{{Short description|Acting governor-general of Papua New Guinea}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Sir | name = Bill Skate | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCMG}} | image = Bill Skate.jpg | caption = | order = Acting | office = Governor General of Papua New Guinea | term_start = 20 November 2003 | term_end = 3 March 2004 | monarch = Elizabeth II | prime_minister = Michael Somare | predecessor = Silas Atopare | successor = Jeffery Nape (acting) | order1 = 6th | office1 = Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea | monarch1 = Elizabeth II | governor_general1 = {{plainlist| * Wiwa Korowi * Silas Atopare }} | term_start1 = 22 July 1997 | term_end1 = 14 July 1999 | predecessor1 = Julius Chan | successor1 = Mekere Morauta | birth_name = William Jack Skate | birth_date = {{Birth date|1953|9|26|df=yes}} | birth_place = Papua New Guinea | death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|1|3|1953|9|26|df=yes}} | death_place = Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | party = People's National Congress Party | alma_mater = | spouse = Lady Rarua Skate }}
'''Sir William Jack Skate''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCMG}} (26 September 1953 – 3 January 2006) was a prominent Papua New Guinea politician. He was the son of an Australian father and a Papua New Guinean mother. Though his career was turbulent and often marked by setbacks, he served in the highest posts in his country: prime minister of Papua New Guinea, speaker of the National Parliament, and as acting governor-general of Papua New Guinea.
== Life == Before entering politics, he graduated from university as an accountant.
Skate became manager of the capital district commission in 1987. He was elected to parliament in 1992 and served as speaker from 1992 to 1994, supporting the government of Paias Wingti.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}
Skate served as governor of the National Capital District from 1995 to 1997.
== Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea == He was prime minister from 1997 to 1999.
After the 1997 elections, it was initially expected by some observers that Prime Minister Michael Somare would become Prime Minister. However, negotiations between Somare's National Alliance party and Skate's People's National Congress party broke down as neither leader would concede the premiership. Skate then formed a partnership with Pangu and the People's Progress Party.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Wesley-Smith |first=Terence |title=Papua New Guinea |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/7a984234-b771-4959-8ade-e9ff3bdcbae7/content |journal=The Contemporary Pacific |issue=Fall 1998 |pages=446–455}}</ref>
Skate became prime minister on 22 July 1997, defeating the coalition of former Prime Minister Michael Somare.
In the final months of the government of his predecessor, diplomatic efforts were made to reach a non-military solution to end the Bougainville conflict, which Skate endorsed. The Burnham Truce was announced on 10 October 1997, where key factions in the Bougainville conflict, with the exception of Bougainville Revolutionary Army leader Francis Ona, agreed to an interim truce, and to work towards a formal agreement to put forward a permanent truce. In November 1997 the Truce Monitoring Group began to be deployed in Bougainville.<ref name=":1" />
On 26 November 1997, two tapes released by a former government adviser, Australian businessman Mujo Sefa, were broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. One tape purportedly showed Skate authorizing bribes in a discussion with the Internal Affairs Minister. The second tape involves Skate describing his personal involvement in a murder of a man who threatened his life. He was also quoted as saying: "If I tell my gang members to kill, then they kill. There is no other Godfather, I am the Godfather."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harrison |first=Red |date=29 November 1997 |title=Despatches |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/despatches/35583.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250304171825/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/despatches/35583.stm |archive-date=4 March 2025 |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=BBC News}}</ref> As a result, Skate launched defamation advantages against the ABC.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 November 1997 |title=Editors want inquiry into bribery claims |url=https://ifex.org/editors-want-inquiry-into-bribery-claims/ |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=ifex}}</ref>
In the wake of the Sandline affair which brought down his predecessor, Skate's government vowed not to pay Sandline International the USD 18 million the company claimed. After an international tribunal and Australian court ruled in favor of Sandline, his government paid the company.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 May 1999 |title=PNG pays up to mercenaries |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/333234.stm |access-date=11 March 2025 |website=BBC News}}</ref>
Towards the end of his term, his government established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC). However, this move was criticized within Papua New Guinea, with accusations that diplomatic relations were established in exchange for a US$250 million loan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 1999 |title=Papua New Guinea Briefly Establishes Formal Ties with ROC |url=https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/Articles/Details?Guid=c86fe22a-51a2-4228-b3b4-5674b3b38644&langId=3&CatId=7 |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=Taiwan Panorama}}</ref> The ROC government denied these accusations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 July 1999 |title=Papua New Guinea PM resigns |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/388009.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250311012350/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/388009.stm |archive-date=11 March 2025 |access-date=11 March 2025 |website=BBC News}}</ref> Before his resignation, it was disclosed by Deputy Prime Minister Iaiaro Lasaro that Cabinet had neither endorsed or authorized this move.<ref name=":0" />
