PNG NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTIONS - MILNE BAY REGIONAL SEAT

 

NA deputy and Kairuku MP Peter Isoaimo and NA candidate Peter Neville in Alotau.

NEVILLES TO CONTEST MILNE BAY SEATS

By JOE GURINA

The Neville brothers in Milne Bay are geared up to contest two separate seats in the province. The eldest, Tim Neville will contest the regional seat.

Tim is not new to politics, it will be some 30 years since he first served as Governor of the province in 1992 and served three terms. He leaves a legacy on the floor of parliament as a power broker in many circumstances when he rose to circumstances of national interest and his province.

The younger sibling Peter, is a first timer who will be vying for the Alotau open seat.

Both will contest the elections under the National Alliance (NA) party ticket with an aim for the party to take control of the Papuan Region under the leadership of Southern Region Deputy party leader and MP for Kairuku Hiri Peter Isoaimo.

Their dad Ron Neville is a pioneer politician who had served the first House of Assembly in 1964-1977. Peter will make it the third in the family’s political history. 

Tim remain an iconic politician of all time, mastering the formation of three governments in a row.

He was an influencer to bargain undisputedly for late Bill Skate to take up the honor for a first Papuan to be Prime Minister in 1997. That was how Tim had left a legacy under his political belt.

Tim was a political fighter on the floor who knew what to address and exemplify what needed to be done on the political front at the national level and the provincial level he represented.

He was the main architecture behind the Chan-Wingti government in 1992 which respect is still accorded to date. He fought tooth and nail on the floor of parliament until his demise in 2007. Tim was a no-non sense politician in his time.

The reason for him to raise his hands again was to steer the ship ‘’MV Papua New Guinea’’ to a brighter direction using his political expertise.

‘’The reason I am contesting is that my heart is crying as to which direction this country is currently is heading.

‘’I have left so many footprints in the province during my tenure as Governor.
‘’Many of you know me, I am not a man that sits back and take things lightly. Over the last 15 years people have been asking me, ‘’where have you been Mr. Neville?’’, he told a recent NA party retreat for candidates in Alotau recently that was witnessed by deputy party leader Peter Isoaimo.

‘’Well my responds to that is, and this is where the other intending candidates in the regional seat use that as a means to try and poison all of your mind.

‘’I will be honest. In 1992 when I became the your Governor, and then the change of the provincial government in 1994, and I’d like to take one pause, because people like Jeffrey Toulobe, under the old provincial government system and Jones Liosi.

‘’At that time they were very, very, distraught and very cranky with me as I was one of the persons with Paias Wingti and Sir Julius Chan in the change.

‘’And this is the first time, Jeffery, I acknowledge, that you have come very close to me in all this years and I appreciate that.,’’ he told Toulobe who was the NA party executive for the province.

‘’As the Governor, I was responsible for the Gurney International flights, Hagita High School, Cameron High School and Alotau Hospital.

‘’The hospital through my efforts, where I had to subsidize the doctors, we had more specialist doctors here in this hospital than all over the country. We had heart specialists, physios, ultrapedic, gynecologists, today they are all gone.

‘’The north coast road, had I been still here, would have been completed today to go up to mountains of Agaun and right up to the boarder of Central province.

‘’Misima hospital, Kiriwina airstrip, Kiriwina hospital and many projects you are all aware of. So when I was put off in 2007, I was really, really angry for the people of Milne Bay.

‘’I said, what are you going to do. You know, you give up your life, and you work hard, you are up there to help the community, doctors, health services, that’s where I have been for the last 15 years,’’ he said.

‘’If many of you are not aware, I was the one behind the formation of the Chan and Wingti government in 1992 in New Guinea Islands.

‘’I also put Bill Skate as the Speaker of Parliament and put him as Prime Minister in 1997. Later on Sir Mekere Morauta, Peter O’Neil, which I was very much in the formation of governments,’’ he said.

‘’On the floor of parliament I don’t take it lightly, even at my fore father late Sir Michael Thomas Somare who used to come and stay with us at Mendi at Southern Highlands when I was a small boy. He (late Grand Chief Somare) used to see me on the floor of parliament when I used to get very cranky and vocal because I am a true Papua New Guinean born here and brought up.

‘’The reason I am contesting is that my heart is crying as to which direction this country is currently is heading and has been by our leaders. Law and order, health services has dilapidated, again abused. I don’t want to see our country derail further,’’ he said.

‘’As Papuans we have always set back, and we talk a lot but we don’t do any prior inspections as concerned. We let other parties in highlands region get on top of us and I don’t intend that. And if I am joining the National Alliance, I want to see National Alliance from the Papuan Region, we take control,’’ he stressed.

‘’My small brother decided to contest not thinking I was going to come back in the last minute and I am backing him 100 percent.’’
His younger brother Peter is more vocal on good leadership and self-esteem to direct better and steady foundation of a society and a family.

‘’The country needed people with common sense, good leadership, strengthening family, strengthening institutions and bringing service to the people.

‘’And it’s not hard, it all comes down to common sense, hard work, integrity and growing our family as my father use to say, ‘’the strength of a family lies on a strong family unit.’’

‘’I started out as a simple mechanic working in Sydney on an apprenticeship through TAFE Australia and through sheer commitment in life became who I am today and want to deliver change for my people of Alotau.

Peter has been the Chairman for Milne Bay Health Authority for 26 years, Chairman of National Airports and Civil Aviation Authority for 13 years, board member on Air Niugini for three years, Ward Councilor in Middle Town for six years and businessman most of his life.

Their dad Ron Neville was a kiap in the colonial era who first landed at Samarai, Milne Bay in 1952 then went to Mosquito Island in Rabaraba.
He was then transferred to Mendi in Southern Highlands then got a promotional transfer as deputy district commissioner to Lae.

Late Ron resigned in 1964 and contested the first House of Assembly seat in what was then known as the West Papua that included Southern Highlands and right across the west of the region. He successfully represented and served the House from 1964-1977.