Comments

This is a succinct version of the life and political career of a man the country loves and respects so much. Thank you Ron for this piece. The country is in mourning. Vale Sir Michael.

Thank you very much for this obituary. It has a useful timeline and summary of the life and political achievements of the Grand Chief. It’s a big day for the people of Papua New Guinea today. I realise how significant and important it is. It is a strange feeling. It is also an important day for Australia because Sir Michael Somare was a key figure during the independence negotiations and on many other occasions. He met with numerous Australian Prime Ministers over the years. I guess that in a way it's a notable day in the bilateral relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea as well. Thanks again, Amanda

Noting your article about Fiji and PNG …one of the distinctive features of both countries, which is not true of Australia, is that they are essentially agricultural societies where primary survival resources (in the form of food and housing) come from the land. It would be of interest to know how many local people have returned to their village communities as a means of being sustained during the pandemic. These things are not measurable in economic charts. I know more about the situation in Vanuatu than I do about Fiji and PNG, but in Vanuatu people who were in the urban areas and found themselves without financial income went back to their villages to maintain a sustainable life-style. Where that didn’t happen, family members from village communities provided increased food supplies to their family in the urban areas. The Vanuatu Govt formally encouraged this so as to avoid the financial impact of unemployment generated by the pandemic, in particular in the tourism industry. There is really no equivalent to this in Australia …although we have heard anecdotally that people who have been laid off work, or who have had to remain at home, have spent more time in their gardens growing their own food. Thanks for your work and the various articles that are sent via the DevPolicy site. Randall Prior (Chair, SWP Support Group, Victoria)

Thank you, Amanda. Yes, the Organic Law on the Independent Commission Against Corruption, being an ‘Organic Law’, will fall into the category of the independent constitutional institutions identified. A Constitutional Amendment will follow to reflect ICAC in the Constitution. Regards Bal

Thank you Greg Fry. I think its appropriate that both NZ and Australia stay out of this. We are damned if we do, and damned if we don't. The whole reason we were turfed out of PIF was by Bainimarama around our expression of undemocratic coups in 1987 and onwards. Self governing member states need to grow up, and make their own decisions, face the consequences of their own choices; instead of pretending to lean on others about these. And, good on Micronesia, who should not be patronised by other PIF members, but rather treated with equity. Its plain courtesy. To hang with pontificating "gentleman's agreements" which smack of neocolonial patronising snubs. And are not healthy in allegedly equal relationships within PIF member states.

Well said. Transparency is what the PIF SG appointments must practise. Authentic leadership does not run by alleged hearsay and "gentleman's agreements." These sound horribly neocolonial, and patronising to all observers.

More of a anthropological standpoint mingling with advancement in social settings and the attempt by existing law agencies to execute decisions..more of a cutting edge in contemporary laws in a new papua new guinea

Very thoughtful indeed. I cannot but help think that what's missing from the selection of the PIF SG is procedural fairness. There is no explanation of why the Micronesians got passed over. And, if as you say, they've been passed over before, then the sense of injustice must be very considerable. The proposals from PNG and Samoa must deal with the very real sense of hurt. As with any organization, there is ample room for change and improvement in PIF. The selection of the SG role should not be shrouded in clouds, but instead should be crystal clear.

Thanks for this interesting article! Is the basic needs poverty line (BNPL) referring to Fiji Dollar or US Dollar or any other unit?

Thanks for this truly interesting article that links the current developments with the broader history of regionalism in the Pacific. I agree, Satish Chand, that Fiji has a special role in the region and also the current situation. However, it appears that a lot of trust and confidence has been lost within the region and especially in Fiji, as the withdrawal of the Embassy of Palau shows. This is maybe due to the fact that Fiji not only supported Puna, but did so together with Australia and New Zealand despite its rivalry with the two higher countries and despite regularly blaiming them for their failure in supporting the islands states’ more in international climate policy. So I am wondering whether - despite the strong and usually central role Fiji plays in the region - the other Melanesian states that supposedly voted with the Micronesians are in a better position to mediate between the Micronesians and the other states of the region. However, as there are many more regional divisions than between sub-regional groups, including between Fiji and Samoa (who both voted for Puna as new SecGen) about USP, it’s probably not enough to mediate between the sub-regional groups but to look for a broader and more holistic reconciliation process to find ways out of the current crises.

I have always thought we need to review Regionalism in the Pacific with the following inquiry in mind: 1. Do we need regionalism? 2. If we need regionalism, what should be the goals for such association? How do these goals related to SDG priorities of member states. We already have issue based regional bodies dealing with environment, fisheries, socio-economic developments/security & law and Order/ human resource development etc What exactly is PIFS for and is the cost justified? 3. The PICs need ANZ but is there a better way to reflect their engagement then as presently the case. Palau and FSM implied in their recent comments that Australia’s influence in the recent appointment of the SG of PIFS was not good. As donor and members of PIFS there may be conflict issues and contrary policy issues in areas such climate change with PICs. 4. On staffing, merit based is always best. No job for the boys/girls. Even if we agree to have sub-regional rotation the person from the sub-region whose turn it is to select must undergo, an open merit based system from nationals within that subregion. 4. The origin of PIFS suggests that it was need to remove the unnecessary overreach of the colonial masters. Maybe that is now taking place again. 5. People Conveniently the forget that understanding that Micronesia build its case on is one of three understanding. Two others are: Australia and NZ not to be eligible for SG appointment. That was broken when Australia pushed for the appointment of Mr Greg Urwin to be SG of PIFS. Not one PICs raised any objection when that happened. The second understanding is that Fiji as host of the organization will not be eligible to submit candidate for SG. But as Colin observed in his comment it is time for more transparency and formal rules to cover these issues.

Thanks for a very informative blog Greg. PIF without the Micronesians will be weak in its arguments for action on climate change within the global forums. The effects of sea-level rise are the most damaging on the Micronesian states. The most vocal of the Pacific leaders on this issue is PM Bainimarama, and it is him who may be able to persuade the Micronesians to remain in the PIF-camp. Fiji, being at the junction of Melanesia and Polynesia, is not all that distant from Micronesia thus could be an effective interlocutor.