Changing political culture is a complex task
25 March 2023
CHRIS OVERLAND
ADELAIDE - The critical statement in Dr Bal Kama's excellent essay on the future of governance in Papua New Guinea is that “there must also be changes in political culture and behaviours of politicians and bureaucrats if any reform is to have meaningful impact”.
We have seen demonstrated in well-established democracies including the USA, UK and Australia that disrespect for cultural norms and political conventions translates rapidly into rancour, division, dysfunction and even malfeasance.
It turns out that democracies work as much by relying upon people acting in accordance with unwritten conventions (customs and traditions) as by formally defined constitutional 'rules of the game'.
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