The Right Honourable Grand Chief  Sir Paulias Matane  GCL GCMG OBE KStJ
Matane at the Ramoaaina NT Dedication at Molot Village Duke of no
Governor General of Papua New Guinea
Incumbent
Assumed office  29 June 2004
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Michael Somare
Preceded by	Jeffrey Nape (Acting)
Born	1931
Spouse(s)	Kaludia Matane

Sir Paulias Nguna Matane GCL, GCMG, OBE, KStJ (born 1931), Order of the Logohu, formerly a career civil servant, became Governor-General of Papua New Guinea on June 29, 2004.

Matane was elected by Parliament on May 27, 2004, receiving 50 votes, while his opponent, Sir Pato Kakeraya received 46 votes. Attempts to elect a governor-general had failed repeatedly for six months before Matane's election because of constitutional flaws in the nomination process. Following Matane's election, Kakaraya brought a petition to the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea, seeking to invalidate the election.^[1]

Matane was sworn in on June 29, 2004, although the legal challenge to his election was still ongoing.^[2] He was officially invested as Governor-General by Queen Elizabeth II on October 13, 2004.^[3]

Matane is a Tolai, from East New Britain Province, a native speaker of Kuanua and a staunch United Churchman. He has written 44 books in deliberately extremely simple English, focusing in part on his own overseas travels, three on the State of Israel, intended to persuade Papua New Guineans that books are a useful source of information and that they should not regard them as something only for foreigners.

Matane takes a firm line on expatriates, especially Australians and others of European descent, though he encourages Chinese and other Asian investment in Papua New Guinea. It is not yet clear how Sir Paulias regards "South Asian" investors, who are of course to all intents and purposes from a Melanesian perspective "white."

For many years Matane wrote a column in the Malaysian Chinese-owned newspaper The National, containing the advice of an elder to the younger generation. He also founded United News Agency of Melanesia. He, together with Grand Chief the Right Honourable Michael Somare, makes a point of wearing a laplap (a type of skirt) rather than trousers.

[edit] Notes

Government offices
Preceded by Jeffrey Nape Acting	Governor General of Papua New Guinea 2004–present	Incumbent

Persondata
NAME	Matane, Paulias
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Paulias Nguna Matane
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Governor-General of Papua New Guinea
DATE OF BIRTH	1931
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH