Carol Kidu
{{short description|Papua New Guinean politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Dame
| name = Carol Kidu
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|DBE}} {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AO|}}
| image = Carol Kidu - NAIDOC Week (cropped).png
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| smallimage =
| smallimage_alt =
| alt =
| caption = Kidu in 2017
| order =
| office = Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
| term_start = 1997
| term_end = 2012
| parliament = Papua New Guinea
| constituency = Moresby South Open
| predecessor = Albert Karo
| successor = Justin Tkatchenko
| birth_name = Carol Anne Millwater
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1948|10|10}}
| birth_place = Shorncliffe, Queensland, Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Melanesian Alliance Party
| spouse = Buri Kidu
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| profession = School teacher
}}
Dame Carol Anne Kidu {{post-nominals|country=AUS|DBE}} {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AO|}} ({{née}} Millwater ;{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/stories/s1296065.htm|title=Lady Carol Kidu in conversation|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|work=ABC Queensland|date=4 February 2005|access-date=6 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103011148/http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/stories/s1296065.htm|archive-date=3 November 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} born 10 October 1948), also known as Carol, Lady Kidu,{{cite web|url=http://www.panscript.com.au/birthdays.html|title=Pan's Script - Birthdays|accessdate=28 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216184356/http://panscript.com.au/birthdays.html|archive-date=2017-02-16|url-status=dead}} is an Australian-born Papua New Guinean politician.
Kidu was the only female Member of Parliament in the 2002–2007 and 2007–2012 National Parliaments, and served as Minister for Community Development under Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare from 2002 until 2 August 2011, and as Leader of the Opposition from 15 February 2012 until her retirement from politics in July 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200809/s2368156.htm?tab=latest|title=PNG senators 'thrilled' by Kompaon Paralympics silver|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|work=Radio Australia|date=18 September 2008}} She was the leader of the Melanesian Alliance Party until her retirement.{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/07/14/1026185142096.html|title=How a Brisbane girl became PNG's first white female MP|publisher=The Age|first=Mark|last=Forbes|date=15 July 2002}}
Born in Shorncliffe, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, she relocated to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea after marrying Buri Kidu, who was knighted in 1980 upon his appointment as the first indigenous Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea. Lady Kidu became a teacher and wrote school textbooks.{{cite web|url=http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=17750/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl|title=A FIGHTER WITH A DIFFERENCE: Dame Carol Kidu: Our 2007 Person of the Year|publisher=Islands Business|first=Samisoni|last=Pareti|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211204653/http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace%3DMiddleMiddle/focusModuleID%3D17750/overideSkinName%3DissueArticle-full.tpl|archivedate=2007-12-11}} In 1994 her husband died of a heart attack.
Political career
Lady Kidu entered politics in 1997, standing as an independent candidate in the parliamentary elections, and was elected Member of Parliament for the Port Moresby South constituency. She was re-elected in 2002 and 2007. In 2005, she was reportedly considered for the position of Deputy Prime Minister, but stated that she would not be interested in it.{{cite web|url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=17143|title=Dame Carol Kidu rules out PNG deputy prime ministership|publisher=Radio New Zealand International|date=3 June 2005}}
In August 2011, the government of Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal (standing in for Somare while the latter was hospitalised for a serious heart condition) was brought down by a parliamentary motion, and Kidu lost office.[http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/21728 "O'Neill is PM"], The National, 3 August 2011[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-p/papua-new-guinea.html Cabinet of Papua New Guinea] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813024602/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-p/papua-new-guinea.html |date=August 13, 2011 }}, CIA Factbook, 18 August 2011; accessed 10 August 2014.
In January 2012, Kidu, a long-serving minister in the Somare government, distanced herself from those involved in attempts to overthrow Prime Minister Peter O'Neill’s government but stated that Somare's removal from power in August 2011 was illegal.{{cite web|url=http://wilgpacific.org/2012/02/dame-steps-up-as-one-woman-png-opposition |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140812031328/http://wilgpacific.org/2012/02/dame-steps-up-as-one-woman-png-opposition |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-08-12 |title=Dame steps up as one-woman PNG opposition |author=Jo Chandler |author-link=Jo Chandler |publisher=Space on the Mat }} At the same time, she announced her intention to sit as the opposition leader in parliament, in order to hold the Peter O'Neill-led government to account.{{cite web|url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=65813| title=PNG: Dame Carol Kidu wants to lead opposition| author=Radio New Zealand International| publisher=Radio New Zealand International| date=30 January 2012}}
Kidu proposed forming a one-woman opposition and, in the absence of other contenders, to be recognised as Leader of the Opposition. Somare's party refused to take up opposition seats so as not to concede the legitimacy of the Peter O'Neill government.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/dame-steps-up-as-onewoman-png-opposition-20120128-1qnbs.html#ixzz1mHJgzJ7y| title=Dame steps up as one-woman PNG opposition|author=Jo Chandler|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=29 January 2012}}
On 15 February, Speaker Jeffrey Nape recognised her as leader of the Opposition, of which she was the only sitting member. She is the first woman to occupy that position. She stated she would use her remaining time in Parliament to consolidate the role of the Opposition for the future, hoping to obtain parliamentary staff for the Opposition, and a change in parliamentary procedures to strengthen it.[http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/qldborn-woman-new-png-opposition-leader-20120215-1t5g1.html "Qld-born woman new PNG opposition leader"], AAP, 15 February 2012; accessed 10 August 2014.
