Page 28 - Islands Business January 2021

PNG
VALE SIR MEKERE MORAUTA

By Ross Garnaut given the chance to grow.
Professor Sir John Crawford, then
Mekere Morauta was born in the village of Kukipi, on the Chancellor of The Australian National
beach where the Lakekamu and Tauri Rivers reach the sea. University, frequent visitor to PNG as
Where you travel by canoe or stay at home. Home near the Chairman of the PNG Development
water. Place of sago and fish. Coconuts near the beach. Bank and Chancellor of the Univer-
Pineapples, buai, bananas and some tubers on each pocket sity of Papua New Guinea in those
handkerchief of sand that lifts its back above the swamp. distant days, once said to Mekere:
Then to Sogeri Senior High School in the hills behind Port “What you have built is too good to
Moresby. One of the first high school students, after Paul last. I hope you are not disappointed
Hasluck’s well-intentioned but misguided egalitarianism when those who follow can’t do so
was put aside to allow the preparation of some Papua New Sir Mekere Morauta well.”
Guineans for the high responsibility that would come with Mekere responded that a pe-
Independence. “Independence by 2000 if ever,” said Hasluck’s riod of getting it right had its own
successor in 1969. value whatever might come next. It would show Papua New
Mekere was one of a small group from Sogeri and Kerevat Guineans later and forever what could be done by Papua New
who joined the University of Papua New Guinea’s first year Guineans.
in 1966. They were so few and so late that at Papua New A year after Mekere entered the Parliament, in 1998, he and
Guinea’s independence there were less graduates compared Sir Rabbie Namaliu together watched a 4 Corners programme
to population than in the neglected Belgian Congo. But what on the ABC in which an inebriated PNG Prime Minister boasted
a few they were; that happy few, that band of brothers. And of multifarious abuses of the power of the Papua New Guinea
what a difference they made. state. The two friends had chosen to sit together in Opposi-
Mekere was the most conscientious and best student of tion to a bad Prime Minister. Now they decided that their
economics in the early years of the University. His Professor, country’s peril required them to join the Government and to
Anthony Clunies Ross, made arrangements for him to spend a do what they could to save the country.
year at Flinders University in Adelaide. Other friends at that Tony Siaguru described Mekere as “Papua New Guinea’s
time passed economics and graduated on time only because reform Prime Minister”. He inherited public and financial sec-
of Mekere’s notes and cramming lessons in the three weeks tors riddled with corruption and a bankrupt national economy.
before exams. He systematically cleaned it up. New central bank and bank
Mekere was the first graduate in economics from the Uni- regulatory legislation to restore convertibility of the currency;
versity of Papua New Guinea in 1971. He was soon appointed new laws to restore integrity to the national superannuation
Deputy Secretary for the Department of Finance—the Depart- fund; a reshaping of national finances to allow teachers and
ment at first without the financial and economic policy func- aid post orderlies to be paid. Privatisation of the Papua New
tions that were in the Departments of External Territories and Guinea Banking Corporation to save it from corrupt political
Treasury in Canberra. After Self Government in 1973, Mekere interference. The establishment of the Independent Pub-
at age 27 was appointed to the most demanding public service lic Business Corporation to allow professional management
job in a new country: Secretary for Finance, covering the separate from corrupt political influence in state-owned busi-
functions of both Finance and Treasury in the Australian and nesses—and to privatise them if the circumstances were right.
contemporary Papua New Guinean systems. Policy capacity In agreement with BHP, establishment of independent institu-
had to be built from the foundations. tions to manage the Ok Tedi mine after BHP’s departure, and
From the beginning there was steadiness under great pres- of governance arrangements that would protect large income
sure. Wisdom, especially about the complexity of human from the mine for sustainable development. And constitution-
motivation. Sure-minded judgement of human character. al change that led to PNG’s first full-term government in the
The strategic approach to every problem; recognising that no Parliament elected in 2002.
matter how well things were going they could go wrong; no Mekere’s achievements as Prime Minister after the Skate
matter how bad things were they could get better or worse; chaos were of historic dimension. The constitutional changes
and that while there was a chance of a way out of an impasse, in particular still help. But there was not time to make all the
one worked through the best way of finding it and following it difference Mekere had in mind, or to bed down for all time
through to a chance of success. Finding the best people to do some of the reforms.
the things that had to be done. And then steadfastly holding From the beginning and more than ever as time passed,
to the chosen course, whatever the buffeting from outrageous much of Mekere’s rare talents in managing hard things was
fortune. devoured by resistance to the plundering of the state. Regret-
The macro-economic policies and the Department through tably it devoured so much time; but mercifully he was there
which Mekere built them gave PNG a decade and a half of
economic stability, within which the young democracy was Continued on page 30

28 Islands Business, January 2021