Government operates by the prime minister getting what he wants, the ministers getting what they want and the backbenchers getting what they want.

Most MPs can’t tell the difference between national interest and personal interest. They, we, think the two are the same thing.

And what about Papua New Guineans? Are the ordinary Joe or Josephine in PNG getting what they want from the country?

Are they looking at a bright future for PNG and themselves? All the indicators say otherwise.

We continue to experience issues around power, law and order, unemployment, inflation, cost of living and all the rest.

There’s no long term gain. A select few lucky people benefit handsomely from government while the majority struggle to buy tinfish and rice.

Our short term pain is now our long term pain.

PNG is probably K100 billion in debt right now and the hole is getting deeper. Debt is like a cancer which no one is willing to cut out.

When you speak against the government and its bad decisions, government supporters attack you.

This is simply because they are part of the ecosystem. They are feeding at the public trough and you are threatening their lifeline, their food supply.

If an international organisation, another country or anyone else supports a government that is intent on staying in power at the expense of our people: they are the enemy.

Make no mistake, PNG is failing, and it’s failing because the weight of all the bad decisions is killing it.

If we don’t change those decisions, if we keep making bad decisions, if we keep choosing all the wrong options, there is only one place where we will end up.

And that’s not a very happy place. In fact, we are in it now and it’s not improving.

PNG needs a competent government that will cut back expenditure on unnecessary things, reduce borrowing, stop printing money, reduce the surging cost of living, reduce the costs of doing business and give confidence to investors and consumers.

This current government is incapable of doing that.

We can’t continue on this path.

Every leader must choose a side. We can support a government that is making life difficult for our people or change course.

I, like some of my colleagues, have chosen the side of our voiceless people where I will remain until things improve.

My position is simple, I can’t be party to bad decisions any more. I can’t be a useless flowerpot anymore.

I have chosen a side, I have chosen to fight for ordinary, struggling Papua New Guineans. PNG needs to be rescued and I will fight with the rescue team.

Any MP who wants to be prime minister and chooses a different path to the Marape pathway will have my full support.

* Allan Bird is Governor of East Sepik Province