with the work of Aderito Soares in the Anti-Corruption Commission is a good thing for the administration of government in Timor. Another criticism levied at the new government is that of nepotism. Timorese society continues to reflect its traditions, which have yet been wiped away in the name of smoothing the space of the globe and making it safe for business. Having worked in both Timor and Arnhem Land I see many similarities in the manner in which these societies are organised. Tradition and societal bonds in Timor are not just a replica of what we disingenuously call 'community' in Australia. Timor has community rather than a society of entrepreneurs and consumers. Bonds other than economic ones still exist between people. Family really is the basis of society. As a result of colonisation and occupation there is a limited number of people with the skills needed to perform the tasks of government at this point in time. That skills base is further limited by the fact that it is divided up amongst two principal political parties and nineteen others which contested the recent election. The reality is that it is almost impossible not to find family members operating in similar areas. And oppositional politics makes this even harder. The criticisms of the government on this basis need to be put into this context and the manner in which Timorese society has been traditionally organised. To just blindly object to a Government on the basis that some people are related is