Benny Allan

Last updated

Benny Allan (born 1 January 1958) is a Papua New Guinean politician. He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since 2002, representing the electorate of Unggai-Bena Open, variously as an independent (2002) and for the United Resources Party (2002-2012) and People's National Congress (2012-present). He has been Minister for Lands and Physical Planning in the government of Peter O'Neill since August 2012. Allan previously served as Minister for Environment and Conservation under Michael Somare from 2007 to 2011. [1] [2]

Biography

Allan was educated at Goroka High School, Lae Technical College and Goroka Teachers College. He was a high school teacher before leaving to work in the private sector, managing liquor distribution company Negiso Distributors. [1] [3] [4] He was elected to the National Parliament as an independent at the 2002 election, after which he joined the United Resources Party. He served in the opposition shadow ministry under Mekere Morauta from February until May 2005 when he crossed over to the government, becoming a parliamentary secretary in June 2005. [1]

He was re-elected at the 2007 election as a URP candidate, after which he was appointed Minister for Environment and Conservation by Prime Minister Michael Somare. Allan was an advocate for addressing climate change in this capacity, telling the United States at the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference "if for some reason you are not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us and please get out of the way". [5] In February 2008, he stated that three foreign firms had attempted to bribe him with free travel in order to fast-track approvals for their investments. [6] In April 2008, he announced that no further exploration licenses along the historically sensitive Kokoda Track would be approved while the Somare government was in power. [7]

In April 2009, he proposed a national ban on the use of plastic bags. [8] In April 2010, Allan defended controversial laws which sought to protect development projects from delays caused by environmental challenges by preventing departmental approvals from being challenged in court, which had been criticised by some lawyers and human rights organisations as "draconian". [9] In May 2011, in his electorate capacity, he advocated for a total ban on liquor sales in the Eastern Highlands Province. [10] In May 2011, he was one of several government ministers to switch to the opposition and bring down the Somare government, resulting in the election of Opposition Leader Peter O'Neill as Prime Minister. [11]

Allan was re-elected for the People's National Congress at the 2012 election, having crossed to the new governing party led by O'Neill. He was subsequently appointed Minister for Lands and Physical Planning in O'Neill's post-election reshuffle. [12] He faced significant ongoing concerns in this role around corruption in relation to the distribution of land titles. [13] [14] [15] In October 2012, he moved to have the Lands Department collect more than K94 million (US$45 million) in unpaid state land rents. [16]

In March 2013, he announced an investigation into land deals alleged to have been fraudulently acquired across the country. [17] Under Allan, the department subsequently undertook an audit of the extent of land that is under state lease and land under customary tenure in the National Capital District, with the intent to do the same nationally, in order to settle widespread confusion about legal land ownership. [18] In October 2013, he proposed restricting land ownership to Papua New Guineans, with foreign investors to be required to partner with local entrepreneurs. [19] In March 2017, he refused to revoke a subset of leases that had previously been found to be largely fraudulently obtained, and in the face of public controversy resolved to instead convert them to registered land. [20] [21]

Related Research Articles

Don Polye

Don Pomb Polye is a Papua New Guinean politician from Enga Province. He has been a Cabinet Minister under two Prime Ministers, and was briefly Deputy Prime Minister from July to December 2010. He has held Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Transport, Civil Aviation, Finance and Treasury portfolios.

Francis Marus is a Papua New Guinean politician. He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since July 2007, representing the electorate of Talasea Open. He was Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology in the government of Peter O'Neill from July 2016. He was previously the Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament from 2007 to 2012. He has variously represented the Pangu Party (2007–2012), the Papua New Guinea Party (2012–2013), the United Resources Party (2013–2014) and the People's National Congress (2014–present).

Sali Subam is a Papua New Guinea politician. He was a National Alliance member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2007 to 2012, representing the electorate of South Fly Open.

Boka Kondra is a Papua New Guinea politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from July 2007 until December 2016, representing the electorate of North Fly Open, variously as an independent, for the National Alliance and for the People's National Congress. He was Vice-Minister for Mining (2011-2012) and Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture (2012-2016) in the O'Neill government. Kondra was dismissed from office in December 2016 after a leadership tribunal found him guilty of misappropriation charges.

The People's Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea.

James Yapa Lagea is a Papua New Guinea politician. He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since July 2007, representing the electorate of Kagua-Erave Open. He has been Vice-Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS in the government of Peter O'Neill since August 2012. He has variously been a member of the PNG Conservative Party (2007), National Alliance (2007–2010), United Resources Party (2010–2012) and Papua New Guinea Party (2012); although formally sitting in parliament as an independent during his second term, he has been prominently aligned with the People's United Assembly (2012–2014) and the People's National Congress (2014–present).

The United Resources Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea.

The New Generation Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea.

Sir Ano Pala, 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. He is Minister for Justice and Attorney-General in the government of Peter O'Neill.

David Arore is a Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2007 until unseated by a court decision in 2015 and again from a 2015 by-election until 2017. He was Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology under Peter O'Neill from 2011 to 2014.

Charles Abel Papua New Guinea politician

Charles Abel is a Papua New Guinean politician. He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since August 2007, representing the electorate of Alotau Open. He was Minister for Finance and Rural Development in 2019.