Kidu has been outspoken in her criticism of the controversial Judicial Conduct Law, rushed through by the O'Neill Government and Speaker Jeffrey Nape, which empowers the government to suspend judges. Questioning the judgment of the Speaker, Dame Carol called for a legislative reform that would require that the speaker be non-partisan and cannot be a serving MP. The Speaker accused her of contempt {{Clarify|date=August 2014}} and targeted her for investigation.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/png-speaker-accuses-leading-mp-of-contempt-20120412-1wwoz.html|title=PNG Speaker accuses leading MP of contempt|author=Jo Chandler|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=13 April 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=67571| title=PNG government amendment to Judicial Conduct Act|author=Radio New Zealand International|publisher=Radio New Zealand International|date=17 April 2012}}
Kidu chose not to re-contest her seat of Moresby-South in the 2012 general election and retired from politics at the end of her third term in July 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/png-farewells-a-great-dame-20120516-1yqii.html|title=PNG farewells a great dame|first=Jo|last=Chandler|date=16 May 2012|publisher=smh.com.au|accessdate=28 December 2016}} She is also a member of the High-Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)[http://www.icpdtaskforce.org High-Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development], ICPDtaskforce.org. Accessed 19 December 2022. and sits on the board of the Pacific Institute of Public Policy and the Nationwide Microbank.[http://www.microbank.com.pg/about_us/board.html Nationwide Microbank], microbank.com. Accessed 19 December 2022.
Awards and commendations
Carol, Lady Kidu was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in January 2005.London Gazette, 31 December 2004, p. N33 In February 2009, she was made a knight of the Légion d'honneur by France, for "her dedication to helping women, young girls, children, the physically and mentally impaired and her commitment to fighting discrimination".{{cite web|url=http://www.ambafrance-pg.org/article.php3?id_article=575|title=Décoration de Dame Carol Kidu|publisher=French embassy to Papua New Guinea|date=12 February 2009|language=French|access-date=14 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625210942/http://www.ambafrance-pg.org/article.php3?id_article=575|archive-date=25 June 2009|url-status=dead}} The first citizen of Papua New Guinea ever to receive this award, she accepted the award on behalf of the people of Papua New Guinea.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ambafrance-pg.org/IMG/pdf/Speech_of_Dame_Carol_Kidu.pdf |title=Dame Carol Kidu's speech upon receiving the Légion d'honneur |publisher=French embassy to Papua New Guinea |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914102025/http://www.ambafrance-pg.org/IMG/pdf/Speech_of_Dame_Carol_Kidu.pdf |archivedate=14 September 2009}} Kidu was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2023 Australia Day Honours for "distinguished service to human rights, to community development, and to international relations".{{Cite web |date=2023-01-25 |title=Australia Day 2023 Honours: Full list |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-day-2023-honours-full-list-20230124-p5cf79.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}
In 2007, the magazine Islands Business named her "Pacific Person of the Year", in recognition of her efforts towards poverty alleviation, against domestic violence and child abuse, against HIV and AIDS and in favour of women's empowerment.
Dame Carol Kidu received the PNG International Woman of Courage Award from the Secretary of State of the United States of America in 2007. She has received honorary doctorates from Vudal University (Rabaul, PNG), the University of Queensland (Australia) and the University of Papua New Guinea in recognition of her services to the people of Papua New Guinea.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{s-bef|before=Albert Karo}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for Moresby South Open|years=1997–2012}}
{{s-aft|after=Justin Tkatchenko}}
{{s-vac|last=Belden Namah}}
{{s-ttl|title=Leader of the Opposition|years=2012}}
{{s-aft|after=Belden Namah}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kidu, Carol}}
Category:Australian Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Officers of the Order of Australia
Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour
Category:Government ministers of Papua New Guinea
Category:Leaders of the opposition (Papua New Guinea)
Category:Melanesian Alliance Party politicians
Category:Members of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
Category:20th-century women politicians
Category:21st-century women politicians
Category:Women government ministers of Papua New Guinea
Category:Women members of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea