Tell It As It Is: Autobiography of Rt. Hon. Sir Peter Kenilorea, KBE, PC, Solomon Islands' First Prime Minister.

• Author: Bennett, Judy
• Position: Book review

TELL IT AS IT IS: Autobiography of Rt. Hon. Sir Peter Kenilorea, KBE, PC, Solomon Islands' First Prime Minister

Author: Peter Kenilorea

Published by: Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, Taipei, 2008, 516pp, VTD800 (A$28).

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Kenilorea was the first Prime Minister of Solomon Islands when it became independent from Britain in 1978. He is one of very few statesmen who have emerged in this small, disparate, and often troubled archipelago. Tell It As It Is is his life story, organised chronologically, with factual appendices listing constitutional changes and leaders of the colonial and independent government. It is also an historical overview of the period from about 1950 to 2007, albeit of the 'great men' genre of national histories, somewhat less fashionable these days, when histories of subaltern, gender and affective relations tell us more about a nation's people than their leaders can. This may or may not be 'the most important autobiography written by a Solomon Islander', but it is certainly the most lavishly financed, resourced, and produced (by Taiwan) and thus far is the best, if only, autobiography of a politician who became a statesman.

Peter Kenilorea's life unfolds as an 'Are' Are village lad, a schoolboy, a high school and teachers' college student in New Zealand, a teacher, a public servant, a member of Governing Council in 1976 and its Chief Minister, Prime Minister for three terms, head of the Forum Fisheries Agency in Honiara, Ombudsman from 1996 to 2001 and then Speaker of the Parliament from 2001. In the later period he was involved in peace-making negotiations between the Guadalcanal and Malaitan armed militias who fought in the so-called 'ethnic tension' years from 1998 to 2003. Outside the time scope of this book, Kenilorea's latest foray into national leadership was standing for Governor-General in June 2009, but the Parliament deemed otherwise.

Since his early teenage years Kenilorea has been a born-again Christian, the Bible his guiding star. Once into politics he also found another guiding star--the constitution of Solomon Islands. His life and views reflect both. Well versed in parliamentary procedure as all Speakers soon become, he also is commentator on the constitution. His understanding has been the basis for advice to and criticism of members of Parliament, prime ministers, and governors-general. His Christianity is of the more fundamental kind, but he is no unthinking zealot. In tone--and this...