Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This black-and-white clip shows John Guise, member of the House of Assembly in Papua New Guinea (PNG), explaining why he thinks PNG should adopt a presidential style of government on attaining independence. He explains that this system would provide more political stability than the Westminster parliamentary system. The camera is focused on Guise, and moderator Robert Moore and panellists are shown only when they put questions to Guise. The clip is from a current affairs television program made in 1971 before PNG gained independence.

Educational value points

• In the clip John Guise succinctly presents his reasons for supporting a presidential style of government for PNG on attaining independence. Guise believes this style of government would have the authority to give provinces within the country a degree of autonomy, thus maximising the representation of their constituencies. Theoretically, the presidential system would result in those legislative members who represent minority and provincial interests holding more power.

• Guise’s concern about secessionist movements was well founded and reflects the disparate nature of Papua New Guinea as reflected in the PNG saying ‘for each village, a different culture’. There are approximately 820 languages spoken in PNG and it is home to about 700 Papuan and Melanesian tribes, some of whom maintain fierce tribal loyalties. Bougainville Island had already called for independence from New Guinea in 1968.

• Guise states his concern about the idea of PNG adopting a Westminster system of government, an idea advocated by the Australian Government. In 1969 the PNG House of Assembly had established a Select Committee on Constitutional Development to gauge the mood of the people on independence. Alternative models of government were canvassed but the Westminster system became the preferred model with a caveat that the provinces be given genuine autonomy.

• The main difference between a presidential style of government and the Westminster system lies in what is called the ‘separation of powers’ between the executive (administrative) and the legislative (law-making) arms of government. In the Westminster system the prime minister and cabinet are both drawn from the parliament and are accountable to it. In a presidential form of government the president is elected separately from and is not accountable to the legislature.

• Sir John Guise (1914–91) held a number of administrative posts in New Guinea (later Papua New Guinea), including during the 1950s in the Department of Native Affairs and then in the East Papua Legislative Council from 1961 to 1963. He was elected to and later acted as speaker of the House of Assembly of Papua and New Guinea. He was Papua New Guinea’s first governor-general (1975-1977) but resigned from that position to run, unsuccessfully, for prime minister.