Standing orders tested on the floor

 

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, July 17, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

A WAR of words ensued during parliament on Friday when an attempt by the leader of Government Business and Finance Minister, James Marape was made to introduce a new motion to have a constitutional reference for the Supreme Court on its powers to order breaches made by the legislature.

His motion almost brought the house down with the opposition benches vocally protesting and calling on the speaker not to entertain the motion while Marape was moving the motion to adjourn parliament for seven days.

With a point of order made by Sinasina Yongomugl MP Kerenga Kua, the speaker intervened the Opposition MP that he was in total control of the house, which the speaker said he was not going to entertain his point of order.

“The speaker is in total control of this house, we are going by the rules of the orders of the court- anyone should not be panicking in this house.”

“I ask you to remain patient,” the speaker reiterated.

With the leader of government business attempting to moving a motion without notice, taking cue from the statement of the speaker earlier on the his intentions for a special reference on the powers of the supreme court, which Mr Kua raised the implications of such a move through a point of order.

“This is a special purpose seating Mr Speaker, with only one agenda to have the motion introduced and to adjourn,” Kua pointed out.

“That has already achieved with your ruling full stop- there can be no further motion no other agenda introduced.”

“We are now moving away from the purpose of this parliamentary recall into something else, the purpose of this parliament is not to call for the entertainment of any other motion other than to introduce the motion for the vote of no confidence so having made the ruling on already you cannot call for another motion Mr Speaker, that is out of order.”

“To do so will be in contempt of court Mr Speaker.”

With the point of order noted by the speaker he then called on the leader of government business to continue with the adjournment to Friday the 22nd of July.