PM: Thank you for democracy

This is an edited version of the speech delivered by Prime Minister James Marape to the Australian Parliament yesterday, thanking and reflecting on the close bonds between the two nations.

I WANT to begin by appreciating and acknowledging the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we are gathered.
My people and I pay our respects to your elders and people, past and present.
I bring warm heartfelt greetings from my People of Papua New Guinea to you all today. And to your constituents – the wonderful and kind people of Australia.
Let me congratulate you on your 236th national anniversary, Australia Day, celebrated two weeks ago. And I thank the Government of Australia for according me a “Guest of Australia visit” and the warm reception accorded to me, Rachael and my delegation on this visit.
I would like to begin by a past reflection. A leader from the Highlands of my country was invited to Australia in the 1950s. His name was Kondomo Agaundo. Chief Agaundo could not speak one word of English so he spoke in his language. This drew some humour from his audience, to which he replied: “You may laugh at me now but, one day, my sons will come and speak to you in your language, and you will listen.”
Today, I come to you as a son of Papua New Guinea, the chief servant of my diverse tribes of people and languages but one nation.
I am very deeply honoured to be accorded this rare privilege, being the first Prime Minister of my country to address the Australian Parliament.
This is a magnificent Parliament House, a truly impressive architectural and landscape marvel, that carefully blends the atmosphere of a modern, thriving Australia with the revered traditions of your indigenous people. A proud testament to the resilience and tenacity of settlers, migrants and indigenous people to survive and flourish – and of you, their descendants, who continue to uphold democracy and its freedom-enriching way of life that we have all come to love and cherish.
It was from this Parliament, the 98th Act of 1975 called the PNG Independence Act of 1975 cut the umbilical code from the womb of Australia to birth PNG.
It was from this Parliament that many decisions were made that helped and shaped PNG before 1975 and way after 1975.
Thus, Papua New Guinea has a very special, very unique relationship with Australia. We are the only country Australia birthed.
The amount of work Australia put into the administration of Papua New Guinea can never be ignored. History holds all the details but the greatest, most profound impact of Australian rule is the democracy you left with us; our Constitution, our democratic system of government, our judiciary, the public service, education system, our financial and banking system, and our Christian worldview.
And there is no greater imprint than the Gough Whitlam Labour Government agreeing to our Independence when it was proposed by the Michael Somare Pangu-led Government.
I do not know about you in Australia, but every Papua New Guineans whoever lived and will live will forever revere Gough Whitlam. And it will be unfair of me not to echo his words that Minister Penny Wong passed to me last night. “If history were to obliterate the whole of my public career, save my contribution to the independence of a democratic PNG, I should rest content.”
Rest content, great man.
Now, here we are – on the eve of 50 years of Papua New Guinea’s nationhood. How have the 49 years been?
Of course, you know most of our anguish, and whatever joys that have found us.
It is true that our challenges are many; and our systems, fragile. It is true our people need greater empowerment in many aspects of their lives.
But, not all is bad.
Nearly 50 years on, our democracy remains strong; our Constitution as bold as it was on 15 August 1975 when it was launched under the Australian administration. We have not fallen to the barrel of the gun; and democracy in the land of a thousand tribes is still intact.
Despite the huge challenges of land, cultures, languages, and a weak economic starting point in 1975, our thousand tribes are still keeping on as “one people, one nation, one country”, in total allegiance to the Constitution.
Our people are resilient and continue to draw strength from their traditional social support system refined over thousands of years.
Since 1975, we have run 10 elections. Yes, many of them have had their share of challenges, but we have unfailingly produced governments. Yes, there might have been way too many votes of no-confidence, and stress of politics, but we have not failed to observe the values and principles of democracy as enshrined in our Constitution.
Ours is a country comprising 462,840 square kilometres of land – land that is much bigger than Japan or England or New Zealand, to give you all some context. It is one of the most rugged and inaccessible country in the world, because of its impenetrable terrain, thick jungles, open valleys, vast swamplands, complex river systems, isolated islands, and far-flung atolls.
Throw in at the starting point a K5 billion economy, against a 3.5 million population, 95 per cent of whom are illiterate, all diverse and living in rural areas; a country with no modern infrastructure reach, with only small scattered towns, and a very small percentage of people in formal employment.
As I visit with you in Australia today, I ask of you: “Please, do not give up hope on Papua New Guinea.” We have always bounced back from low moments and we will continue to grow, learning from past experiences.
