Leo Hannett Explained
Leo Hannett |
Office: | Premier, North Solomons Province |
Term Start: | 1980 |
Term End: | 1984 |
Term Start2: | 21 February 2006 |
Term End2: | 2007 |
Term Start3: | 2010 |
Term End3: | 2015 |
Birth Date: | 17 July 1941 |
Spouse: | Elizabeth Korinai Hannett |
Children: | 4 |
Mawards: | is not set --> |
Leo Hannett (17 July 1941 – 18 June 2018) was a Bougainvillean and Black Power activist, playwright, journalist and politician who played a significant role in Papua New Guinea's anti-colonial struggle and movements for the autonomy and independence of Bougainville. He was regarded as Bougainville's "most important secessionist leader of the 1970s."
Early life
Hannett was born on 17 July 1941 in Nissan Island within the Australian-administered Territory of New Guinea, shortly before the Japanese occupation of New Guinea.[1]
Politics
Hannett was one of a group of Bougainvillean students living in the territorial capital of Port Moresby who in 1968 called for a referendum to be held on Bougainville's future. He served as the group's spokesman and issued a statement requesting a vote by 1970 "to decide whether Bougainville should be independent, should unite with the Solomon Islands to constitute a separate unit, or should remain with PNG".[2]
In 1969, the Australia Party sponsored Hannett to undertake a four-state speaking tour in Australia, at the invitation of party leader Reg Turnbull.[3] [4]
In 1973, PNG chief minister Michael Somare asked Hannett to chair the Bougainville Special Political Committee. The committee comprised 36 local leaders and was tasked with gauging public opinion on Bougainville's political future, with a report to be delivered to the Constitutional Planning Committee chaired by John Momis.[5] Hannett made clandestine visits to Honiara around the same time, exploring the possibility of Bougainville's union with the Solomon Islands.
In September 1975, following dissatisfaction with proposals for PNG's new constitution related to the distribution of profits from the Panguna mine, Hannett joined with others in Bougainville in proclaiming the unilateral declaration of independence of the Republic of the North Solomons.
In 2006, Hannett was elected to the national parliament in a by-election for the provincial seat of Bougainville. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee. As the sitting member, he unsuccessfully sought re-election at the 2007 general election, coming second with 23.04% of the vote.
Between 2010 and 2015, Hannett served in two ministries in the Autonomous Bougainville Government: Minister of Police and Minister for Public Services.
Following his death, the National Parliament observed a moment of silence in respect on 17 July 2018.
References
Sources
News media
- News: Balderstone . David. Talk of treason on Bougainville . 20 September 1975 . The Bulletin. 29-30 . 0007-4039 . 97 . 4975 . Sydney, N.S.W . John Haynes and J.F. Archibald . 14 December 2023. Trove.
- News: 'Hannett, a true son of Bougainville' . 14 December 2023 . . 10 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231214231246/https://www.postcourier.com.pg/hannett-true-son-bougainville/ . 2023-12-14. .
- News: Hannett hits at leaders . . 31 March 1981 . 15 December 2023 . 12 . National Library of Australia. .
- Web site: Kathoa . Tom . Hannett's No Gun Era . New Dawn FM 89.9 . 2010-09-12 . 18 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100924194606/http://bougainville.typepad.com/newdawn/2010/09/090910-hannetts-no-gun-era-by-tom-kathoa-peace-is-what-all-the-people-of-bougainville-want-according-to-the-bougainville.html . 2010-09-24.
- Web site: Laukai . Aloysius . President Appoints New Minister . New Dawn FM 89.9 . 2023-12-18 . 2013-05-21.
- Web site: Leo Hannett becomes new regional MP for Bougainville . Radio New Zealand . 18 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220521163418/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/159967/leo-hannett-becomes-new-regional-mp-for-bougainville . 2022-05-21 . en-nz . 30 January 2006. .
- Web site: Momis . John L . John Momis . Death of Leo Hannett - a Bougainville leader of the middle way . PNG Attitude . 14 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210514061514/https://www.pngattitude.com/2018/06/death-of-leo-hannett-a-bougainville-leader-of-the-middle-way.html . 2021-05-14.
- News: Pritchard . Chris . A poor guerilla but a good priest . Sydney Morning Herald . 1969-08-10. newspapers.com.
Acadmic materials
- Hermkens . Anna‐Karina . Like Moses Who Led His People to the Promised Land: Nation‐ and State‐Building in Bougainville . Oceania . November 2013 . 83 . 3 . 192–207 . 10.1002/ocea.5020.
- Laracy . Hugh . Bougainville secessionism . Journal de la Société des Océanistes . 1991 . 92 . 1 . 53–59 . 10.3406/jso.1991.2896.
- Book: Swan . Quito . Pasifika Black: Oceania, Anti-colonialism, and the African World . 10 May 2022 . NYU Press . 978-1-4798-8508-4 . en.
- Wesley-Smith . Terence . Terence Wesley-Smith . Development and Crisis in Bougainville A Bibliographic Essay . The Contemporary Pacific . 1992 . 4 . 2 . 408–432 . 1043-898X.
Primary sources
- Web site: Bougainville Provincial . Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission . 18 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070823132943/http://www.pngec.gov.pg/resultsNat2007/BougainvilleProvincial.htm . 2007-08-23 . 2007-07-23. .
- Web site: Hansard - Deaths of Former Members, Statement by the Acting Speaker . National Parliament of Papua New Guinea . https://web.archive.org/web/20230602140148/https://www.parliament.gov.pg/uploads/hansard/H-10-20180717-M07-D01.pdf . 2023-06-02 . 2 . 2018-07-17. .
Notes and References
- News: 'Hannett, a true son of Bougainville'. Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 10 July 2018. 18 February 2024.
- News: The Bougainville Referendum: Law, Administration and Politics. Anthony J.. Regan. 2019. Australian National University.
- News: P-NG officials fear more trouble. The Canberra Times. 4 August 1969.
- News: University student to tour Australia. Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 4 August 1969.
- Decentralization without disintegration: provincial government in Papua New Guinea, 1972–1985. Innovations for Successful Societies. Matthew. Devlin. 2010.