A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

Anyone coming to Norfolk Island for the purpose of doing a survey, a report or an investigation should have some obligatory reading beforehand.
They should take some time to read "The Lord of the Rings" by Tolkien, or even Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, where they write about another world which is very different to one we are used to. As you read these books, you are expected to shake off your preconceived ideas and value systems, and accept a whole new set of realities. You stop making comparisons with your own normal existence, you stop making judgments using the old set of parameters, and in doing so, you discover a whole new world of possibilities.
These may be fantasies, but even in the real world, believe it or not, there are individuals, communities and even nations that do not need to be judged by the average Australian standard of what is good and right.
And Norfolk Island is one of those places.
One would hope that Mr Alan Morris from the Commonwealth Grants Commission was starting to get that impression at the public meeting last night. Yet again, Norfolk is to be measured against comparable communities within the Australian system on the delivery of services and capacity to raise finance.
It is very hard to convince Canberra that there is no such thing as a comparable community, because apart from our geography, remoteness and relative isolation, the people of Norfolk Island have a history, ethnicity, and culture that is indisputably distinct from that of Australia.
About the only concession Canberra has made is an acknowledgement that "Norfolk Island's economy has evolved separately from that of Australia"(from the leaflet NORFOLK ISLAND-ensuring a stronger and sustainable future).
Can they not understand that our values, our way of interacting and dealing with one another, our aspirations and expectations are all a product of a completely separate and distinct beginning and background? I am not just referring to the wonderful Pitcairn tradition on which the island "way" is based, but to the values of those people and families who have come to join this community and have put down their roots and made a strong commitment to the prosperity of the island and the well-being of its people.
I was so proud of the Norfolkers who put questions to the Grants Commission chairman last night. The issues they raised were pointed and relevant, and they were articulated clearly with intelligence and perception. It was not about control or conservatism or resistance to change. It was about securing the future of the island for Norfolkers, not Australia. And it was about ensuring we retain those good things that have made us a strong, vibrant community right up to the present day.
Some of the concerns raised were:
*Why spend money on new and modern infrastructure that a small community cannot be expected to maintain or staff adequately?
*Why suggest that our financial viability and capacity is inadequate when it is Australia that has passed legislation that specifically blocks revenue raising initiatives of the Norfolk Island Government and community?
*How can you get a true picture of a community when you cannot factor in cultural attributes?
*Wouldn't it be more productive to select 100 Norfolk Island residents at random, and assess their level of satisfaction with the current level of facilities, infrastructure and services?
*Why is there such a tight time frame for all these investigations and inquiries?
*Isn't our current economic downturn only a symptom of another problem that could well be solved with Australia's help?
It must be strange to address a large group of residents who are NOT asking for more services, facilities, welfare, handouts.
But that is the way we are.
We are different.