Comments

Quite an insightful and refreshing article, notwithstanding that the jury is still out on wether Singapore proposers because of, or in spite of its political systems. Needless to say, democracy in all its variations is an incredibly complex concept/work in progress, and its ideals do not always match the realities. Democracy doesn't deliver/work equally well in all situations and we should not be afraid to question it - a simple point that is perhaps too often overlooked, with devastating consequences. Trying to force democracy down a nation's throat can have untold consequences (Iraq?). At one time Fiji was ranked better than Singapore by Freedom House. But Fiji ranked well below Singapore on many HDI measures. There are other rights and freedoms besides civil and political rights and freedoms: freedom from crime, right to good education, housing, health, higher life expectancy - on all of these, Singapore leaves Fiji for dead. Fiji is trying to emulate Singapore. While journalists, politicians and academia rightly decry the lack of rights, the people have spoken with their votes. Bainimarama continues scores consistently well in scientific polls (although a truer picture will emerge after the 2018 poll). This begs the question: who knows what is best for the people - the political and journalistic elite, or the people themselves? Of course Fiji is no Singapore, with its history of corruption. But from a cost-benefit analysis viewpoint, are Fijians willing to tolerate a certain amount of corruption the sake of stability?

Having worked in a mix of advisor/inline posts in a number of small island developing countries, funded by different development partners, around the world, I fully recognize the issues raised in the paper and the comments. They apply just as much in those situations. Working to develop greater clarity on roles and relationships is important. Historically, UK used to have a clearer distinction between advisors, and inline funded positions, aka Overseas Staffing Assistance Schemes (OSAS). OSAS staff covered a wide range of posts including teachers, doctors, lawyer, engineering, other senior technical/managerial posts, even heads of ministries/departments. Australian also used to have an Australian Staffing Assistance Scheme (ASAS). Currently both Australia and NZ have funded senior inline positions, such as Judges and Police Commissioners e.g. in Tonga. A review of the lessons from these historical systems (if sufficient people can still be found to give valid assessments of them) as well as assessment of current operations would help inform specifically the PNG situation and more generally the situation in many other countries facing the same issues. BTW: current aid funded inline posts in the Pacific are not just filled by Australian or NZ citizens but also by citizens from one Pacific Island Country (PIC) working in another. This helps to increase experience and opportunities for qualified staff from PICs and helps to contribute to the development of a greater pool of skilled workers in the Pacific which can begin to help address the diseconomies of scale faced by PICS’ small labour markets.

Thanks Bal - good to be reminded of the historical context.

Thanks Terence for the article. Women in politics is a topic of lengthy discussion and rightly so in many quarters. The affirmative argument has gone past the issue being a mere democratic choice argument (assuming the 'choice' is inherently discriminatory) to calling for guaranteed seats in PNG. In such reflection though, it seems, little is mentioned about PNG's liberal political history where the country, in its first election in 1977, had three women elected. More so, Mrs Nahau Rooney was given one of the most senior ministerial position (only a few years after Independence) - as Minister for Justice and Attorney General - a feat not many democracies in the world, including Australia or USA, can boast about. Important insights can be drawn from historical reflection, perhaps to suggest hope in the debate of women in politics.

Democracy or not, China has witnessed rapid industrialization and accompanying growth in income and a commensurate decline in poverty the past three decades. I am in China now and evidence of the growth in industries, public infrastructure - the bullet trains as an example, and consumerism (foreign brands, abundant food) is all around you 24/7. But this is not for free! Air pollution in Northen China has been at a record high for the past two days. The one advantage of a centrally planned state is that these concerns are being registered and there is a determination from the center to address such 'tragedies of the commons'. Climate skeptics are likely to have less traction here than anywhere else on the planet. BTW, I saw the moon and a star (rather a planet as an astrophysicist pointed out) last night but this is a rare sight here. Hope China is able to convince the world of the need for action on the climate front.

