Rimbink Pato
| The Honourable Rimbink Pato MP | |
|---|---|
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| Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration | |
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Assumed office 9 August 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Peter O'Neill |
| Member of Parliament for Wapenamanda Open | |
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Assumed office 23 July 2012 | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | United Party |
Rimbink Pato is a Papua New Guinean constitutional lawyer[1] and politician.
"After a number of attempts", he was elected to Parliament in the 2012 general election, as MP for Wapenamanda, representing the United Party. Despite him being a first time MP, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill appointed him Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration.[2][3] As such, he represented Papua New Guinea in its cooperation with the Australian government's Operation Sovereign Borders, whereby the government of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott systematically deported to Papua New Guinea's Manus Island (and to the sovereign state of Nauru) all asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australian territorial waters.[4][5] Pato was partially chosen for the role of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration due to his foreign education; he completed a bachelor's degree at Glasgow Caledonian University.
References
- ↑ "Fresh talent and new faces in PNG cabinet line up", Radio Australia, 8 August 2012
- ↑ "MPs of the new parliament: members of the Enga Province", PNG Attitude, 10 August 2012
- ↑ Bio sheet, Parliament of Papua New Guinea
- ↑ "PNG to consider resettlement of confirmed refugees", Radio New Zealand International, 23 May 2014
- ↑ "Australia asylum: Group break out of PNG centre amid tensions", BBC News, 23 February 2014
Current foreign ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation | |
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