Facing a scheduled no-confidence motion, he resigned as Prime Minister on 7 July 1999 in an effort to save his government.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Barker |first=Geoffrey |title=PNG's Skate quits in bid to rescue government |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/pngs-skate-quits-in-bid-to-rescue-government-19990708-k8vng |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=Australian Financial Review}}</ref> On 14 July 1999, Sir Mekere Morauta succeeded him as prime minister in a vote of 99-5. After Skate's resignation, Prime Minister Morauta vowed to cancel the deal with Taiwan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 July 1999 |title=New PNG leader hints at loans U-turn |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/394008.stm |access-date=11 March 2025 |website=BBC News}}</ref>
== Later life == He was appointed Leader of the Opposition from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, his political party the People's National Congress Party (PNC) became a coalition partner in the government of Michael Somare and Skate became Speaker of the National Parliament. He was appointed acting governor-general in November 2003, a constitutional requirement when that office falls vacant. Pato Kakeraya was scheduled to take up the office on 20 January 2004, but Skate continued to act in the office because of court challenges to Kakeraya's election.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}
On 3 March 2004, Skate was suspended as acting governor-general because of allegations that he misappropriated funds during the 1990s. He then advised the Prime Minister to appoint a cabinet minister as acting governor-general. The following day, however, he was cleared of the financial charges in court, and he became acting governor-general again. In May 2004, his party left the coalition when he and other members refused to support a constitutional amendment supported by Somare which would have given the government more time to be immune to no-confidence votes. As a result, the PNC became the largest opposition party.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}
On 28 May 2004, Skate ceased to be Speaker when the parliament elected a pro-government candidate, Jeffery Nape. The office of governor-general was still vacant at that stage, so Nape automatically succeeded Skate as acting governor-general.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}
Bill Skate was knighted in January 2005 for services to parliament, becoming Sir William Skate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 January 2005 |title=PNG honours controversial former PM |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/png-honours-controversial-former-pm-20050104-gdkfau.html |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> In February 2005, he was expelled from the PNC, after its remaining membership decided to comply with political integrity laws.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 February 2005 |title=PNG's Sir William Skate expelled by his party |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/153081/png%27s-sir-william-skate-expelled-by-his-party |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=RNZ}}</ref>
He died in hospital on 3 January 2006, in Brisbane, Australia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/australasia-travel/australia/sir-william-skate-8pszbchj5f8|title=Sir William Skate|date=6 January 2006|website=The Times|access-date=13 January 2022}}</ref> where he had been airlifted after suffering a stroke in late December 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 January 2006 |title=Former PNG leader Skate dies |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-01-03/former-png-leader-skate-dies/772490 |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=ABC}}</ref> His body was flown back to Port Moresby, accompanied by his wife Lady Rarua, and son William Jnr Skate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 January 2006 |title=Sir William's body flown back to PNG |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-01-08/sir-williams-body-flown-back-to-png/774736?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=ABC}}</ref> He is buried in a graveyard on Independence Hill in Port Moresby.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 January 2006 |title=Former PNG PM described as man of the people |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/159652/former-png-pm-described-as-man-of-the-people |access-date=4 March 2024 |website=RNZ}}</ref>
==See also== *List of members of the Papua New Guinean Parliament who died in office * {{portal-inline|New Guinea}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://archive.today/20070614094204/http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2006/01/04/png-former-prime-minister-sir-william-skate-dies-at-52 Pacific Magazine: Former Prime Minister Sir William Skate Dies At 52] * [https://archive.today/20070614094204/http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2006/01/13/png-former-pm-sir-bill-skate-laid-to-rest Pacific Magazine: Former PM Sir Bill Skate Laid To Rest] * [http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2006/01/11/png-public-holiday-declared-for-sir-skates-funeral Pacific Magazine: Public Holiday Declared For Sir Skate’s Funeral]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * [http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2005/12/30/png-sir-bill-skate-ailing-medivacked-to-queensland-hospital Pacific Magazine: Sir Bill Skate Ailing, Medivacked To Queensland Hospital]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{See also|List of national leaders}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title=Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea | before=Julius Chan | after=Mekere Morauta | years=1997–1999}} {{succession box | title=Governor-General of Papua New Guinea (acting) | before=Silas Atopare | after=Jeffery Nape (acting) | years=2003–2004}} {{s-par|png}} {{succession box | title=Speaker of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea| before=Dennis Young | after=Rabbie Namaliu| years=1992–1994}} {{succession box | title=Speaker of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea| before=Bernard Narokobi | after=Jeffery Nape| years=2002–2004}} {{s-end}} {{PNGPMs}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skate, Bill}} Category:Papua New Guinean people of English descent Category:1953 births Category:2006 deaths Category:Governors-general of Papua New Guinea Category:Leaders of the opposition (Papua New Guinea) Category:Members of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea Category:Leaders of political parties in Papua New Guinea Category:Prime ministers of Papua New Guinea Category:Speakers of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:People's National Congress (Papua New Guinea) politicians Category:Papua New Guinean people of Australian descent Category:20th-century Papua New Guinean politicians Category:21st-century Papua New Guinean politicians