Papua New Guinea plunged into a constitutional crisis yesterday as Peter O’Neill, rejecting a Supreme Court ruling that removed him as prime minister, occupied the government benches in Parliament and broke though a police barricade at the Governor-General’s residence.

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said PNG had entered uncharted waters since Monday’s Supreme Court split ruling that reinstated Michael Somare and prompted armed police to stand guard at the vice-regal residence in Port Moresby .