Peter O'Neill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter O'Neill
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O'Neill in 2015
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| 8th Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea | |
| In office 2 August 2011 – 29 May 2019 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Sir Michael Ogio Theo Zurenuoc (Acting) Sir Robert Dadae |
| Deputy | Leo Dion Charles Abel |
| Preceded by | Sam Abal (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | James Marape |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 27 February 2012 – August 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Don Polye |
| Succeeded by | James Marape |
| In office July 2010 – July 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Sam Abal |
| Preceded by | Patrick Pruaitch |
| Succeeded by | Don Polye |
| Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea | |
| Assumed office 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Roy Yaki |
| Constituency | Ialibu-Pangia |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter Charles Paire O'Neill
13 February 1965 Ialibu-Pangia, Territory of Papua |
| Political party | People's National Congress |
| Spouse | Lynda May Babao |
| Alma mater | University of Papua New Guinea |
Peter Charles Paire O'Neill (born on 13 February 1965) is a politician from Papua New Guinea (PNG). He served as the country's seventh Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019. He has been a Member of Parliament for the Ialibu-Pangia area since 2002. Before becoming prime minister, he was a cabinet minister and led the People's National Congress party from 2006 to 2022. He stepped down as prime minister to avoid a vote of no confidence, and James Marape took over his role.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peter O'Neill was born on 13 February 1965, in Pangia, which is now part of the Southern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea. His father, Brian O'Neill, was an Irish Australian magistrate, and his mother, Awambo Yari, was from the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. His father moved to PNG in 1949 and worked as a government officer.
Peter O'Neill spent his early childhood in his mother's village. He attended Pangia Primary School, Ialibu High School, and Goroka High School. After finishing school, he studied at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), earning a bachelor's degree in commerce in 1986. He later received an honors degree in accounting from UPNG and became a Certified Practicing Accountant in 1989. He also served as president of the Papua New Guinea Institute of Certified Practicing Accountants. Before entering politics, O'Neill was a partner in an accounting firm and held many leadership roles in various companies, including the PNG Banking Corporation.
Early Political Career
Peter O'Neill began his political journey in 2002 when he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Ialibu-Pangia. He joined the government led by Prime Minister Michael Somare. As a member of the People's National Congress (PNC) party, he became the Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations. In 2003, he was moved to the role of Minister for Public Service.
In 2004, O'Neill left the Cabinet, and the PNC party moved to the opposition. He later became the leader of the opposition. After the 2007 elections, O'Neill rejoined Somare's government as the Minister of the Public Service. In July 2010, he was appointed Minister of Finance. When Prime Minister Somare became ill in 2011, Sam Abal became acting prime minister and changed O'Neill's role to Works Minister.
Prime Minister
Becoming Prime Minister (2011-2012)
In April 2011, Prime Minister Somare became unwell and went to Singapore for medical treatment. Peter O'Neill, then leading the opposition, was elected by the Parliament as prime minister with a large majority of votes. However, Somare and his supporters challenged O'Neill's claim to the position, leading to a period of political uncertainty known as the 2011–2012 Papua New Guinean constitutional crisis. This situation was resolved when new elections were called.
Leading the Government (2012-2017)
In the 2012 general election, O'Neill's PNC party significantly increased its number of seats in Parliament. He formed a broad coalition government, which included three former prime ministers, showing strong support for his leadership.
Second Term (2017-2019)
After the 2017 Papua New Guinean general election, O'Neill's PNC party remained the largest party, allowing him to form the government again. However, the party won fewer seats than before, meaning he had to work harder to build a coalition. He successfully gained enough support to lead the government. Over time, some members of Parliament began to question the government's handling of natural resource projects. As a result, some important ministers, including James Marape, the finance minister, left the government.
Change in Leadership
As more members of Parliament withdrew their support, Peter O'Neill faced increasing pressure to resign. On 29 May 2019, he stepped down as prime minister. This decision avoided a vote of no confidence against him. James Marape then became the new Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.
Key Policies
During his time as prime minister, Peter O'Neill focused on developing Papua New Guinea. He emphasized building new roads and improving other important structures. Two of his main policies were providing free education and free health care for citizens, which he continued after being re-elected in 2017.
PNG's standing on the world stage also grew. The country hosted the 2015 Pacific Games, a major sporting event. Additionally, the capital city, Port Moresby, was chosen to host the APEC summit in 2018, which brought together leaders from many countries.
In August 2011, O'Neill's government also created a new public holiday called Repentance Day, celebrated on 26 August.
International Relations
Australia
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Relations between Papua New Guinea and Australia improved during O'Neill's leadership. They worked together on a plan to house asylum seekers who arrived in Australia on Manus Island. This agreement, however, later faced legal challenges.
Indonesia
Relations with Indonesia were friendly under O'Neill's government. In 2013, he led a large group of business leaders on a visit to Indonesia to discuss trade and border issues. While he always respected Indonesia's control over the West Papua region, in 2015, he spoke out about human rights concerns there. He said, "Sometimes we forget our own families, our own brothers, especially those in West Papua." This showed a new focus on human rights in the region.
APEC and China
Hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in 2018 was a major event for Papua New Guinea. China provided a lot of support for organizing the meeting, especially by helping to build new structures in Port Moresby. The meeting ended without a joint statement from all leaders, which was unusual for APEC. The cost of hosting this conference, including the purchase of luxury cars, became a topic of discussion in PNG. However, O'Neill considered the APEC meeting a success for his country.
Economy
Peter O'Neill's time as prime minister saw a period of economic growth for Papua New Guinea. This was largely due to the start of the ExxonMobil-Total PNG LNG project, which began producing natural gas in 2014. This led to a peak in economic growth for PNG in 2014. The government was optimistic about future income and planned for increased spending, including for public servants and new buildings. However, economic growth slowed down significantly by 2018, partly due to an earthquake and other factors. This economic slowdown contributed to the challenges to his leadership.
After leaving office, O'Neill defended his economic policies. He stated that investigations into some financial arrangements found them to be in order, and that unexpected global price changes affected the economy. He also believed his policies for free education and health care were successful, seeing any problems as management issues rather than a lack of government focus.
Later Political Role
After his resignation, Peter O'Neill continued to be an active voice in Papua New Guinean politics. He remained a Member of Parliament and leader of the PNC party for some time. He often spoke out about the economy and government decisions.
In late 2020, O'Neill was part of a group of former prime ministers and deputy prime ministers who tried to bring a vote of no confidence against the new government led by James Marape. He criticized the government's management of the economy, especially the resource sector.
In the 2022 general election, Peter O'Neill was re-elected to the National Parliament with a strong majority. However, he later stated that he was no longer seeking the position of prime minister.
Personal Life
Peter O'Neill has been married to Lynda May Babao since 1999. They have five children: Brian, Travis, Joanne, Loris, and Patrick. He was recognized for his service and appointed as a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2007.
