Ano Pala

Ano Pala, KBE CMG ISO^[1] (born 15 September 1952) is a Papua New Guinean politician. He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since 2007, representing the electorate of Rigo Open (in Central Province). He is Minister for Justice and Attorney-General in the government of Peter O'Neill.^[2][3]

He was elected to the National Parliament at the 2007 election and was initially a member of the National Alliance Party. In May 2010, he was appointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice in Prime Minister Michael Somare's Cabinet, replacing Allan Marat who had resigned after breaching Cabinet solidarity by criticising government policy. Pala had, until then, served as parliamentary secretary to Dr Puka Temu, the Minister of Lands and Physical Planning and Mining.^[4][5][6] In July 2010, he was one of four ministers to defect to the Opposition in an unsuccessful attempt to bring down the government,^[7] but later rejoined the government ranks and was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs.^[8]

At the start of August 2011, he again defected to the Opposition, and this time helped to successfully bring down the government in a parliamentary motion of no confidence. Peter O'Neill became Prime Minister, and appointed Pala as his Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration.^[9][10]

Pala had previously served as parliamentary clerk, but resigned that position to stand (successfully) for Parliament in the 2007 general election.^[4][11]

In 2009, he publicly supported Eastern Highlands Provincial Governor Malcolm 'Kela' Smith who petitioned the government to "intervene to protect our citizens of [sic] the action of Asian businessmen", who he claimed had "exploited locals" by selling "cheap goods and counterfeit products", and by forcing employees to work long hours for low wages. Pala added that locals should be assisted in setting up their own businesses: there was a "need to support our education system, to create some of the basics of how to make money, how to run a business and how to understand the commercial and business system in the schools".^[12]

In January 2012, he joined Don Polye's new Triumph Heritage Empowerment Rural Party.^[13]

Honours

In the 2001 New Year Honours, Pala was appointed to the Imperial Service Order, for public service.^[14]

He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2007 Birthday Honours for service to the National Parliament and to sport.^[15]

Pala was knighted in the 2020 Birthday Honours, being appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire "for services to the Community and to the Parliament of Papua New Guinea."^[16]

References

1. "Page 35 | Supplement 58362, 16 June 2007 | London Gazette | the Gazette".
2. . National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
3. (PDF). PNG Electoral Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
4. "PNG gets new Attorney General and Justice Minister". Radio New Zealand International. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
5. "Ano Pala replaces Marat as PNG attorney general" 26 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, The National, 7 May 2010
6. , Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 22 March 2010
7. "PNG govt splits, four ministers defect", The Age, 19 July 2010
8. "OUSTED MINISTER: PNG FLOPS ON FOREIGN RELATIONS", Post-Courier, 19 July 2011
9. "16 first time MPs get into Cabinet" 23 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Post-Courier, 9 August 2011
10. , CIA Factbook, 18 August 2011
11. "Sacked A-G 'breached cabinet solidarity'", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 7 May 2010
12. "Some PNG MPs show support for anti-Asian sentiment", ABC Radio Australia, 20 May 2009
13. "New party launched" 27 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Post Courier, 24 January 2012
14. Papua New Guinea list: "No. 56074". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2000. p. 36.
15. Papua New Guinea list: "No. 58362". The London Gazette (5th supplement). 15 June 2007. p. 35.
16. "Birthday Honours List 2020 – Papua New Guinea". The London Gazette. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2022.