Nomane said the 48th Independence Day should trigger change in the way government has been running.

 

"In the last 12 months, the country's socio-economic indicators have regressed. 

 

"We just need to look at the lack of jobs, no medicine in hospitals, and the unprecedented crime wave. This is a reality check and an indictment on our ability to manage the nation's affairs as its elected leaders.

 

"All Members of Parliament must be honest and stop the lip  service, stop promulgating clichés, and stop the ill-conceived half-measures that have  worsened the situation for our people. 

 

"In this quagmire, average Papua New Guineans struggle to make ends meet, remain stressed about school fees, are fearful of hospital visits, and are hopelessly limited in options to achieve success. 

 

"How can we expect our people to be more and do more when we have failed to create a conducive environment for them to grow, inspire, and succeed. The time has come for the Prime Minister to take stock of our performance as a government, stop the charade of ‘key performance indicators', and change the Ministers in Cabinet. 

 

"The government has yet to mitigate the nation's youth bulge pandemic, create safe communities, leverage its geopolitical strengths for rapid growth, create mass employment through foreign direct investment, and promote sustainable resource management that gives immediate benefits to landowners.

 

"Why hasn't this already happened? The disparity between the haves and have-nots is untenable. The dismal conditions that pervade society will implode if we keep doing what we are doing now - pretending that everything is alright.

 

"The government cannot continue to pass the buck. We must demonstrate total ownership of the multiple crises affecting us: economic stagflation, health system collapse, high attrition rates in the education sector, a weak electoral process, and an upsurge in violent crimes that threatens to spiral into anarchy.

 

"This 11th Parliament cannot accept this status quo. 

 

"Sadly, through our poor decisions and nepotism we have weakened government institutions and as a corollary we are accelerating the country's pathway to becoming a banana republic."