Allan Bird Raises MAJOR 2027 Election Concerns in Parliament Today

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]Ask him for 105 minute honorable governor.

[00:00:13]Uh thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

[00:00:18]Ask him this question.

[00:00:21]I direct this question to the prime minister Mr. Speaker because it involves uh the responsibilities of two different ministers.

[00:00:30]Speaker, early this year, we held an inquiry into the country's election preparedness for 2027.

[00:00:37]Several important issues arose that require urgent government intervention.

[00:00:43]As you know, we are now 11 months out from the issue of RITs.

[00:00:49]The first question uh which I would like the prime minister to respond to is the delays in the appointment of a permanent electoral commissioner. Could the prime minister inform this house and the people of Paponu Guini as to the reasons why uh we have yet to see the permanent appointment of an electoral commissioner?

[00:01:17]My second question is around the issue of the implementation of uh the special parliamentary committee 70 recommendations.

[00:01:28]Is the government prepared to bring legislation to support some of the recommendations within the remaining 11 months uh of this uh parliament? Mr. Speaker, my third question is, I believe far more important and that surrounds the funding of the 2027 general elections.

[00:01:51]Uh, Mr. Speaker, in our inquiry in 2023, we uncovered that the last election cost the country around 1 billion kina.

[00:02:04]We urged all of the agencies responsible to submit budgets for this year so that a significant part of the funding for preparedness of the 2027 elections would be funded this year.

[00:02:22]From the agencies, we gather that they submitted almost 600 million uh to Treasury for consideration.

[00:02:30]Mr. Speaker, they were only allocated 25% or one quarter of the amount they requested.

[00:02:38]In our recent inquiry early this year, in questioning the Secretary for Treasury, he indicated that they would be sitting down later this year and I assume that should be happening now to consider more funding for the general elections to those responsible agencies and that they would seek NEC approval for this funding which I assume would be somewhere in the tune of 400 million.

[00:03:07]Given the recent response by the minister responsible for I believe rural development uh the honorable Joseph Leilang who informed this house a couple of days ago that 1 billion kina has been cannibalized from the budget uh for fuel subsidies.

[00:03:28]I would like to ask the prime minister to inform the house about where the government plans to find the additional 400 million uh to fund the agencies for their preparedness for the 2027 elections. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[00:03:50]>> Honorable Prime Minister.

[00:03:53]>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May again also how much long question blong uh governor blong is pick important question in relation to uh the elections that is coming up next year where our people will get to exercise their conal section 50 rights to vote for leaders of their choice. Uh Mr. Speaker in ter first question long permanent uh electoral commission uh process mun uh I have issued my instructions to uh chief secretary who reports to me uh that uh try to expedite the process get it completed at the very earliest. The current acting electoral commissioner uh we have uh extended attempt to be uh in acting capacity uh so that M can holong acting capacity until the appointment long permanent electoral commissioner complete. Uh from what I was advised the uh process is almost nearing completion.

[00:05:06]uh once it is complete the electoral commission appointment committee will sit and I I in the midst of many of uh people who try to misconstrue uh what is facts from what is not fact I want to inform this house and the and the country that ele commissioner is not appointed by prime minister prime minister is part of a committee that sits a committee members constitute the opposition leader, the uh chief justice, the public service commission chairman and the opportun commission uh commissioner, chief opportun commissioner, I begg one timel commissioner long country. So the process has been run after this when he got finished all he got interest.

[00:06:10]So when only put him short list of three but come back NC secretary facilitating blood committee pick the best applicant apply come inside. uh so I want this process to be retired a ASAP or Arab tumas because I'm in the interest of all of us to have certainty and leadership over the important conal office and can start making work preparation elections number two question whether processing some recommendations where committee [snorts] working like uh look on committee leadership honorable governor bed one Well, parliamentary committee members only make him good work. Uh those recommendations that we need to plant into parliament from the committee's finding will will will be certainly brought in. We got two or three more parliament sittings this year and we have possibly two sittings next year and I I have called for a meeting uh of all political party leaders. So using this question may also confirm get possibly next week Thursday or Friday bipartisan from the opposite as well as from the government. Uh committee chairman uh governor bet you one time committee member can sit down meeting yim brief from electoral commission as to where they are in terms of preparation for election 2027. So all of us are in in the loop or informed uh at the same place at the same time and uh we all have equal preparations but certainly the recommendations that uh the committee has put forth the body that should carry this in is the uh minister Maser team responsible for the administrative oversight of these consial offices. So uh those are being processed through cabinet process right now as I speak terms of funding uh Mr. Uh speaker last election uh from indication we spending over a billion kina. Uh election is a very expensive exercise too. But uh as we live through a tough financial year once again uh we have faced domestically cyclone he hit him all eastern parts of our country including especially the island island communities. Uh you may you got the issue of fuel price rise externally. Papa Nigini right now through our government subsidy we are second lowest in the Pacific Southeast Asian region terms of fuel price where people pay me at the field bes Australia you look fuel blow double the price of fuel blow PNG double the price of field PNG multangu one light mill pacific island countries they're paying half the price we are paying today but uh we on this side of the house the pango coalition do not feel it offensive and borrowing uh Governor Bett's own word, cannibalize the budget.