In this regard, we are making structural reforms and trying our best to improve public sector efficiency to carry the country for the next 50 years.
These reforms and changes include our governance and public service structure. Changes are also being carried out into our courts and the judiciary, and the police force. We are also strengthening our anti-corruption laws and environment.
For our economy, we have made a number of progress over the last couple of years. From that humble starting point of K5 billion, our national economy had reached K80 billion when I took over in 2019. Today, the IMF and World Bank will confirm that our economy has surpassed K111 billion.
We working hard to reach K200 billion within the next 10 years.
II appreciate, also, all Australian investors, who, to date, comprise the biggest pool of investors in Papua New Guinea.
For my Government, I acknowledge the Liberal-led Government under my good friend Scott Morrison for its support, as I acknowledge and thank this Labour-led Government under you, Prime Minister Albanese.
With the Comprehensive Strategic Economic Programme that we mounted in 2020, our PNG-Australia relationship is elevated even further. This programme entrenches the direction I am taking for my country, which is to move PNG away from being an aid/donor-recipient nation to becoming an economic-partner nation.
I want to also appreciate Prime Minister Albanese and the Labour Government for the Bilateral Security Agreement. This holds the blueprint that reflects my focus on Papua New Guinea becoming a strong economically-resilient nation.
A strong, economically-empowered Papua New Guinea means a stronger and more secure Australia and Pacific.
Next year 2025, Papua New Guinea will celebrate 50 years of nationhood. I take this opportunity to invite the Australian leadership to join us in our celebration.
The key institutions of our society that you have helped us establish have been turning 50 as well, heralding our National Golden Jubilee.
Last year, we celebrated 50 years of our Central Bank; and our national airline, Air Niugini; and our national broadcaster, National Broadcasting Corporation. This year, we will witness that of our National & Supreme Courts, and several others.
I also acknowledge some fathers of my country who are also up in the public gallery today. They represent the Somare generation that worked with Australian public servants to prepare, lobby and push for Independence.
Sir Rabu Kumara from Western Highlands, Sir Yano Belo from Southern Highlands. These gentlemen come from the time when all that most Papua New Guineans knew of the outside world was Australians. These gentlemen are among the last surviving of their generation.
Prime Minister Albanese, last year you addressed our National Parliament in Port Moresby in a most heartfelt speech. You spoke of Papua New Guinea as an “equal”, a co-development player in the Pacific with Australia and New Zealand. And you gave the assurance that Australia would help PNG in our focus areas of security, labour mobility and youth empowerment, and downstream processing of our renewable resources to help us get there sooner.
You also saw our call for national unity through rugby league.
Papua New Guinea must not continue to be a grant/aid-receiving nation, one who depends on borrowing money every year to survive. We must become a country standing on our own two feet, economically-independent and strong, so we can help Australia maintain democracy, preserve peace, and ensure stability in the Pacific.
Papua New Guinea appreciates the assistance to become safe, secure and free from transnational crimes of drug trafficking, firearms trade, money laundering, terrorism and others. We aspire for a safe, clean country and a robust economy.
Ours is a relationship that is also shared in ethnicity through your Torres Strait Islanders and our people of Western Province; also the indigenous Australasian and Melanesian people that have lived in this part of earth for thousands of years. We are also locked deep into the Earth’s crust on the Indo-Australian Plate, which we share. One might say, we are “joined at the hip”!
On behalf of my people, I thank Australia for everything you have done and continue to do for us.
We pledge to work hard to ensure PNG emerges as an economically self-sustaining nation so that we too help keep our region safe, secure and prosperous for our two people and those in our Indo-Pacific family.
In a world of many relations with other nations, nothing will come in between our two nations because we are a family and through tears, blood, pain and sacrifice plus our eternal past, our nations are constructed today.
A Greek proverb goes like this and I paraphrase: “A society grows great when old man plant trees whose shade they shall never sit under.”
The Whitlam-Somare generation had planted the trees of democracy and free market economy under the shades of these trees we enjoy today.
The question I ask myself as the chief servant of my country and maybe you too can ponder on for our two nations, two people, two economies is, are we planting the trees that can give enough and satisfying shades to our children if Jesus Christ does not come back soon?
Our future is certain when we find common grounds to preserve and protect each other.
God bless Australia and God shall bless PNG, too.