I’m no designer or anything, but I’m thoroughly distressed that someone at Parliament has seen fit to let L&A Construction lay tiles over the pebbled paving around the Parliament House. Not sure if it matches the look of the place, especially since the pebbled flooring actually goes up the pillars as well and runs throughout the entire walking area of the outside of Parliament House. (At one stage I even dreamed of having my own bathroom floor looking like the pebbled paving at the big house).
But looks aside, wouldn’t it be cheaper to just spray the pavement with a pressure hose to make it look clean again? Won’t the tiles be prone to cracking? Anyway, have a look below and let us know what you make of it?
Masalai blog 
Many of the worlds great architectures bear one hallmark of “greatness” They are left untempered. If there is a need for man to interfere with a country’s landmark of importance, it is to restore. I see no one repainting the Statue of Liberty to make it look lifelike. I don’t see gyprock been put around the steel skeletal structure of the Eiffel Tower because it’s see through. The Washington monument is the tallest freestanding structure in the world. What does this mean? It’s only held together by it’s sheer weight and the original mortar used in it’s two stage construction. So why? WHY must people higher up, think that an original structure, one that is unique to PNG, decide to go with an unnecessary expensive exercise?!!! Port Moresby’s oldest building, the Ela United Church was relocated to Hanuabada where I’m sure it will be left to deteriorate. This is not to say that the Hanuabadan’s don’t take care of things. Authorities don’t seem to care that a city takes on a certain character that is unique and certainly positive when it’s original buildings are taken care of, restored and placed on a national heritage listing because of its significant historical link to the city’s early history. There is no foresight at all. None.
this is ridiculous . hideous . outrageous . Can we get a comment from the Designer of the building !!! he’d be pulling his hair out on this one. Replacing solid pebble floors for cheap & nasty made in china tiles !!! i’ve lost brain cells on this one !!!
Ladies & Gentlement,
L&A Bricklayers are Luciano Cragnolini, Nee Cragnolini & their strange sleeping partner & bedfellow in our one and only Peter ONeill.
The ridiculous Parliament tiles over pebbles job is nothing compared to what other stunts they have pulled and are pulling all over the place in PNG.
Luciano & Nee Cragnolini were in the right place at the right time to do Peter ONeill special favors when he was just a senior Minister in Somare’s Cabinet. Nee Cragnolini in particular saw in Peter ONeill what her husband couldnt see. And so she is one woman who needs to be credited with having the eye to the future in that family.
These days, when her children question what she seeing in ONeill, even ONeill as Prime Minister is out to protect Nee’s vision of what was, what is, and what could be.There is a strange case of one of Nee’s step sons questioning Peter ONeill’s deep commitment to the family a few months ago at Airways, you should have seen the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea flying into a drunken rage, a rage so hot that he reduced the poor young Master Cragnilini to a bloody pulp with his bare fists. How dare this young man make such accusations of dishonour that threatens to render the union asunder!
No, let nothing separate!
In the case of the Morauta House upgrade, a small job of putting a pressure hose to the bricks on the outside rendering of the walls, and a fresh coat of paint job ( say 1 week of scaffolding &4 weeks work at most) extended for over a year, costing the State not K300,000 or K3 Million, but well over K10 Million!. But this job was in breach of the Public Finance Management Act and the Tenders Board laws. It was not tendered. Peter ONeill just gave them the job.
But wait theres more, the job was extended subsequently to include inside renovations to the Morauta Haus! This was never part of the initial scope of works, nor the initial scope of costings. That part of the job was not even tendered again. It is Peter ONeill giving jobs for his family business.
The question is does the Prime Minister has the power to break the laws of PNG? What exactly is the PM’s interest in the L& A bricklayers as a company, and is this an appropriate relationship for the PM of this country to be having in terms of conflicts of interest?
Wait theres even more! Before the elections last year, L& A Bricklayers got another job to renovate the Pom General Hospital immediately after appointing Sir George Junior Constantinou as its Chairman. This was a Prime Ministerial directive. they rendered a bill of costs of more than K6 Million which the State payed immediately, which got pumped into the PNC Party elections, and L&A Bricklayers got given SIRS & LADIES all around!
Someone should ask what K6 Million job exactly did L&A do at the hospital?
They did nothing! Nil! Zero!
Was the job tendered? NEVER!
No wonder L& A is growing and everyone associated in growing!
An expat guy who works for L& A Bricklayers was boasting at a Port Moresby Bar the other day, that he works for Peter ONeill. Asked what he does, he says he works at L& A Brick Layers. He spoke of ONeill glowingly. And when they need a cheque they just ask him for the money and he pays. He said Luciano does not want to touch the money! Thats Nee’s job, and she does it so well!
Well folks what can we say! There is more but I wont bore you. I let you chew of that for now. Papua New Guinea- welcome to transparency and fight against corruption!
I believe this government has got it just right at the anticorruption stakes- at least publicly!
Wow…those are serious allegations Mr. Yabob. If the Ombudsman still has it’s teeth, I’m sure they would be happy to investigate what you’ve just mentioned here. Would you be able to bring this to the attention of TIPNG and the Ombudsman Commission?
TIPNG and Ombudsman Commission would only be able to do anything if there was some hard evidence to act on.
This is outrageous. What the hell is wrong with the pavement for tiles to be laid over it?
Mr Sinai,
whats wrong is this- it will cost less that K50,000 (at the most) to pressure clean it as the gravel ( which Iam told came all the way from Italy) it meant to be cleaned-italian or not!
Its costing the people of PNG over K10 Million to tile it, thus hiding the magnificent “Italian” gravel.
I bet Luciano originally from Italy ( no his father was- Luc was a cane farmer from North Queensland so what would he know about gravel !).
Shame shame shame.
That is appalling – what happened? Why?
Why can’t they leave the authentic pebbles alone to reflect the pillars so there is no disparity? I really can’t comprehend any rationality behind this latest fiasco that L & A and its cohorts seem to be doing to everything and anything Papua New Guinean.