Paru Aihi is a former Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2007 to 2012, representing the electorate of Kairuku-Hiri Open. He was Minister for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Research under Michael Somare from March to August 2011 and Minister for Education under Peter O'Neill from August to December 2012.

Tony Aimo is a Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2002 to 2012 and again from 2012 to 2013, representing the electorate of Ambunti-Drekikir Open. He was Minister for Correctional Services under Michael Somare from 2007 until 2011, although he was stood aside for three months in 2010. A long-time People's Action Party member, he was briefly reported to have joined the Papua New Guinea Party following the fall of the Somare government, only to emerge as a member of Somare's National Alliance Party.

Francis Awesa is a Papua New Guinean politician. A former Premier of the Southern Highlands under the old provincial government system, he was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2007 to 2017, representing the electorate of Imbonggu Open. A Papua New Guinea Party member in his first term, he subsequently switched to the People's National Congress after PNC leader Peter O'Neill became Prime Minister in 2011. He was Minister for Transport, Works and Civil Aviation (2011), Minister for Transport and Works (2011-2012) and Minister for Works and Implementation (2012-2017) in the government of Peter O'Neill.

Roy Biyama was a Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2002 until his death, representing the electorate of Middle Fly Open. He was a member of four parties: the Papua New Guinea Revival Party, the People's Action Party, the United Resources Party and the People's National Congress. He served as Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (2003-2004), Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations (2004-2006) and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister (2006-2007) in the Somare government. He had also been Governor of Western Province since February 2017.

Lucas Dawa Dekena is a Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2007 to 2013, representing the electorate of Gumine Open, initially for the National Alliance Party but switching to the Papua New Guinea Party after the 2011 defeat of the Somare government. He was Minister for Lands and Physical Planning under both Michael Somare and Peter O'Neill from 2010 to 2012. His name is spelled in various ways; he is also sometimes referred to as Dawa Lucas.

James Gau Gelak is a Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2010 to 2017, representing the electorate of Rai Coast Open for the National Alliance Party (2010-2012) and Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party (2012-2017). He was also Governor of Madang Province from January 2011 until the 2012 election.

Sam Basil Papua New Guinea politician (1969–2022)

Samuel H. Basil was a Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2007, representing the electorate of Bulolo Open, until his death in 2022. From 8 June 2019, to August 2019 Basil served as the Treasurer of Papua New Guinea.

Bire Kimisopa is a Papua New Guinean politician. He was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2002 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2017, both times representing the seat of Goroka Open. He was Minister for Internal Security (2003–2006) and Minister for Justice (2006–2007) in Michael Somare's third government. He was the leader of the United Party from 2002 to 2007 and leader of the New Generation Party from 2016 to 2017.

Tobias Kulang

Tobias Thomas Kulang is a Papua New Guinean politician. He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since August 2011, representing the electorate of Kundiawa-Gembogl Open in Chimbu Province for the PNG Constitutional Democratic Party (2011–2013), People's Progress Party (2013–2015) and People's National Congress (2015–2017). He was a prominent and outspoken member of the opposition before defecting to the government in November 2013; he served as Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture in the government of Peter O'Neill.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Hon. Benny Allan, MP". National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  2. ↑ "Nominations By Electorate" (PDF). PNG Electoral Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Karani, Lafana out Silupa, Allan enter". PNG Post-Courier. 19 July 2002.
  4. ↑ "ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS PROVINCE 1964–2007" (PDF). Page 1 THE NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA SPECIAL PUBLICATION NO. 65. THE NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Boos drive U.S. backflip on climate road map". The Jakarta Post. 16 December 2007.
  6. ↑ "Minister reveals trips offer". PNG Post Courier. 4 February 2008.
  7. ↑ "New deal to project Kokoda Track, mining plan canned". Australian Associated Press. 23 April 2008.
  8. ↑ "Plastic bag ban to affect vendors". PNG Post-Courier. 29 April 2009.
  9. ↑ "People left powerless' by new resources laws". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 June 2010.
  10. ↑ "MP calls for grog ban in EHP". PNG Post Courier. 4 May 2011.
  11. ↑ "Fallout from Change of Government in PNG Continues". IHS Global Insight Daily Analysis. 3 August 2011.
  12. ↑ "Ministerial portfolios". PNG Post-Courier. 10 August 2012.
  13. ↑ "Lands Minister moves to weed out graft". PNG Post-Courier. 30 October 2012.
  14. ↑ "Auction State land: PM". PNG Post-Courier. 30 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "Northern Governor Juffa calls for stop on illegal land ' grabbing in PNG". PNG Post-Courier. 8 February 2013.
  16. ↑ "PNG Lands Department owed K94 million in rents". PACNEWS. 17 October 2012.
  17. ↑ "Probe underway for land deals". PNG Post-Courier. 14 March 2013.
  18. ↑ "Moving forward". PNG Post-Courier. 19 September 2014.
  19. ↑ "Land Titles to be restricted to Papua New Guineans Only: Minister Allan". PACNEWS. 3 October 2013.
  20. ↑ "PNG govt response to land grab system disappoints". Radio New Zealand News International. 1 March 2017.
  21. ↑ "Controversial PNG leases still not cancelled". Radio New Zealand News International. 2 March 2017.
National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
Preceded by Member for Unggai-Bena Open
2002–present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.