13 May 2014

Call for PNG lawyers to draw up PNG laws

6:05 am on 13 May 2014

Papua New Guinea's Minister of Communications says PNG lawyers should be drawing up the country's laws, not foreigners.

Jimmy Miningtoro, who is the MP for Central Bougainville, is calling for Australian academic Anthony Regan, to be removed from the country.

He has been involved in drafting legislation for the province's government,

Mr Miningtoro claims Mr Regan is trying to force acceptance of the new mining legislation without consulting the wider community.

He says PNG lawyers have experience in this sort of legislation and the Bougainville government should be using their expertise.

"We should have stopped a Bougainville Crisis, if these laws had been identified properly by Papua New Guinean lawyers. Papua New Guinea people must get a better benefit for everything in the land that they own. So it is only the people of Papua New Guinea that can make the decision."

PNG's Minister of Communications Jimmy Miningtoro.