24 Facts About Sam Basil

Samuel H Basil was a Papua New Guinean politician.

Sam Basil was a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea from 2007, representing the electorate of Bulolo Open, until his death in 2022.

From 8 June 2019, to August 2019 Basil served as the Treasurer of Papua New Guinea.

Sam Basil served as deputy prime minister until his death in office in May 2022.

Sam Basil was a board member of the Morobe Fisheries Management Authority.

Sam Basil was an unsuccessful candidate for the People's Progress Party at the 2002 election.

Sam Basil was elected to the National Parliament in the 2007 election for the People's Progress Party, and immediately became its deputy leader, with the party in the opposition.

In 2009, Sam Basil was involved in a deal which saw the people of Bulolo District assigned a half share of the provincial government's share of the Morobe Mining Joint Venture.

Sam Basil was a member of the Public Accounts Committee when it reported, in the same month, that only five out of nearly 1000 government agencies had met accountability and transparency requirements, describing it as a "sign of a failed state" and threatening to resign from the committee if prosecutions were not initiated against those who had misused funds.

On 10 January 2011, Sam Basil resigned from the People's Progress Party and joined the Papua New Guinea Party, then the largest opposition party.

Sam Basil was a trenchant critic of Somare in the months prior to the no-confidence vote that ousted Somare in favour of Peter O'Neill in August 2011, repeatedly assailing the government regarding alleged corruption and the state of Somare's health.

Sam Basil was appointed Minister for National Planning in the new O'Neill government on 5 August 2011, and was the responsible minister for new anti-corruption investigative body Task Force Sweep.

Sam Basil filed a court challenge to prevent from sitting while final election writs were returned, which delayed but did not prevent O'Neill from being sworn in for a full term.

Sam Basil organised a rural electrification program back in his own district, which was well-received.

Sam Basil remained in the opposition as its numbers declined to only six by May 2013, as various MPs defected to the government.

Sam Basil was heavily critical of the deal which allowed for the expansion of the Manus detention centre, and was involved in an opposition legal challenge claiming that it was unconstitutional.

In September 2013, Sam Basil was one of only two MPs to vote no on a bill which restricted no-confidence votes, requiring a month's notice and a minimum of 22 MPs.

Sam Basil repeatedly complained throughout much of his second term that he and other opposition MPs were having difficulty accessing their District Service Improvement Program funds, in contrast to government MPs, and was repeatedly praised in media coverage for improving local services in spite of the interference.

In June 2014, Prime Minister O'Neill asked police to investigate Basil and sacked anti-corruption head Sam Koim, claiming that they had colluded to oppose him.

Sam Basil continued as deputy after Don Polye ousted Namah as Opposition Leader in December 2014.

Sam Basil continued to campaign around the interference with DSIP funds of opposition MPs, claiming that past governments had not discriminated against the opposition in the way that O'Neill had.

On 3 May 2016, Sam Basil became Leader of the Opposition after the National Court upheld a challenge to Polye's 2012 election victory, set aside the result and ordered a belated recount of votes in his seat.

Sam Basil was comfortably re-elected at the 2017 election, at which he led a Pangu Party comeback, with the once-dormant party winning a number of seats.

Sam Basil was killed in a car accident on 11 May 2022, one day before election nominations.