Dreamers and their dreams

By JOHN FOWKE

 

Dear Ian,

 

I hope you won’t mind my using your email contact to get in touch direct.

Malum forwarded both your recent emails generated by my article Melanesian Way etc.

 I think we met briefly many years ago somewhere in Hagen or the Wahgi; I have an impression of a short, energetic and enthusiastic person.

 We are both dreamers in our own ways, both as pro-PNG thinkers who speak from realistic, up-to-date experience; and also dreamers, perhaps, from a cynic's point of view, in regard to the small likelihood of anything we express being taken to heart by large numbers of PNG'ians or, importantly, Australians.

I've been trying to get into the heads of AusAid and DFAT for a decade-and-a-half, with absolutely no success, despite the fact that an academic spy at ANU tells me that at DFAT they are absolutely desperate to come up with a new, more effective list of policies for Oz's ongoing assistance to PNG.

This has been commanded by King Kev for presentation in June 09!

 Long ol planti ol kiaps belong bipo mi les olgeta, except for a few such as yourself and my old friends Graham Pople, Chris Warrilow, Tony Pryke and Bill McGrath, and those few such as Rick Giddings, Ben Probert etc who stayed on for long in Government jobs in the belief that sacrificing a bit of dignity and tangling with the turmoil was far more worthwhile than fleeing with the "handshake," thus becoming something between a taxi-driver or a tax-accountant.

Maybe wives had a lot to do with it.

 The voices of these people, today, must be seen as irrelevant, no matter that they think they all deserve medals, for fuck's sake!

 We forget that one of the drivers of the mass exodus of Aussie public servants pre- and after independence was race prejudice and peer-pressure at the after-work, or social-club level.

They couldn't see themselves working on an equal footing, or worse, as subordinates to PNG'ians.

We were well rid of them, despite the chaos which has followed in the public service. PNG has had no post-independence racial problems to speak of, until the corrupt relaxation of the migration, logging and business laws for those who pay their way became widespread.

 Aside from the occasional uproar from academics (foreign) and PNG political circles there is a deep well of positive feeling towards Australia in PNG, as you say.

And whilst this is due to the quite wide adoption of Oz cultural and attitudinal characteristics and through sport, it is the ongoing presence of Aussies like yourself and others like myself-(Kiwi turncoat) - and our PNG'ian friends of like-mind, and our efforts to be a friendly, sociable, and an accessible source of all sorts of information, that Oz still keeps a foothold in minds and imaginations throughout PNG.

A bank of information and an emotional connection which is very much to the benefit of both countries and their future together as close neighbours.

 Please don’t imagine that I decry the Melanesian Way of Subsistance, by any means.

 My article is the first polite, and thus publishable, opinion piece, to bring out into the open the fact that PNG is held back through a cultural bias which makes it ok to lie to non-blood-relatives, to steal from non-blood-relatives and to do a lot of talking without getting to the point and ultimately to suspend or cover up what is being contended.

 These characteristics are described, euphemistically, today as “wantok sistem bilong mipela" but although this assertion is partly correct, as you and I know there’s a great deal more to the wantok system than the lies and cover-ups and nepotistic appointments which paralyse the progress of the nation at present.

The task is to filter out the elements which are spoiling PNG's efforts to engage successfully with modernity and build a healthy, vigorous and proud nation.

 Whilst all PNG'ians are entitled to bristle and even to roar loudly at these assertions by a foreigner, I have believed for many years that it all needs to be said out loud.

In fact it was said, in a more-wordy and detailed way, long ago, in a series of three linked articles which were published, either in The National or Post-Courier, I forget which, under the by-line of the current Governor General.

The GG had a weekly comment/column at the time.

He had picked the articles up from others who had received them from me by email and he published it as..."the opinions of a concerned expatriate resident etc etc..."

The articles were originally intended to catch the attention of AusAid and to encourage them to provide proper preparation and orientation for both staff and contractors/consultants entering PNG.

I worked for 11 years for Coffee Industry Corporation, and one of the tasks which I was finally able to do (with generous help from the European Union) was to turn its research and extension divisions, by far the most-expensive and inefficient parts, from a living, breathing, totally-useless model of Department of Agriculture Stock and Fisheries from the'fifties, as reconstituted by well-meaning pre-independence Aussie ex-didimen.

Men who were totally out of date in their thinking, to a small, potentially cost-effective single entity with about 90 staff,  from one which had previously used almost 500 persons plus housing, vehicles etc in similar generous ratio.

 Nothing very effective ever comes of all these efforts- but like you, I believe in PNG - in a sense I am in sympathy with the late Rev Percy Chatterton of the London Missionary Society,  whose book of reminiscences was entitled ‘Day That I Have Loved’.

 Luckily I was blessed with a wife who felt the same way.

 I continue to hold out hope and in one way or another try to influence events, so that PNG will not descend into the chaos of such world-record-holders for state corruption and poverty as Haiti under Papa Doc and Zimbabwe under Uncle Bob Mugabe.

I don’t think its going to happen, but the road to recovery is in the shadows right now.

