The recent actions of PNG’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko has caused a political storm. A closer look points to deeper issues within Papua New Guinean politics.

Over the past month and a half, Papua New Guinean politics has been preoccupied with the controversy surrounding PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko’s daughter, who accompanied the minister to the coronation of King Charles III in May. Tkatchenko and his daughter, Savannah, were part of the 30-person delegation from PNG, which also included Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae and his wife.

While the large Papua New Guinean contingent – which dwarfed neighbouring Solomon Islands, who only sent three people – has in itself caused controversy in the cash-strapped nation, it is the behaviour of Savannah Tkatchenko that prompted the most severe criticism.

Savannah Tkatchenko, a Brisbane-based law student, posted a TikTok video of her journey to the UK. Using the hashtag #aussiesinengland, Savannah displayed the perks of visiting Singapore Airport, with its designer stores, alongside shots of her first-class flight experience. All of this was paid for by the Papua New Guinean taxpayer. Unsurprisingly, such a display caused negative comment in PNG.

The controversy did not stop there. In a messy interview shortly after the coronation, Foreign Minister Tkatchenko didn’t hold back in his disdain for his daughter’s critics. Calling them “primitive animals,” Tkatchenko suggested that many people in PNG were jealous of people like himself and his daughter. He also claimed that they “had nothing better to do” than to criticise his family.

These comments added fuel to the fire, and after a brief apology Tkatchenko resigned as foreign minister. For some this wasn’t enough, with opposition politicians calling on Tkatchenko to be removed from parliament.

In recent days, however, Tkatchenko has been returned to the national cabinet by Prime Minister James Marape. On 22 June, Tkatchenko was named minister for national events. While a clear demotion from the foreign ministry, the decision indicates that Marape feels the controversy can be weathered.

The power of a word

The controversy surrounding Tkatchenko’s comments points to a broader historical and cultural story. Throughout the colonial period, Australian officials frequently cited the “primitive” status of the Indigenous population of PNG as a reason for some of the paternalistic policies they implemented. This included banning the local population from drinking alcohol and the imposition of a nightly curfew.

Australian-born Tkatchenko tapped into this history with his defence of his daughter. Despite later claiming that he wasn’t intending to comment on all Papua New Guineans, just those “trolls” online, the reception within PNG suggests that it is not so straightforward.

Opposition leader Joseph Lelang, in his petition to have Tkatchenko removed from parliament, stated that the language used by the foreign minister was “shameful to every Papua New Guinean in this day and age.” Comments like this indicate that the legacies of being portrayed as “primitive” persist in PNG.

Indeed, this is also supported by the fact that the controversy over Tkatchenko’s position revolves primarily around his “primitive” comment, and not the behaviour of his daughter. Such a situation reveals some of the priorities that currently exist in Papua New Guinean politics.

The Coronation Contingent and Papua New Guinean Politics

Amid the controversy over Tkatchenko’s “primitive” comments, there is a broader story to be told about the size of the Papua New Guinean contingent to London and questions surrounding the behaviour of PNG’s politicians. It is estimated that the PNG government spent around US$900,000 on the trip. Many have questioned the necessity of such high expenditure. This makes perfect sense, given the economic challenges faced by PNG.

Savannah Tkatchenko’s TikTok merely exacerbated an existing perception of distance between PNG’s politicians and the general population. Some critics of Tkatchenko have also connected the coronation trip with the minister’s earlier misguided decision to purchase a fleet of Maseratis for the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. Despite Tkatchenko claiming that the cars would sell “like hotcakes” after the meeting, that did not occur. Only two sold in the three years following their purchase.

These issues suggest a deeper problem in Papua New Guinean politics, beyond the use of inappropriate comments. The use of public funds for personal ministerial gain has long been an issue in PNG, and major public events such as King Charles’ coronation have brought the question into the open. On a personal level for former Foreign Minister Tkatchenko, it has prompted calls for an investigation into such wide-ranging issues as his use of public funds to his citizenship status.

However, Tkatchenko’s rapid return to the cabinet following his resignation as foreign minister suggests that Prime Minister Marape is willing to look beyond such controversies. This points to what might be considered a deeper issue within Papua New Guinean politics, which is that the behaviour of Tkatchenko and his daughter are acceptable to the leading political class.

Put together, this illustrates the continuing divide between PNG’s politicians and the broader population, who were deeply offended by Tkatchenko’s comments. Despite the numerous petitions against him, it seems that Tkatchenko will remain a member of Marape’s cabinet. One wonders whether the prime minister’s forgiveness will come at a larger political cost.

Nicholas Ferns is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow in History at Monash University. He is a historian of development and empire, with a particular focus on Australia’s perceptions of, and relations with, countries in the Asia-Pacific region. He has published in local and international journals on topics ranging from the decolonisation of Papua New Guinea to Australia’s behaviour in the United Nations. He is currently developing new research that explores the historical relationship between Australia and the World Bank.

This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution.