ELITES AND THE MODERN STATE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND SOLOMON ISLANDS A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Political Science by Andrew James Beaufort Department of Political Science, University of Canterbury 2012 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ 1 List of Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ 4 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Introducing the Research .................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Defining the Elites ........................................................................................................... 7 1.3 The Role of Elites in PNG and Solomon Islands ............................................................. 9 1.3.1 Political Elites ............................................................................................................ 9 1.3.2 Religious Elites ........................................................................................................ 16 1.4 Research Method ........................................................................................................... 18 1.5 Time Period of Research ................................................................................................ 19 1.6 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 20 2.0 The Modern State ...................................................................................................................... 21 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 21 2.2 Defining the Modern State ............................................................................................. 22 2.3 The Development of the Modern State .......................................................................... 25 2.4 A Shift of Focus ............................................................................................................. 29 2.5 Australia‘s Role in PNG and Solomon Islands .............................................................. 31 2.6 Australia‘s Design for the State in PNG ........................................................................ 32 2.7 Australia‘s Design for the State in Solomon Islands ...................................................... 35 2.8 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 37 3.0 The State in PNG and Solomon Islands ............................................................................... 39 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 39 3.2 The Presence of the State ............................................................................................... 39 3.3 Pluralistic Societies ........................................................................................................ 41 3.4 Measuring the States Success ......................................................................................... 43 3.5 Security ........................................................................................................................... 44 3.5.1 PNG ......................................................................................................................... 44 3.5.2 Solomon Islands ...................................................................................................... 47 3.6 Economic Performance .................................................................................................. 49 3.6.1 PNG ......................................................................................................................... 49 3.6.2 Solomon Islands ...................................................................................................... 52 i 3.7 Health and Human Development ................................................................................... 55 3.7.1 PNG ......................................................................................................................... 55 3.7.2 Solomon Islands ...................................................................................................... 56 3.8 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 57 4.0 The Religious Elites ................................................................................................................... 59 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 59 4.2 Churches as Providers of State Services ........................................................................ 60 4.3 The State as an Object of Benefit ................................................................................... 62 4.4 The Churches as Opposition to the State ....................................................................... 66 4.5 The Churches as Agents of the State .............................................................................. 67 4.6 Limits to the Churches Influence ................................................................................... 70 4.7 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 74 5.0 The Political Elites ..................................................................................................................... 76 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 76 5.2 The State as an Object of Capture .................................................................................. 77 5.3 A Weak State being Beneficial ...................................................................................... 84 5.4 The State as an Object of Betterment ............................................................................. 87 5.5 The Realities ................................................................................................................... 92 5.6 An Underlying Reason? ................................................................................................. 96 5.7 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 98 6.0 Synthesis..................................................................................................................................... 100 6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 100 6.2 The Accountability of Leaders to the People ............................................................... 101 6.3 Further Limitations ....................................................................................................... 105 6.4 The State as an Item of Capture ................................................................................... 106 6.5 A Problem for the State as an Entity ............................................................................ 110 6.6 Changing the State ....................................................................................................... 115 6.7 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 118 7.0 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 120 Appendix One: Summary of the Political Crisis in PNG ...................................................... 128 Appendix Two: Summary of Political Events in Solomon Islands in 2011 ....................... 130 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................... 132 ii Acknowledgments There are many people that I need and wish to express my gratitude to. First, I wish to thank my supervisor Mark Francis. Without his assistance, guidance and knowledge, this thesis would have never of eventuated as a coherent piece of work. I have to also thank him for the numerous coffees and entertaining conversations. Second, I wish to thank John Henderson in his role as my secondary supervisor. His knowledge and experience in the sphere of Pacific politics has been invaluable and of much interest. Many thanks to the most important person in the Political Science Department: Jill Dolby, for everything she has assisted me with and for all the helpful advice she has offered throughout this process. Similarly I wish to thank my colleagues; Jess Roche, Rachael Hemmingsen and Kurt McLauchlan for all the hilarity of sharing an office with them and for the valuable role that each played in providing advice and