 

Cheers,

 

John

 

Phase out public servants?

By YAKAM KELO

 

It’s very disturbing to learn that Health Department can’t utilise some K200 million overseas funding to carry out its health programmes and activities earmarked for a certain period of time.

Can somebody tell us what on earth is really wrong with the department?

In my view this simply means that the officers there can’t simply implement to expedite these funds.

This would mean a weak workforce who are no longer competent, can’t create, lack energy, knowledge and skills and are phasing out in the current global workforce.

The technology today require new brains with innovation, who can read and understands donor work programmes and guidelines,  and the software that enables these funds to be drawn down to meet the department’s programmes and activities.

Let’s not blame the ministers or the politicians. The public servants are the ones who have been entrusted with the responsibilities to implements to ensure services are delivered.

If this is a problem in some of our departments today, a major overhauling and revamping of staff is required at all cost.

Fellows, we are no longer in the days of pen and paper work. It’s a computer world, modern technology, skilled and qualified workforce.

Some views to share among you, the concerned Papua New Guineans.

 

 

Thoughs on Papua New Guinea/Australia relations

By PAUL OATES

 

Dear Malum,

 

John Fowke and I have emailed each other recently on some of the issues he raises here. I agree with some of the points John raises but I disagree with others.

I too have gone through one frustrating attempt after another to try and get some rational change in DFAT and AusAid policies but all to no avail. All you get is a 'snow job' that the Minister of the day just signs off on. The problem is that when a public bureaucracy is set up to manage a funding program, that very bureaucracy becomes irrevocably entangled in ensuring the status quo continues in order to preserve their own existence. On the northern side of the Torres Strait, there is an equally obvious reason why the status quo has become officially entrenched. The only way to break the 'Gordian Knot' is a political decision. The problem is, politicians are good at getting elected and manoeuvring but are mostly inexperienced in any manner of objective, public service management.

I have spent nearly 40 years in public administration and management positions. These positions were traditionally different to business management positions. Business has by its very nature, an objective of profit to ensure it continues and hopefully expands. Public Service management must be responsible and accountable to the public through the government of the day. The two have unfortunately become hopelessly entangled as successive governments sought to find solutions to convincing the public that they were able to cope with the complexities of a modern world. Who is there now who can untangle the current situation?

The problem with overseas aid is it tends to foster a notion of helpless inadequacy with the recipients and a feeling of disconnected altruism with the donor country voters. Most donors have no idea what the real situation might be and mostly don't care unless it affects them personally.

In a quote attributed to Albert Einstein, "The true definition of insanity is to keep doing that which doesn't work."

Tingting bilong mi emi olsem wankain long Jon long dispela samting tasol. Husat inap long stretim displela aswa a?

Some of us weren't particularly accepted when we practiced our views about equality and fairness when we worked in PNG. Afterall, there is only one race, the human one. Anyone who thinks otherwise should be ignored. I believe that the problems some of us encountered at the hands of some of our own fellow countrymen are well put behind us and should have no place in today's debate.

I didn't get a golden handshake and had to return to Australia to start again with all of my recognisable skills and abilities that were developed and honed in PNG, being ignored and often denigrated. That was the challenge. To succeed despite the system.

John clearly feels the frustration of inaction. We all do at times. However, to say as John has that, "The voices of these people, today, must be seen as irrelevant, no matter  that they think they all deserve medals, for fuck's sake!" is something else.  I find this view both disappointing and misleading. I have expressed this belief to John previously.

The real issue is one of credibility. Some of us would like to achieve something positive and different to that which hasn't worked for the last 30 years. If our commitment and interest in helping PNG/Australian relations and PNG in general can be strengthened through the process of government recognition, this must surely be a positive result. Both our counties have a shared history and are next door neighbours. We need each other in an ever more unstable world.

I don't wish to denigrate John's passion or sincerity. I respect them. I just suggest he may be a trifle narrow in the issues he promotes in his dissertation below.

 

Happy to discuss further.

 

kind regards,

 

Paul

 

