Paulias Matane

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Paulias Matane bigraphy, stories - Governor-General of Papua New Guinea

Paulias Matane : biography

21 September 1931 –

Sir Paulias Nguna Matane GCL, GCMG, OBE, KStJ (born 21 September 1931) was the eighth Governor-General of Papua New Guinea, serving from 29 June 2004 to 13 December 2010. His memoir My Childhood in New Guinea has been on the school curriculum since the 1970s, and for many years he wrote a column in the newspaper The National.

Notes

Category:1931 births Category:Ambassadors of Papua New Guinea to the United States Category:Governors-General of Papua New Guinea Category:Grand Companions of the Order of Logohu Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Living people Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:People from East New Britain Province

Biography

Personal life

Matane is a Tolai, from East New Britain Province, a native speaker of Kuanua and a staunch United Churchman. He has written 44 books which deliberately use extremely simple English, focusing in part on his own overseas travels, including three on the State of Israel. His writing is intended to persuade Papua New Guineans that books are a useful source of information and that they should not regard them as something only for foreigners.

For many years Matane wrote a column in the Malaysian Chinese-owned newspaper The National, containing advice to the younger generation. He also founded the United News Agency of Melanesia. He, together with Grand Chief the Right Honourable Michael Somare, makes a point of wearing a lap-lap (skirt) rather than trousers.

Career

Matane served as the first Papua New Guinean Ambassador to the United States following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Governor-General

Matane was elected Governor-General by Parliament on 27 May 2004, receiving 50 votes, while his opponent, Sir Pato Kakeraya received 46 votes. Attempts to elect a Governor-General had failed repeatedly for six months before Matane’s election because of constitutional flaws in the nomination process. Following Matane’s election, Kakaraya brought a petition to the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea, seeking to invalidate the election."Further hold-up in finalizing PNG governor-general appointment", Papua New Guinea Post-Courier web site (nl.newsbank.com), 31 May 2004.

Matane was sworn in on 29 June 2004, although the legal challenge to his election was still ongoing."Papua New Guinea governor-general sworn in, legal challenge continues", Radio Australia (nl.newsbank.com), 29 June 2004. He was officially invested as Governor-General by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 October 2004."New Papua New Guinea governor-general officially invested by the Queen", Papua New Guinea Post-Courier web site (nl.newsbank.com), 15 October 2004. He was reappointed for a second term in June 2010, under what The National called "very controversial circumstances […], in an act likely to be challenged in court". Specifically, The National reported that there was "conflicting advice from the speaker and the prime minister" regarding the proper procedure for the appointment, and that the government had Matane reappointed by "using section 87(5) of the Constitution, arguing that the absolute majority secured for Sir Paulias meant that the exhaustive secret ballot vote was not required"., The National, 28 June 2010 The Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ruled Matane’s reelection unconstitutional in December 2010.