Scott Morrison cancels trip to PNG amid political crisis

Scott Morrison has cancelled a trip to Papua New Guinea following mass defection.

Several MPs of the Papua New Guinean party crossed the floor on Friday and voted to suspend parliament. Picture: Twitter

Scott Morrison has cancelled his upcoming trip to Papua New Guinea after being asked by the island nation’s leader, James Marape, to postpone the visit.

The Prime Minister will still meet with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo next week as planned.

“Prime Minister Marape contacted the Prime Minister and asked him to defer his visit, and the Prime Minister was happy to do so,” a government spokesman told The Australian.

Mr Morrison was due to visit Port Moresby next Wednesday on the way home from a trip to Japan, where he was going to ­announce a new $142m loan to PNG and an Australian bailout of Pacific airlines.

However, a mass defection of ministers and MPs on Friday from Mr Mar­ape’s ruling coalition to the opposition benches, apparently in support of former prime minister Peter O’Neill, forced a rethink of the trip.

This is the second time political chaos in Port Moresby has prevented Mr Morrison from visiting the country.

He was due to visit PNG after the election last May but went to the Solomon ­Islands instead after Mr O’Neill was ousted as the nation’s leader.

It is understood Mr Morrison will return to Canberra after visiting Japan.

He will isolate for 14 days and attend Question Time via videolink.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and wife Rachael during a visit to Cherrybrook Technology High School in Sydney in July, 2019. Picture: AAP

PNG’s opposition numbers swelled to the point where it was able to adjourn parliament until ­December 1, with a 57-39 vote against the Marape government.

Mr Marape was under pressure to resign amid threats of a vote of no confidence in his leadership when parliament does resume.

The move will defer the handing down of the country’s 2021 budget, which was due to be unveiled next week amid dire financial forecasts.

Mr Marape had promised to “take back PNG” and make it the “richest black Christian nation on earth”.

But he struggled to do deals on key resource projects with multinational miners, leaving the country’s economy in crisis.

Mr Morrison was due to announce the $142m budget support loan and the rollover of an existing $442m loan during his visit to Port Moresby, heading off Chinese ­offers of assistance.

The refinanced loan and new funding will be made available ­directly from Australia’s Treasury, unlike the previous arrangement that channelled funds through ­Export Finance Australia.

The Prime Minister was also set to announce a rescue package for regional Pacific airlines, including PNG’s national carrier Air Niugini, which have been hammered by the COVID-19 crisis.

The Prime Minister was due to visit PNG after his election last May but went to the Solomon ­Islands instead after Mr O’Neill was ousted as the nation’s leader.

Mr Marape said on Friday afternoon that his leadership was “not over until it’s over”.

“I am happy this divide is taking place so (the) country can now know who (the) patriotic PNGeans (are),” he said in a Facebook post.

“I am not finished in politics yet, now or into the future.”

Mr Marape said he saw no reason why Mr Morrison should cancel his November 18-19 visit.

“If he wants to come, he will come; if not, it’s all right,” he said.

Opposition Leader Belden Namah said Mr Morrison’s trip was “highly suspicious” and should be deferred.

Mr Morrison told Sydney radio station 2GB on Friday afternoon that he still intended to visit PNG but “you monitor events as they unfold”.

Senior government sources said the trip now appeared ­“tenuous”, given that Mr Morrison did not want to appear to endorse either side in PNG’s domestic political dispute.

At least nine government ministers abandoned Mr Marape’s government, including former deputy prime minister Sam Basil.

Mr O’Neill’s camp told The Weekend Australian that the former prime ­minister was not putting himself forward for the top job at this stage, with the role to be discussed between opposition parties.

Lowy Institute Pacific program director Jonathan Pryke said Mr Marape had struggled to achieve policy wins in government.

“Marape was strong on rhetoric but far weaker on delivery.

“It seems a lot of MPs have had enough of the inaction,” Mr Pryke said.

“Unless there’s quick resolution here, I can’t see any way Prime Minister Morrison could, nor would want to, fly into the middle of this.”