Papua New Guinea, the future

By IAN THOMPSON

Malum,
 
Just had a thought that I did not want you to be distressed at the wise words of worn out kiaps (patrol officers). Some of them are pretty silly.
 John Fowkes is repeating the words I heard from my first District Commissioner (Tom Ellis) in 1963. He said that the people of PNG had to get rid of their old customs and embrace the ways of the 20th Century Western societies.
 As a young man out in the bush building a new patrol post and living with villagers in a totally traditional environment, I thought this was a ridiculous thing to say. PNG was clearly dependent on subsistence living, and therefore traditional ways MUST be retained. What was it going to be replaced with? Did everyone have a paid job?
 What would happen in PNG today if people lost their living and cultural skills? They would starve, and their lives would be without meaning. I think John is perhaps just talking about public servants and politicians. I hope so anyway.
 PNG citizens have proven beyond doubt that as individuals they can do anything any other race of people can do. For example PNG pilots are check and training captains in major international airlines. There are PNG academics in Australian universities. PNG operators are managing oil field production facilities (one mistake and many people die). I go to a PNG doctor because he is good at his job.
 What you CAN'T DO is cooperate with each other for a common good. There is no concept of a common purpose outside the clan.
 There is too much "yu husat?” Western society relies on layers of bosses and workers. PNG men are too proud and independent to listen to another PNG. I don't see that changing. Just because PNG workers were willing to take instructions from foreigners (who are seen as independent, impartial people) the Australians thought that they would accept a power structure comprising other PNG citizens.  Unfortunately that concept is strongly resisted even 30 years after independence. "Yu man, mi tu man".
 Obviously educated PNG citizens want something beyond subsistence. Village life is boring for them. They crave a rich well-organised society and access to all the good things that wealthy nations enjoy. The land and the resources are there in abundance. How can they get things moving away from this corruption that is rewarding so few leaving the rest in poverty?
 You need to contract out your Government to foreign companies who have the skills to provide every service you need from tax collection to running the public service. I really mean everything, with the possible exception of foreign affairs. It includes the judiciary, police, army, public works, health, education and indeed every service that Government provides.
 There is nothing wrong with the skills and work ethic of your public officials that can't be fixed very quickly by having to report to a boss who knows the meaning of duty, and will sack anyone who wants to play up.
 The company I work for is a 100% PNG-owned company. The owner employs a very small number of expatriates (about 12, with only about seven on duty at one time.) The boss doesn't tell us what to do, just points the way ahead and lets us get on with the job. These foreigners manage up to 1, 000 PNG executives and workers, and this company is world-class in performance. Our PNG workers are as efficient as anyone, anywhere. We expats respect our boss, and do everything we can to make him rich because it's our duty. Run the country like that and you can be a first world country very quickly.
 It's like making bread. You just need a tiny bit of yeast and lots of flour to make real bread. Without yeast you get flour balls. Right now PNG is flour balls. You need bread if you want to stand tall in international society.
 Tell the self-serving politicians to get out of the way and contract everything to skilled international companies with competent, disciplined management. They can then pay themselves a million kina a year and go take holidays in Hong Kong if they wish. There will be plenty of money to pay them, and many billions left over for the ordinary people who now have nothing.
 As you can see I am a dreamer. But I believe in my dreams.
 
Bai nau
 
Ian Thompson
 
 
 
 

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Death of Lady Hilan Los

Just letting you all know that Lady Hilan Los passed away on Sunday afternoon.
Haus Krai (house of mourning) is about three houses down from Lahara Service Station, Port Moresby.

Papua New Guinea has lost one of its fighters for human rights.

Papua New Guinea has over the last couple of weeks lost former Chief Justice Sir Mari Kapi, and then senior National and Supreme Court judge Timothy Hinchliffe.

Today at the farm

Captions: 1. Suvista Richard 2. Native honeybees 3. “I’m looking at you, lorikeet!” 4. Buffalo flies

 

By PAUL OATES, a kiap (patrol officer)  in PNG from 1969-1975, who served in outflung rural areas of Morobe district like Pindiu, Kabwum, Aseki, Wau, Sialum and Finschhafen before being transferred to Port Moresby. He and his wife now run a small property in rural South Eastern Queensland where they breed stud Droughtmaster cattle and grow cabinet timber trees for the future.

 

Our young bull Suvista Richard is coming along and we hope he may do well in the local Show.

The lorikeets won't leave the flowering gum alone and obviously reckon I've grown it just for them.

 The rain has brought out the  buffalo flies again however we've have 21 mm so we can't complain too much  as its still warm enough for the grass to grow. 

With some ground moisture, we are going to try and plant some trees this weekend.

With more rain expected next week, they hopefully will take.

The mouse population in the region has exploded due to the poor rains in February.

All the young mice weren’t drowned in their holes and are now everywhere in plague proportions.

I saw a Butcher bird catch one in the barn a few days ago and fly up in an Ironbark to eat it.

I've gone through $70 worth of ratbait so far and will have to buy more in the next few days.

All this food around has brought out the snakes that are trying to put away some condition before they go into hibernation.

Driving to choir a few days ago we had a huge Eastern Brown slither across the road in front of us.

 He had to be over six foot long,  over two inches thick and a chocolate brown in colour as opposed to the  usual ones we see around here that are more often an olive green to light  shiney fawn.

He saw us coming and turned around as quick as lightning.

 I nearly trod on a small four footer last week next to the cow yards near the vegetable garden.

It was so well camouflaged that I couldn't see it in the grass until it moved.

 

Rural electrification for Bulolo

Bulolo District Road Maintenance Programme Vehicles transporting 9m power poles for its rural electrification programme.
“The rural electrification program plans to light up 500 homes by the end of 2009,” said Bulolo MP Sam Basil.
“In two weeks time, about 50 homes including Mumeng Primary School and Old Mumeng Station who will see, for the first time, lights into their homes.
“The PNG Power partnership programme has proven successful for the Bulolo district.”
Mr Basil has commended the PNGPL chief executive officer Tony Koiri for his effort in making this possible.
“Any partnership program as such must be well understood by both parties in order to achieve full benefits complementing each other, otherwise, things won't work the way expected,” he said.