A blessing? A curse? Or something in between?

J. Roughan

21 August 2010

Honiara  

Solomon Islanders finally know who is to represent them in Parliament. All 50 constituencies' votes have been counted and people's choice leaders has been determined. In the next few days, when these elected men meet in the Parliament Building, they and they alone will choose who will lead the country and which parties will form government.

 

However, already it has become clear that many winning parliamentarians already have their own agenda born out of many years work in the world of business. Some MPs currently in parliament have laboured many years in different kinds of businesses—retail, owners of large companies, casinos, ship owners etc.--others are lawyers, accountants, contractors and house builders.

 

In other words, these dozen or so newly elected are not simple village folk, rural farmers or a bunch of day workers. These newly elected members bring to parliament years of experience in the world of commerce, business and finance. Their commercial expertise will certainly be felt and they will share with the rest of the house how the business part of the world actually works. Their life skills—working tightly within a strictly defined budget, a 24/7 work ethic, closely following work plans, careful managing personnel, willing and able to take risks to strengthen their companies and other skill sets so needed in leading any new government these days will become obvious.

 

But that very history and years of working hard to make an individual company thrive and be successful has another side as well when viewed from what it takes to run government. For the business person, the Bottom Line—making a profit—, is not simply one goal of many but it is the basic, fundamental goal which drives successful businesses.

 

For without profit, and one that comes year in and year out, it is hard to see how any business can stay afloat for long. So the Bottom Line, for the business person, is critical and essential. All other goals are at best secondary!

 

Not so the goal, end and purpose of running the government enterprise. Government is for, by and of the people. It is not another form of business but something quite different. And in a Solomons context, it means that the actual resource owners, the many tribes, lines and people who control more than 90% of the nation's land, rivers, lakes, trees, reefs and fishing grounds cannot simply be treated as clients in need of help or customers to be served for a price. These very citizens are actually partners ready and willing to run the country for the good of the many with their servants, the members of Parliament.

 

In other words although these resource owners do have some very fundamental needs and face serious weaknesses in their lives, at the same time, they bring to the development dialogue the very core that enables the Solomons to exist in the first place. In a real sense, then, the nation's citizens bring more to the governance enterprise than any plan, fund or input that the politician, government official or aid administrator brings.  

 

When the Solomons State dithered, faltered and failed its citizens spectacularly during five years of turmoil (1998-2003), it wasn't the business sector that saved the nation. It was the villager who just got on with life. In fact, even before RAMSI had ever set foot on our shores, Rick Hou, former governor of Central Bank, in his annual report to the nation in 2003, declared that it was the village person who jump started the economy.

 

It would be the same as if the customers of a failing business had stepped in, kept the enterprise turning over and made sure it survived during the trouble times. This is what the Solomon Islands people did for the nation during its darkest night. It is these same people, represented by the current members of Parliament, who must be at the forefront of members concern.

 

Of course the hard learned lessons of private business must find a strong place in this the 9^th parliament. But the purpose, end and goal of government is the well being of all citizens without exception. Its work must not be limited to those who can help government turn a profit. Government is not another form of business but a reality of its own. Marrying the skills of the business world and the work of strong government will be the task of the newly formed 9^th parliament.