Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Belden Norman Namah said on Thursday that he has not and will never incite any protest marches during this COVID-19 Pandemic but said he is not surprised that such moves are afoot.
Speaking from his Vanimo Green River electorate, Mr Namah said: “There is no need for me or anybody else to incite the public to protest.”
“Prime Minister James Marape is doing enough inciting on his own with his confusing policy signals, his mismanagement and his draconian orders.”
“Marape has announced that vaccination is not compulsory but then he came out supporting a ‘NO JAB, NO JOB’ work place practice of the private sector.”
“Now the entire public sector is promoting ‘NO JAB, NO JOB’, making it government policy by default.”
“NO JAB, NO JOB’ has increased the number of the unemployed adding to the 3,600 Porgera Gold Mine workers out of work when Marape closed the mine and the 7,000 forestry workers unemployed when Marape increased log export taxes from 35 percent to 59 percent and the many thousands who could have been employed at the construction phase of Papua LNG if it had not been delayed by Mr Marape as well as the delayed start up of the Wafi Golpu Mine.
“And now more than 1000 mine workers and employees in Lihir Gold Mine have tendered in their resignations because of this so-called ‘NO JAB, NO
JOB’ work place safety.
‘There are no political interests behind the protests.”
“You are seeing people react to a situation where their rights and freedoms are being taken away and thrashed.”
“l have said this on the floor of Parliament and I say it again. Our *FREEDOMS* are God given at birth and must be respected. The Right of
FREEDOM is an UNQUALIFIED Right at birth. Hence, the Right to FREEDOM of Choice is also an UNQUALIFIED Right.
“Therefore, nobody be it governments or corporations can take that away from us. We have the freedom and liberty to choose.
“People are protesting the removal of that basic right to choose. This is not like the polio or measles vaccines where you get one jab that covers you for
life.”
“The COVID-19 vaccine does not fully protect you or stop you transmitting the virus to others. It requires a second booster shot. ln countries like Denmark, England and lsrael where government has lifted all restrictions infection is spiking, especially among those fully vaccinated, pacing the way for third booster shots.
Where does the booster jabs stop?
“Our people must have a choice to choose whether or not to be vaccinated. That choice is a God given freedom that must be respected.”
“Right now the government is gambling our people’s rights and freedoms. It is allowing companies to attract people to vaccinate by offering rewards and prices.”
“Government is allowing coercion of workers by allowing ‘NO JAB, NO JOB’.”
“There is an added element that the government does not seem to realise. The protests are also signs of a build up of frustration by a desperate population who are hungry and without means of support. They cannot get assistance from a government which has grown remote, uncaring and wasteful.”
“lf the Prime Minister, his COVID-19 Pandemic Control Team, his Cabinet of Ministers, and his band of ‘yesah masta’ followers think the protests coming from
the population are politically orchestrated, then they are so far removed from the realities faced by our people.”
“They are so far removed from the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the impact of their own confused policies and mismanagement upon the lives of our people. They are blind to the fact that they are removing our people’s freedoms and allowing private interests to make money the expense of our people’s freedoms.”
“l am warning them as I have been right from the beginning: COVID-19 which has taken less than 400 lives that we have counted so far will be nothing when a hungry and frustrated population turn to panic.
“There is absolutely no capacity to contain a panic once it starts. It will become national in scope. The damage toll of such a calamity cannot be imagined and yet all the red flags are up for it to happen.
“The government has got to come up with humanitarian relieve for our people and businesses with about the same urgency as it is in trying to roll-out COVID-19 vaccinations.”
“It has to stop copying the policies and measures of other countries and develop our own which is suited to our socio-economic and demographic features.
“The government needs to buy sago from rural Sepik, kaukau from the rural highlands, yam from the Trobriands lsland and taro from rural Morobe and ship
them to urban centres throughout PNG. This will distribute COVID-19 funds fairly and widely and alleviate starvation. lt will create business and excitement. lt will tell us if this nation is self sufficient in terms of food security.
“Finally and needless to repeat, James Marape has to stop the blame game that is now such a prominent feature of his administration.
“He is still blaming the O’Neill government that he was the principle economic minister of for PNG’s economic woes two and a half years after he has taken over.
What has he done in that time?
“He is now looking for scapegoats to blame for mismanaging the biggest health emergency in this country.
“The people of this country know what is going on. They are not stupid. They have a confused government which is mismanaging scarce resources, putting them out of jobs and taking a no-care and police-state strong-arm attitude.”