Qld-born woman new PNG opposition leader

15 Feb 2012, 6:00 pm   -   Source: AAP
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As the leader and only member of PNG's opposition, Queensland-born Dame Carol Kidu has a tough fight on her hands to change the status quo.

Papua New Guinea's first female opposition leader, Brisbane-born Dame Carol Kidu, says she will use her remaining months in office to reform how non-government MPs are treated.

Less than six hours after being recognised by Speaker Jeffery Nape as PNG's only opposition member, Dame Carol says she is attracting support, with between "five or six" MPs willing to join her in the coming days.

As opposition leader, Dame Carol fills a position that has been vacant since the August 2 parliamentary vote that ended the nine-year-old government of Sir Michael Somare and installed Peter O'Neill as prime minister.

A 15-year veteran of PNG's convoluted political scene, Dame Carol told AAP she wants to restructure the way the opposition is staffed in PNG before she retires at the June 2012 election.

"I want to work from that and look at how we can strengthen the opposition," she said.

"I was surprised to find out there was no permanent staff for the opposition."

A change in parliamentary procedures to strengthen the opposition would be necessary for the smooth running of PNG's 36-year-old democracy.

A case in point, Dame Carol said, was that for six straight months Mr Nape refused to acknowledge the former Somare government minister during question time.

That changed on Wednesday, when Dame Carol asked her first question of Mr O'Neill on the legality of electorate boundaries for open, provincial and proposed women's electorates.

However, Mr Nape refused to let the prime minister answer.

"Under section 141, the opposition leader is asking for legal opinion," Mr Nape said. "I will not allow the prime minister to answer questions."

Dame Carol said she has held discussions with a number of MPs who are willing to join her in opposition and expects to make announcements in the coming days.

She said two were from the Somare faction, while others were government MPs.

MPs loyal to Sir Michael currently occupy the non-aligned middle benches.

Dame Carol announced two weeks ago she would sit as opposition leader. However, Mr Nape said he would not recognise her on Tuesday when parliament resumed for its February session.

A former community development minister in the Somare government, in December Dame Carol faced down as many as 70 MPs loyal to Mr O'Neill who had stormed a police barricade demanding to be signed into government by Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio.

As MPs demanded the Somare loyalist leave, Dame Carol retorted, "I have every right to be here", and stood her ground amid a heavily armed police presence.

Dame Carol has changed some of her views on her former Somare government allies, splitting with them on a decision in January to order a military mutiny in order to have themselves reinstalled in power.

She says she was not consulted when Sir Michael's cabinet approved Colonel Yuarra Sasa's attempted removal of the army chief, Brigadier General Francis Agwi.

"It was madness, I had had enough of it" she said.

"I had been with the Somare faction for so long I was uncomfortable with the military intervention.

"I wanted to disassociate myself with that."

Dame Carol is a strong supporter of bills designed to give women up to 22 seats in parliament.

Later, Mr O'Neill congratulated Dame Carol on taking up the post.

"This is historic in nature, our first female opposition leader in the country, and we congratulate you for your achievement.

"This government has huge confidence in the ability of our women, and that is reflected in you."

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