Lovely article Susie Concise yet informative and interesting to read. I didn't realise you had found improvements in your recent trip-maybe you had something to do with that, as would having more grads out there? Proud Mum

Super interesting piece, Sue. Your findings are analogous to what I've found in the health system in the area of Myanmar I'm researching. The expectation that "all health workers had the necessary skills for managing childbirth" is deeply embedded even though the workers themselves acknowledge they don't have the skills to manage very many complications at all. I'm pleased you've been able to observe improvements in the system.

Thanks John, another good comment and very interesting to hear about the woman LLG member in Chimbu. Terence

Thanks Terence for this analysis and comments In general, people would agree that women candidates do well in the LPV system than in the FPTP system. Especially doing well with 2 and 3 preference votes. It will only take a women candidate to appeal further out and wide to all voters and be popular so that it will attract most votes. Off course other factors do contribute like education and better standing in society. In the last LLG election, one Ward council in Simbu Province gave a surprise by declearing a woman councilor after mustering 2 and 3 preference votes and withstanding the elimination. I talked to her and she said, " people thought i would not win this ward council election, many men stood, and they undermined me, but I did it with 2 and 3 votes and they lost". She will now going out to depend her seat. So, in fact LPV did change the game in some ways. Hope to see the same in the up coming 2017 PNG election.

Avery good points and agendas being discussed .My name is John Ezekiel currently studying in Divine Word University studying PNG studies and International Relations.I come from the remote highlands part of PNG and after reading this site , i would like to give a bit background of how we live in daily struggle basis. My place is a mountainous districts where 99% of the total population of 54 thousands are subsistence farmers.We do shifting cultivation and our stable food is sweet potatoes and pig is a major source of protein. Many students progress but due to school fees problems they were left home practicing illegal activities and staying nothing with no hope.They have the full potential to apply but there is no opportunity to grab.GOVERNMENT DID NOT TAKE US INTO ACCOUNT AND WE ARE STILL SUFFERING. i wonder if there is a door for such young boys and girls to go to Australia and do seasonal work and return. For more information or arrangement, call or email on my ph: 67570723337 or jezekiel@student.dwu.ac.pg so that we can help those unfortunate ones .

Thanks Ash. One of the most interesting seminars we've had this year was with Anderbrhan Welde Giorgis, who is now basically in exile from Eritrea, a country which, I learnt from meeting him, can only be described as a modern-day tragedy. In his book, Eritrea at a Crossroads, he writes of Eritrea's "infatuation with Singapore" shortly after independence. "Virtually every 'who is who' in the government and the ruling Front," he writes "visited the small island city state in the mid-1990s to observe the modus operandi of the Singaporean model, witness its achievements, and learn from its experience". (p.191). But, alas, for nothing. As Giorgis comments, with masterful understatement: "[T]he Government of Eritrea clearly lacked what it takes to implement such a model successfully, including political will, leadership quality, functional institutions, accountable and transparent public administration, meritocracy in the civil service etc,. to transform the country into an African Singapore." (p. 194). The road to development seems at once broad and narrow.

Super interesting to consider - Singapore is such an interesting case, particularly the way it has codified race and language in this very bureaucratic way in order to minimise disharmony. Imagine walking into a country like PNG and going 'you are all one of four ethnic groups now and this will dictate what language you learn and what schools you will go to.' I always found it bizarre how many small island least-developed countries (I'm thinking particularly of Timor Leste) now make goals to 'become' a Singapore (or Macau). The ZEESM project in Oecusse is reportedly being done with idea of turning the enclave into a Singapore or Macau (complete with the country's only MRI machine, which will be for 'medical tourism', not the country's own people, and a casino). Speaking with friends who were there recently after many years away, there has been no consultation with the people, the big infrastructure projects don't meet their needs and are really poorly done (already falling apart before they are even finished), and it's probably just going to be a white elephant and a huge waste of resources. I think countries forget that authoritarian development is not just charging in and doing stuff but that it also still depends on having institutions underneath the leadership that can execute the plan, and not having resources vanished away by corruption or incompetence, and people actually seeing some kind of result so that the reduction of freedom seems to have some kind of conciliatory outcome. Functional quasi-authoritarian developmental states still have some kind of good governance structures underlying them right?