s annual GDP growth and LNG proceeds were also questioned.
In response, the leader of Government Business, James Marape, said that they have reduced spending on non-essential areas, and 90 per cent of Alotau Accord commitments have been achieved.
In light of the recent unrest by students, Basil said there was a lack of parliamentary debates on these issues, with no constructive answers given to the public.
