Much of it is business as usual. He promised a focus on infrastructure development, and to give resource owners their due, as well as a focus on health and education.

As far as the Pacific Islands Forum-led and Australian-funded Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, he told the crowd that he had ‘no intention’ of kicking them out. At the same time, he hinted that his government would push for reform of the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission, which has provided stability and other assistance to the remote nation since 2003.

‘We all know that there need to be changes, so RAMSI’s mandate can be more purposeful and relevant in light of the challenges facing Solomon Islands. To all participating members of RAMSI, I am telling you that I am a leader you can work with.’

In foreign policy more broadly, he said his government would ‘do the obvious – embrace a ”Look North” foreign policy, stick around with its traditional partners, and play smart in Melanesia.’

This is more interesting stuff. Looking North, unsurprisingly, means taking better advantage of opportunities in Asia, something successive governments have worked at. Traditional partners means Australia, New Zealand, PNG, and further afield, Japan and Taiwan.

But playing smart in Melanesia is a bit more vague. What role should Solomon Islands play in the Melanesian Spearhead Group? And how should Solomon Islands treat Fiji’s efforts to spread influence in the region? We might have more clarity once Philip’s policy framework is released sometime in the next thirty days.

Philip also took time to look to broader trends:

‘We will be finding real opportunities from the power shifts from the Atlantic to the Pacific where we live and where volumes of trade pass through our sea lanes.’

Well, maybe, but Solomon Islands is no Singapore– and Honiara doesn’t have the capacity to act as much more of a port than it already is. Solomon Islands has recognised Taiwan for a long time, so it’s hard to see how the vast growth engine that is China might help them in an immediate sense, particularly now that China and Taiwan now have something of a détente when it comes to challenging each other for influence in the Pacific. The log trade to South East Asia is a huge export earner, but everyone – including Philip – knows that logs are running out, and the industry’s thought to be losing hundreds of millions in potential revenue through corruption.

He made a number of references to economic development through reinvesting in infrastructure – ‘I’d like to see a robust and quality infrastructure development programme … this will lead to an increased level of income for people, boost visitor arrivals and small-scale industries like cocoa and copra.’

The key there is tourism. Solomon Islands is a beautiful country outside of its grubby capital and has the potential to offer a different kind of Pacific experience to tourists – not the resorts, cocktails and delayed elections of Fiji, not the resorts, kava and French expats of Vanuatu, but adventure, remoteness, kastom, and probably the best diving in the world. Despite some promising start-ups, the Solomons has a lot of work to do in building its tourism industry. Much of its infrastructure was destroyed between 1998 and 2003 during the time now known as the Tensions.

On that score, his government will seek to ‘fast-track’ reconciliation and the healing process by putting forward a forgiveness bill. Philip has made frequent mention of Solomon Islands as a ‘post-conflict’ society, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (modelled after South Africa’s efforts, and opened in Solomon Islands by Archbishop Desmond Tutu) is only part of the picture.

Visitors to the island nation might not have seen much of that conflict in recent weeks, with the police and RAMSI out in force for the elections. People forget the forced land clearances, the messianic militia leaders, the outright violence, and the near-destruction of Solomon Islands as a functioning economy all happened less than a decade ago.

In the end, Danny Philip waxed lyrical about the region and its possibilities.

‘As a government we will have responsibility to see that our nation stands to benefit from the so-called “Pacific Century” and understand the multipolarity that this new power shift will create.’

This power shift has been going on for some time, but the Solomons’ economy is still hugely dependent on aid and unsustainable industries. The reopening of Gold Ridge Mine, and nickel mining projects in the outer provinces will help, but they aren’t enough on their own.

Yes, the 21^st century might be about the Pacific, but it’s an open question as to whether the Pacific Islands are part of that conversation. The multipolarity that Danny Philip is talking about is fast becoming the case. Regardless of his policies, it’s still not clear that any of those poles will really help Solomon Islands to stand up on its own.

Charles Prestidge-King is currently a Masters of Arts (Strategic Studies) student at ANU, currently living and working in Honiara, Solomon Islands. He has written about the Solomon Islands elections for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Lowy Interpreter.