| The Right Honourable Grand Chief Sir Paulias Matane GCL GCMG OBE KStJ |
|
|---|---|
| Matane at the Ramoaaina NT Dedication at Molot Village Duke of York Island | |
| 8th Governor-General of Papua New Guinea | |
| In office 29 June 2004 – 13 December 2010 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Michael Somare |
| Preceded by | Jeffrey Nape (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Jeffrey Nape (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 September 1931 [1] East New Britain, Papua New Guinea |
| Spouse(s) | Kaludia Matane |
Sir Paulias Nguna Matane GCL, GCMG, OBE, KStJ (born 21 September 1931), formerly a career civil servant, was the eighth Governor-General of Papua New Guinea from 29 June 2004 to 13 December 2010.
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Matane is a Tolai, from East New Britain Province, a native speaker of Kuanua and a staunch United Churchman. He has written 44 books in deliberately extremely simple English, focusing in part on his own overseas travels, three on the State of Israel, 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 the advice to the younger generation. He also founded 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.
Matane served as the first Papua New Guinean ambassador to the United States following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.[2]
A longstanding person of celebrated (albeit perhaps largely self-promoted) prominence — his memoir My Childhood in New Guinea had been on the school curriculum from the 1970s and he for many years wrote a column in the Malaysian-owned newspaper The National — Sir Paulias was elected 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.[3]
Matane was sworn in on 29 June 2004, although the legal challenge to his election was still ongoing.[4] He was officially invested as Governor-General by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 October 2004.[5] 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".[6] The Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ruled Matane's reelection unconstitutional in December 2010.[7]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jeffrey Nape Acting |
Governor General of Papua New Guinea 2004–2010 |
Succeeded by Jeffrey Nape Acting |