[00:09:28]We don't feel it offensive to cannibalize the budget for the sake of helping our people to help our people.

[00:09:34]We might as well cannibalize the budget budget low side budget people seem to help people time him hard time you must help him pocket all >> I keep him light.

[00:09:48]So just like people are pinging money long helping people election important this year you be putting I think 50 million kina in budget whilst they asked for 600 million kina people are putting 50 million kina in budget I've had word out to electoral commissioner electoral commission I need clear visibility on where you are spending this money to expense to clear visibility where you are spending money money headline talk.

[00:10:24]The country deserves for you to tell the country based on your experience in the past.

[00:10:29]This line all cost items and go detail not headline details but go into details of details because we must give money appropriately.

[00:10:40]They too must be prudent in their spending correctly so that we deliver safe fair free election for our people next year. So Mr. Speaker Miller giving belly seal on country. Uh this government will not be sight to resource electoral commission properly but electoral commission not just the commissioner acting commissioner t but the entire institution central office provincial office uh where you got going to come through you know when the ele election come around suddenly so many high car bills and so many things creep in. So we want to get through all itemized cost problem including security cost so that you may use some good government money on correct places and instead of using opportunities like this national events like this for a cash spending activity all conical commission. So funding by giving we can barely see this year budget stop. This is possible supplementary but come up because long issue long fuel and next year budget is stop. So we will make sure that every itemized correctly itemized spending where electoral commission police need him plus security support himself funding is not an issue for illun elections as we've seen in 2022 2017 2012 2007 2002 fail election come up so you like let's play repeat 2027 I think as part of our 50th anniversary going forward. Uh there we must all have a fair go uh election opportunity fair for all parties. All people have a fair opportunity to cast vote. We're looking at the security operators too. Planti uplo Islands especially one day polling creates tension.

[00:12:34]The one day polling creates tension.

[00:12:36]We're in a med to complete voting in one day. Sometimes people second the process. So Mr. Speaker look good. So instead of one day each province must be given a fair opportunity two three days stop good security stop good now instead of block vote or clen vote elector like measure box because he was popular right throughout was able to come through but that's a circumstance forced on our people when you have only one day to vote helicopter brings into remote areas at 11:00 helicopter have to uplift by 2:00 :00 What do you expect a thousand people to do? So they have to say okay agree vote must vote.

[00:13:23]It's about time we break this. So we will make sure security is properly staged and protect that sanction sanctified right of people to vote at section 50. Every person must be given a right to vote in 2027.

[00:13:38]No bllan vote or block vote or can Mr. Speaker go people like James Marava, people like uh honorable Petra pass we are we are equally we are equally popular in our own rights just that you know my brother remember he's okay but me I get stigmatized all the time so we want to make sure that that stigma is removed by popular vote vote two three day vote good policy protect him good man people like him come process one day vote uh one person one vote of what's member of >> speaker you know question time is very limited so prime minister really should focus on the answers >> answering the very clear simple questions rather than going around from Milin Bay to Daru and back again. So please uh time is limit. It's only got one minute left and so please stick to the questions.

[00:14:51]>> Honorable member point is out of border and prime minister.

[00:14:58]>> Mr. Speaker, thank you out of order but I think me one point too. So we giving time just giving us and we will we'll uh and governor bets committee will remain relevant. M stop law position uh committee remain relevant government must prepare election proper so next year me people excising right to vote good you vote now you vote in pangu out position I don't want to be going to the election under seder of doubt we must have a fair voting place for everyone to contest so governor bet's committee will be functional to make sure that we are we we are all doing the right thing going forward Old recommendation you put in penis next week on Thursday or Friday what is good for the country you may process him a 50 year now timely mill of major in politics [snorts] and I give him one greatest gift preparing my people me one person one vote in 2027