About James Marape
Prime Minister James Marape delivered a major speech in Parliament during a debate on the Bougainville Affairs Report, emphasizing the importance of respecting the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the Constitution. He said that Parliament must find a solution, stating "if there is a no it must be a no with a yes" and that consensus should be sought. Marape apologized for underfunding the autonomous region since 2001, noting that Bougainville collects less than five percent of its annual expenditure budget. He argued that Bougainville should draw down existing autonomous powers under Section 299 of the Constitution rather than waiting for independence, and he declared that no PNG security forces would enter Bougainville again. Marape also asserted that the United Nations will not define the future relationship between PNG and Bougainville.
On domestic political matters, Marape addressed a court challenge by the opposition and said the opposition
Source: AI-verified profile updated from James Marape's recent appearances.
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✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
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Reporter0:01
Namah was the opposition leader in 2013 when he first filed a Supreme Court application to review the establishment of the detention center, a legal battle that was debated for over three years. Prime Minister, I highly commend you for the decision you made to cancel the contract of a foreign security company, Paladin Limited, on Manus Island asylum center.
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James Marape0:33
Mr. Prime Minister, in 2013 when I was the opposition leader, I actually commenced court proceedings against the state on the Manus asylum seekers center. The now-closed Manus Regional Processing Centre was established through a memorandum of agreement between the O'Neill-led PNG government and Julia Gillard-led Australian Government in November 2012. Between 2013 and 2015, thousands of men seeking asylum were processed at the detention center. In 2016, the Supreme Court in Waigani ordered its closure because it found the centre was established unconstitutionally. It's a five-man Supreme Court decision that ruled unanimously for immediate closure of the Manus asylum seekers centre.
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Reporter1:40
Mr. Prime Minister, we are now asking what are you going to do, as the prime minister of this country, about this illegal and unconstitutional centre in Manus Island? Because even the Paladin security contract is related to the Manus Island asylum seekers centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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James Marape2:00
Prime Minister, this offer of arrangements by the Australian government to relocate the accommodation site of these refugees and asylum seekers to two different locations in Manus: the court order is still active and is in place. And now with the change in the Prime Minister, Vanamo more green revamp in Belton Amma wants to know the steps this government will take to comply with the court order. Prime Minister Harper responded with a promise to give a proper response next Tuesday after he gets a brief on where the PNG government stands with the arrangement. But it's old Parliament: the new government will not dishonor orders issued by the Supreme Court. Little I know, Rafa has been that the previous government led by previous Prime Minister and previous foreign ministers responded in the affirmative and in the positive to the court order that was made, and some steps were taken to ensure that we respond appropriately to the court order. Let us be also mindful that we have a bilateral relationship, and a very important one in this instance, to Australia and PNG. The second census pertaining to the two foreign ministers signing the MOU in 2013, 2014 had its moments of usefulness and reciprocal relationship that both PNG and Australia promised to attend to and respond to. But as found by a Supreme Court, the highest order order given for us to close Manus, our government will stand not to resist that order. I will take a week to get in to ascertain exactly where we are in response to that court order, and this time next week I pledge to report back to this Parliament as to what has happened. If no action has taken place in respect to the court order, we will ensure that correct corresponding executive directions are given to execute the order.
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Reporter4:09
Laguna, national MTV news.
