“Self-sidelined” foreign minister Justin Tkachenko’s inappropriate description of individuals who criticised his daughter’s
Tik Tok video (flaunting tax-payer funded travel to the United
Kingdom for King Charles III’s coronation) as “primitive animals”, should not overshadow the selfless contributions
of naturalised non-indigenous citizens including those appointed as government ministers – “foreign” ministers.
Who are these “foreign” ministers who have sacrificed a lot to the development of Papua
New Guinea, their adopted country?
From 1972 up to the present parliament, 17 naturalised citizens have been appointed
ministers in various governments. Except for Dame Carol Kidu, all are men: Bruce Jephcott,
Barry Holloway, Warren Dutton, Karl Stack, Dennis Young, Neville Bourne, Hugo
Berghuser, Timothy Ward, Robert Suckling, Tim Neville, Peter Barter, Henry Smith, John
Hickey, Ken Fairweather, Sasindran Muthuvel and Tkachenko. Although dual citizenship was
legalised for eight countries, including Australia in 2016, Australians like Tkachenko (who is
the spouse of a PNG citizen) forfeited dual citizenship to be eligible for public office.
The majority are Australians, including Smith who migrated from London at a young age.
The rest are British (Young), American (Stack), German (Berghuser), and Indian (Muthuvel).
Of the 13 Australians, four like Tkachenko are originally from Melbourne, including
Jephcott, Suckling and Fairweather. The Queenslanders are Dame Carol and Ward. Dutton,
Hickey, and Barter originated from New South Wales, while Bourne hailed from Perth in
Western Australia.
They played important roles in the private and public sectors before entering politics. Even
after politics, many remained active in business, the hospitality industry, charitable
organisations, and commerce. Others served as political mentors and advisers to successive
governments. They are an integral part of PNG’s political, social, and economic development.
Dutton and Holloway were patrol officers (“kiaps”). As kiaps, they were the symbols of state
in colonial and postcolonial administrations. Stack was an assistant provincial commissioner.
Jephcott was a grazier and president of the New Guinea Graziers Association. The majority
were successful businessmen. Some like Holloway and Dutton were not only foundational
members but pivotal in the formation of PANGU Pati and the People’s Progress Party.
For those whose educational qualifications are available, the majority, like Tkachenko,
completed secondary education. Some were highly educated: for example, Jephcott held a
degree in science from the University of Adelaide, Stack graduated as a criminologist from
the University of Hawai’I, Dame Carol graduated with a secondary teacher’s certificate from
the University of Queensland and taught before entering politics, and Bourne and Dutton
matriculated.
On average, they served three terms in parliament. Holloway, who was first elected to the
House of Assembly in 1964, served five terms and was the regional member for Eastern
Highlands; he exited politics after the 1987 elections. Queenslander Ward, who was the MP
for Bogia in Madang, is the second longest serving naturalised citizen in parliament after
Holloway. He entered parliament in a by-election for Esa’ala following the death of Norman
Evenneth, and was subsequently re-elected in three consecutive elections for Bogia. His four
terms as a politician ended after the 1997 election.
Many naturalised citizens have been appointed to ministerial portfolios in every PNG
parliament. On average, four naturalised citizens have been appointed minister in each
parliament. The highest number of naturalised citizens appointed as ministers in a term of
parliament – in the third and fourth parliaments – is five.
The two regions where most naturalised citizens have been elected are the open and regional
electorates of Mamose and Southern. They include the regional electorates of Madang and
West Sepik and the open electorates of Menymaya, Bogia and Sumkar. Jephcott and Barter
held the Madang regional electorate twice. Similarly, Ward and Hickey held the open seat of
Bogia for three consecutive parliamentary terms. Others who held regional seats were Stack
(West Sepik), Young (Milne Bay), Berghuser (National Capital District), and Muthuvel who
has consecutively held onto the West New Britain regional seat since the 2017 election.
In the Highlands region, Holloway is the only one to hold the Eastern Highlands regional seat
while Smith held the Goroka open electorate. Open electorates in the nation’s capital where
naturalised citizens have held seats are Moresby-Northwest and Moresby-South. The latter
was initially held by Dame Carol from 2002 to 2012. She elected not to recontest this
electorate in the 2012 election which Tkachenko won and now holds. The other open
electorate in the Southern region held by a naturalised citizen is North Fly. Dutton, who did
three terms as an MP, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1968. He held this seat
until the 1987 election but not without trying in subsequent elections.
Naturalised citizens have been appointed to several economic, social, infrastructure and
institutional and regulatory ministries. Holloway was finance minister in the second
parliament under prime minister Michael Somare until defeated by Julius Chan in the first
successful vote of no confidence in March 1980. Tkachenko is the first naturalised citizen to
be appointed foreign affairs minister. Dame Carol has the record of serving as minister for
community development twice in consecutive terms of parliament, including as speaker of
parliament and leader of the opposition. Young is the only other expatriate to serve as
speaker.
From 1972 to 2022, naturalised citizens have collectively served an average of 56 months.
Tkachenko has surpassed Stack’s record of 119 months as minister in three terms of
parliament as the longest-serving naturalised citizen, with over 180 months in total as
minister. Stack held ministerial portfolios in the second, third and fourth parliaments.
Tkachenko has held ministerial portfolios in the eighth, ninth and tenth parliaments.
The third longest-serving naturalised citizen minister is Dame Carol with a total of 109
months. But unlike Tkachenko and Stack, she achieved this feat while holding the same
portfolio in two consecutive terms of parliament, doing much to advance human security.
PNG’s “foreign” ministers, despite any shortcomings, are an integral part of PNG’s political
culture and life, in the past, present, and future.
Dr Henry Ivarature from Papua New Guinea is the interim Deputy Director of the Australia Pacific Security College. Dr Ivarature has held senior roles with PNG Sustainable Development Program, Government of Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and Abt Associates. He holds a PhD in sociology from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. His current research interests include political instability in Melanesia and Pacific regionalism. The original article was published on the Development Policy Blog.
