Former Labor Minister Susan Ryan, AO, took part in discussions with our political party counterparts in Solomon Islands on political party integrity legislation.

Date:  18 November 2008

At the instigation of the Solomon Islands government and supported by the Lowy Institute, local and regional politicians, academics and reformers met on 24-25 September in Honiara to formulate recommendations for urgent improvement of political stability and governance.

The task is daunting. Since independence in 1975, the SI constitution has provided for a Westminster system, but the absence of disciplined political parties together with the frequent manipulative use of no confidence motions to topple governments on the floor of the House has destroyed the stability fundamental to sound policy making. Corruption, communications problems and high illiteracy compound instability and provide tough challenges to reform. Meanwhile Solomon Islanders continue to suffer social and economic disadvantage.

All of these problems were acknowledged and discussed with considerable insight.

The central focus was on the recent Integrity law in PNG, designed to constrain similar dysfunctional elements in the governance of PNG. Several speakers proposed a version of the PNG law as the most effective available reform for the SI.

While recognising that governance problems go deeper than rules, and have complex cultural dimensions, participants agreed that reform should be pursued without delay. Restricting the capacity for no confidence motions, and the registration and regulation of political parties were at the top of the agreed items.

In the Solomons’ task of building functional political parties, the ALP has a lot to contribute. Taking part in the Honiara conference at the invitation of the ALP’s International program I was satisfied that our long and successful experience as a party and in government constitutes a major and valuable resource for the Solomons as they struggle to grow their democratic institutions. I was pleased to share our political resources on this occasion and expect that we can assist further in many ways, as the SI governance reforms begin.

Susan Ryan AO

Jenny Hayward-Jones, Director - The Myer Foundation Melanesia Program at the Lowy Institute discusses challenges facing the Solomon Islands on the Lowy Institutes’ International Policy Blog, ‘The Interpreter’ and in her artilce Engineering Political Stability in Solomon Islands