26 Jan 2006

PNG Governor Wenge warns Australia not to break law in new ECP

4:31 pm on 26 January 2006

The governor of Morobe says the Papua New Guinea government would be breaking the law if it appoints an Australian as Solicitor-General.

Luther Wenge, who last year successfully challenged the original Enhanced Cooperation Programme is threatening legal action again to stop the appointment.

Mr Wenge says regulations state that the Solicitor-General must have practised law in PNG for five years.

However he says he is not surprised by the latest announcement given the ECP's legal history.

"The view we now hold in Papua New Guinea is that we now see the Australian government and Alexander Downer and his team and Bire Kimisopa, the minister for police here in PNG and Rabbie Namaliu, we see them as lawbreakers."