North Fly MP proposes law to criminalise practice of free handouts to people by politicians
North Fly Open MP and People's Reform Party (PRP) founder and parliamentary leader Hon. James Donald has cautioned his people that free handouts are impediments and detrimental to Papua New Guinea's development.
The first term MP expressed that in PNG politics, MPs get voted out if they are trying to teach people and voters the right thing to do because MPs are not entertaining them with rice, tin fish, lamb flaps, coca cola, bus fare, six packs and 'everything'.
"To win voters' favour, you simply feed them, become warehouse and you get elected consecutively for sitting MPs." Donald said.
A concerned Donald revealed that very few of the sitting MPs never won elections using the free handouts mentality to lure voters and they think that this trend must stop some how.
" I am serving a first term and have focused from day one on trying to educate and solve this impediment head on and I am continuing to struggle every day." Donald confessed.
Donald said that it is not easy trying to shift this curve of free handouts away as its really painful indeed but few must continue to advocate and gradually push it away.
"We politicians (111 MPs) must at one stage get to some how stop this crap. We all must together announce to our people and tell them we are not going to be celebrities, Father Christmas and so on."
"We must all agree and say let's stop this and teach our people do a hard job and make them feel responsible too." Donald said.
Donald added that while on other hand elected MPs must do the right thing ensuring all the enablers for the people are provided.
"The enablers we mean putting good use the resources to build roads, bridges, telecommunications, transport, power, airstrips, provide accessible health care, education, water, agriculture, create markets and etc." Donald said.
The Reformist is proposing introducing a law that any politician who is found donating any money/cash must be prosecuted and charged for indirectly influencing bribery, corruption and encouraging people to be lazy.
"The law must also prosecute voters, people or group (s) who just seek free handouts for not doing any genuine work." a frustrated Donald said.
A determined Donald said introducing such laws will also make our people not to expect from leaders they mandated.
"What the people will demand from their leaders will be for good governance, classic infrastructures (all enablers), level of performance and the ranking of their districts, and province's progress to bring the country forward." Donald said.
"We must put an end to free handouts in our country." Donald concluded.
