Loujaya Toni

The Honourable
Loujaya Toni
MP
Minister for Community Development, Religion and Family Affairs
In office
9 August 2012 – 10 August 2014
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill
Succeeded by Delilah Gore
Member of Parliament
for Lae Open
Assumed office
13 July 2012
Preceded by Bart Philemon
Personal details
Political party People's National Congress Party

Loujaya Toni, born Loujaya Kousa in Lae[1] c. 1966[2] and still going occasionally by that name, is a Papua New Guinean politician, poet and singer.[3]

Poems which she wrote as a schoolgirl were published by the Education Department, earning her a description as "PNG's youngest poet".[1] In 1985, under the name Loujaya Dunar, "she launched a string of solo gospel music albums", beginning a career as a singer / songwriter. Most notably, she wrote the song "Keep the Fire Alive" and performed it with the group Tambaran Culture at the 1991 South Pacific Games in Port Moresby.[1] A qualified journalist, she has also taught as a part-time tutor at the University of Technology in Lae.[1]

She stood unsuccessfully for election to the National Parliament in the 2007 general election.[4] After a master's degree in communications in 2012,[1][2] she stood again, in the general election that same year. Representing the Indigenous People's Party,[5] she stood in the constituency of Lae, the capital of Morobe Province and the second largest city in the country, against the incumbent MP: her uncle Bart Philemon, veteran politician, outgoing Minister for Public Service, previously Minister for Finance and "widely respected economic reformer".[2] She defeated him and won the seat, as one of the only three women elected to Parliament that year (with Delilah Gore and Julie Soso), out of 111 MPs.[3] Despite being a first time MP, she was appointed Minister for Community Development, Religion and Family Affairs by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, and joined his People's National Congress Party after the election.[6]

In December 2013, she controversially supported the actions of Parliament's Speaker Theo Zurenuoc, who had "removed and badly damaged" several carvings adorning the interior of Parliament and representing Papua New Guinea's diverse indigenous cultures. Zurenuoc considered the carvings to be contrary to Christianity. Toni, speaking up in support of the destruction, indicated it had been carried out on advice from an Israeli Christian evangelical movement, whom she had met. Stating that the carvings represented "idol gods", she added: "The Government declares that the God of Israel is the God of PNG. […] I thank God for the Speaker Theodore Zurenuoc for the cleansing of the House". Prime Minister O'Neill condemned the destruction, ordered it stopped, and publicly denied Toni's claim that it had been authorised by Cabinet: "There is no truth in that. Cabinet didn’t give approval for anything to be removed from the National Parliament. The Minister has no authority to speak for Cabinet".[7][8][9][10]

In August 2014, Toni resigned from the government to serve as interim chair of the Lae City Commission. She was replaced as Minister for Community Development by Delilah Gore.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "New PNG MP Loujaya Toni – a life of music, politics & poetry….", Pacific Women in Politics, 24 July 2012
  2. 1 2 3 "PNG tally of women MPs rises to two and counting", Sydney Morning Herald, 25 July 2012
  3. 1 2 "Poet and firebrand finds herself in good company", Sydney Morning Herald, 1 September 2012
  4. ↑ "Her story: Loujaya Toni", International Women's Development Agency
  5. ↑ "New MP calls for respect of PNG Parliament", PINA, 24 July 2012
  6. ↑ "Hon. Loujaya Kousa, MP", Parliament of Papua New Guinea
  7. ↑ "PNG union want Zurenuoc arrested for destroying public property", Radio New Zealand International, 16 December 2013
  8. ↑ "PNG Speaker removes images from Parliament as "ungodly"", Radio Australia, 6 December 2013
  9. ↑ "Controversial removal of artefacts at PNG parliament continues", Radio New Zealand International, 13 December 2013
  10. ↑ "Bizarre turns to weird as heritage destruction continues", PNG Attitude, 12 December 2013
  11. ↑ "Sacked PNG Minister back as cabinet Minister, MP steps down, takes on new role", Islands Business, 11 August 2014
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