Theo Zurenuoc is new speaker of PNG parliament

KEITH JACKSON

THE WELL-CREDENTIALLED FINSCHHAFEN POLITICIAN Theo Zurenuoc, seen here in casual clobber, was this morning elected as the Speaker of the Papua New Guinea parliament.

Now representing the People’s Progress Party, Zurenuoc was first elected as an independent in 2007, winning the seat by defeating his uncle. The PPP has six members in the new parliament.

Zurenuoc has an impeccable political pedigree, his father Sir Zibang Zurenuoc KBE (1927-2008) also being a parliamentarian and onetime Deputy Speaker,

Zibang had served as a cooperative officer in the colonial public service before being elected to parliament in 1977 as MP for Finschhafen, serving as Minister for Community and Family Services.

When Peter O'Neill became prime minister in August last year, he appointed Zurenuoc as his Minister for Education.

One of the O'Neill government's first announcements was that it would commit funds to providing free primary education to all children in the country, and subsidised secondary education.

At the time Zurenuoc stated that all classes should be in English in primary schools, with classes in indigenous languages abolished, and that outcome-based education should be abandoned, since many teachers considered it to be "suppressive, irrelevant, outdated and not working".

In 2009 Zurenuoc said he supported reserved seats for women in parliament and has consistently held a progressive and nation-building view of his position ion national politics.

He replaces the controversial Jeffrey Nape, defeated at this election, who never seemed to be able to raise the role of Speaker above the hurly burly of party politics.

Comments

[Edzii Kuvem]

I believe he will be the best Speaker.

[John Wali]

Hopefully he brings some respectability to the Speaker's chair after what Nape has done to it.

And we all know what Nape has done.

[D Geveken]

Theo defeated his cousin brother (not his uncle) in the 2007 election.

[Suki Wianomb]

Theo Zurenuoc is a God fearing individual who does not fear or favour anyone!

[Joe Wasia]

This young leader and the newly-elected Speaker of PNG parliament must be not be another Nape who was puppet in the Somare regime.

Play the fair role on the floor of parliament. Congratulations Zurenuoc!