Job Pomat
{{Short description|Speaker of National Parliament of Papua New Guinea}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Job Pomat
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1960}}
| birth_place = Rossun, Manus Island, Territory of New Guinea
| party = Pangu Party (2022–)
| otherparty = Independent (2020–2022)
People’s National Congress (2007-2020)
| nationality = Papua New Guinean
| alma_mater =
| website =
| years_active =
| office = Speaker of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
| term_start = 2 August 2017
| term_end =
| predecessor = Theo Zurenuoc
| successor =
| office1 = Fisheries Minister
| primeminister1 = Peter O'Neill
| term_start1 = 2011
| term_end1 = 2012
| office2 = Inter-Government Relations Minister
| term_start2 = 2007
| term_end2 = 2011
| primeminister2 = Michael Somare
| office3 = Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
| constituency3 = Manus Open
| term_start3 = 2017
| predecessor3 = Ronny Knight
| constituency4 = Manus Open
| term_start4 = 2007
| term_end4 = 2012
| predecessor4 = Charlie Benjamin
| successor4 = Ronny Knight
}}
Job Pomat CMG (born 1960) is a Papua New Guinean politician. He has represented the electorate of Manus Open in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea on two separate occasions since 2007 and has been Speaker of the National Parliament since 2017.
Early life
Pomat grew up in the village of Rossun on the island of Manus, in what was then the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. His father Peter Pomat, village chief and missionary of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, ran unsuccessfully three times in the elections for the colonial legislative assembly, prior to independence in 1975.
He worked as a technician for various companies before contesting the 1993 provincial election. He served as Speaker and Deputy Governor of the Manus provincial government for two terms.{{Cite web |last=Ingipa |first=Joyce |date=2019-11-07 |title=How Job made it right for late dad |url=https://thenational.com.pg/how-job-made-it-right-for-late-dad/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=The National}}
Political career
Pomat was first elected to the National Parliament at the 2007 general election in the seat of Manus Open, representing People’s National Congress.{{cite web|url=http://www.pngec.gov.pg/resultsNat2007/SummaryResults.htm |title=NATIONAL ELECTION 2007 |publisher=PNG Electoral Commission |accessdate=23 March 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823133021/http://www.pngec.gov.pg/resultsNat2007/SummaryResults.htm |archivedate=23 August 2007 }} He was appointed Inter-Government Relations Minister in Prime Minister Michael Somare’s Cabinet. He then served as Fisheries Minister in Peter O’Neill’s Cabinet.
He lost his seat at the 2012 general election after one term to then-New Generation Party member Ronny Knight.{{cite web |title=NATIONAL PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 2012 |url=http://results.pngec.gov.pg/index.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815045210/http://results.pngec.gov.pg/index.html |archivedate=15 August 2012 |accessdate=23 March 2017 |publisher=PNG Electoral Commission}}
He regained the seat at the 2017 general election and was subsequently elected as Speaker of the tenth National Parliament. As Speaker, he had totems and other artefacts reintroduced into Parliament that his predecessor Theo Zurenuoc had removed in 2013 for religious reasons.{{Cite web |last=Popot |first=Glenda |date=2017-10-19 |title=Parliament totems to be reinstated |url=https://www.looppng.com/node/68167 |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Loop PNG |language=en}}
In 2018, he became the deputy leader of People’s National Congress.{{Cite web |title=O'Neill welcomes three more MPs to PNC |url=https://postcourier.com.pg/oneill-welcomes-three-mps-pnc/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=postcourier.com.pg |language=en-US}}
In 2019, the Australian Financial Review reported that Paladin Solutions PNG, which was awarded government security contracts worth A$423 million on Manus Island, entered into an agreement in 2018 with Peren Investment, a company majority controlled by Pomat’s brothers Kepo, Allan and Polosong Pomat.{{Cite web |date=2019-02-17 |title=Paladin cut deal with family of PNG powerbroker |url=https://www.afr.com/world/paladin-cut-deal-with-family-of-png-powerbroker-20190217-h1bd8m |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}} Job Pomat denied any wrongdoing and that he would have indirectly benefited from the agreement.{{Cite web |title=I have nothing to hide over Paladin Contract, says PNG Parliament Speaker Pomat |url=https://news.pngfacts.com/2019/02/i-have-nothing-to-hide-over-paladin.html |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Papua New Guinea Today |language=id}}
In May 2019, Pomat was criticised for refusing to allow the opposition to introduce a censure motion against Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, and then refusing to authorise a vote on his own removal as speaker.{{Cite web |last1=Tahana |first1=Jamie |last2=Blades |first2=Johnny |last3=Hawkins |first3=Koroi |date=2019-05-28 |title=PNG parliament erupts in chaos as motions are rejected |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/390753/png-parliament-erupts-in-chaos-as-motions-are-rejected |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}} O'Neill resigned the next day, and Job Pomat presided over the election of James Marape to the position of Prime Minister by MPs.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-30 |title=Papua New Guinea MPs elect James Marape to be next prime minister |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/30/papua-new-guinea-james-marape-next-prime-minister |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}
He resigned from the People's National Congress on 22 June 2020 and became an independent to protect his neutrality as speaker and in response to allegations of fraud.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-23 |title=PNG parliament speaker resigns from party |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/419681/png-parliament-speaker-resigns-from-party |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}
In 2021, opposition leader Belden Namah filed an application to the Supreme Court against Pomat which alleged that he had breached the Constitution in his role as Speaker.{{Cite web |title=Court application against Speaker of Parliament to be prosecuted |url=https://postcourier.com.pg/speaker-to-be-prosecuted/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=postcourier.com.pg |language=en-US}} The accusations relate to Pomat’s forced adjournment of Parliament in December 2020 and passing of the 2021 national budget without debate.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |date=2021-02-05 |title=PNG's power plays and political sideshows |url=https://crawford.anu.edu.au/news-events/news/18400/pngs-power-plays-and-political-sideshows |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Crawford School of Public Policy |language=en}}
Pomat won his seat at the 2022 general election as a candidate for the Pangu Party and was re-elected as Speaker of the eleventh National Parliament. As of 2022, he is also the Chairman of Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings, Legislation and National Parliament Committees.{{Cite web |title=Hon. Job Pomat, CMG, MP - Eleventh Parliament of Papua New Guinea |url=https://parliament.gov.pg/index.php/eleventh-parliament/bio/view/manus-district |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=parliament.gov.pg |language=en}}
Personal life
Pomat is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.{{Cite web|url=https://postcourier.com.pg/pomat-opens-new-sda-church/|title=Pomat Opens New SDA Church|last=Nao|first=Kila|date=2021-10-24|website=Papua New Guinea Post-Courier|access-date=2022-09-13}}
Pomat’s contribution and service to the community was recognised by the Queen of Papua New Guinea, Elizabeth II. In November 2019, Pomat was awarded the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George by the Governor-General Bob Dadae.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITHp6B-IvJA Video of Job Pomat's election as Speaker of Parliament] [https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DITHp6B-IvJA archive], EMTV, 2 August 2017
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pomat, Job}}
Category:Speakers of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
Category:Papua New Guinean Seventh-day Adventists
Category:People's National Congress (Papua New Guinea) politicians
Category:Pangu Pati politicians
Category:21st-century Papua New Guinean politicians
Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George