Ottawa, Canada – Parliamentarians from Papua New Guinea want to build on this month’s introduction of legislation to establish an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) by bolstering the oversight role of Members of Parliament (MPs) in preventing and campaigning against corruption. Parliamentarians met last week with Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) Oceania Chair John Hyde in national capital Port Moresby to prepare for the establishment of a GOPAC PNG chapter for interested parliamentarians. “In terms of development, we MPs have to make sure all the available finances are channelled down to where it is going to make the most impact – corruption stops this from happening,” said Hon Malaki Tabar, PNG Member for Gazelle. Mr Hyde praised the initiative of Hon Tabar, Hon Phillip Undialu, Hon Francis Marus and Hon Solan Mirisim and other PNG MPs, including former MP Dame Carol Kidu, who want to establish a GOPAC chapter. “Corruption has prevented Papua New Guinea and many Pacific nations from reaching their full economic and social development potential – MPs have a key role to play in rooting out corrupt practises and mind-sets,” said Mr Hyde, who is a former West Australian MP and chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Corruption and Crime Commission.