The Independent State of Papua New Guinea Does Not Need Incompetent Ministers.
By Allan Bird | East Sepik Governor | PNG Perspective.
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Since entering parliament, I realised that when Government backbenchers ask questions of ministers, in most cases, they pre-planned the whole thing.
The issue with it is that its supposed to be Questions Without Notice. This means, the minister responsible must NOT be forewarned of the impending questions. Questions without notice are intended to test the competence of the minister and his understanding of the portfolio he has been entrusted with.
This week one such staged question occurred between the MP for Ijivitari and the CIS minister.
The minister for CIS then proceded to read a 3 page prepared response to the questions. What is worse was the minister struggled to pronounce the words which were written for him.
I had to raise a point of order which the Speaker agreed that I was correct.
This kind of behavior between Government ministers and back benchers is simply unacceptable and implies that some ministers are incompetent. The Government must employ its best MPs as ministers.
It must not select people on any other basis, whether for political reasons or for regional balance. It must present its best people as ministers who can then best serve our people. If a minister can’t perform then the PM must replace him with someone better.
We are running a country, not a tuckerbox or a roadside market.
Our people deserve the best, we must not insult our people by appointing half baked individuals as ministers because they are our besties or puppets or for any other reason. PM owes our people the best and his appointments of ministers must reflect that.
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Couldn’t agree more. On Point!
Brenda Sanga, you are right. PNG seem to send big men into the parliament with small brains.