Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo has apologised to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Guadalcanal Peter Shanel for not including him during the visit to Gold Ridge Mining and parts of Guadalcanal plains last Sunday.
Mr Shanel on Thursday informed parliament that he was unhappy with the Prime Minister for not inviting him during the visit.
Only the Opposition Leader Dr Derek Sikua was included in the trip. Mr Shanel said the Prime Minister should invite him because the mining site is in his constituency.
Prime Minister in response said expressed his apology and said sorry for not including him during the site visits.
“I’m sorry Mr Shanel for not inviting you during the visit to Gold Ridge since the issue was very critical.
“I know your concern for failing to invite you I would like to say sorry. Our visit to Gold Ridge has nothing to tarnish your name as a leader of that constituency but we are there to discuss issues which related to the abandoning of the Gold Ridge mining operation,” Mr Lilo said.
Prime Minister Lilo added that he didn’t want to see such thing happening in the mining industry here like what other mining companies does in other countries.
He said the government wants Gold Ridge Mining Limited to come back explain why it had abandoned the site.
“To assure you Mr Shanel we are on a mission to get first-hand information about the matter and not there to tarnish your name,”Mr Lilo told Parliament House on Thursday.
By DENVER NEWTER
