LIFE IN THE SUBURBS

Minister Lloyd told us in his phone/radio interview yesterday that he has single streets in his electorate with more people than live on Norfolk Island.

So what can we imply from this?

We are too small and insignificant to be worth worrying about?
Well, we do not see it that way. Our community is very important to us. We are well aware that Norfolk Island, being an anomaly, has only nuisance value for Canberra and DOTARS. We don't really expect others to see us as important to their lives. Just leave us to get on with things our way.

We cannot possibly organise ourselves into a viable and self-sufficient community with our own laws and methods of managing our affairs?
On the contrary, I believe we have proved we can. In those early years after the mutiny, and the initial violence, the Pitcairners could easily have "gone feral" and wiped themselves out altogether. But they didn't...they organised themselves into a productive and positive little group of people, and laid the foundations for a society, indeed, a small nation, that has remained strong, well-ordered, resilient. A people with a sound set of values, a sense of rootedness, belonging and empowerment. A people that is diverse, yet cohesive. A people that is contented and relaxed, but prepared to work hard for what it wants and needs. And above all, a people that wants to continue to manage its own affairs for the benefit of the people who belong to it.

Big is better?
On that basis, New South Wales is better than Tasmania, The U.S.A. is better than Australia, China and India are better than the U.S.A.....you could go on making comparisons. But we all know it is not necessarily so!!!
It is all a question of cutting your coat to suit your cloth, and working out a system to suit your needs and your size. Here on Norfolk Island, much of our problem has been that we have had big-government "solutions" imposed on us to meet small local island needs and problems.
If our government has become too complex, it is because Australia has demanded that it be so.
Drawing us into the Australian system will only make our government and our lives more complex and unweildy.

We need to be "normalised" into the Australian suburban model?
There is no better place in the world than Norfolk Island. We love living here. We love being different. We have evolved a very special way of life that suits us. We do not expect others to fit into our pattern of life...although we are sure we can teach them a lot about getting your priorities right! We are incredibly proud of our uniqueness, our special heritage, our beautiful island home.
Much has been said in recent days about the criteria for prospective immigrants into Australia. The PM says that people migrating to Australia should be prepared to accept Australian values, customs, laws and also speak some English!
Well, what about Norfolk laws, customs and values? Don't they mean anything? Do you really want to wipe those things out with the stroke of a pen? Why are Australian ways and laws better for us than ours?

Please do not try to fit Norfolkers into your little suburban boxes!

MUTINY 217 YEARS ON

Today is the 217th anniversary of the Mutiny on the Bounty. Some of us can understand the frustration of those forefathers as they dealt with a high-handed and irrational authority figure. Who can blame them for wanting to return to the relaxed freedom of the Pacific Island they had left behind?
Many of us feel pretty depressed with what has been dished up to us on the radio and in our mail boxes today.
So in the interests of a good laugh...and a touch of free speech....I thought I would post this for your enjoyment.

SINK OR SWIM

NEW INQUIRY INTO NORFOLK AFFAIRS

You may not have heard, but the members of the JSC have decided they still cannot understand what makes this island tick (surprise, surprise!), so they are going to conduct another Inquiry in the near future. Here are some of the things they are hoping to find out about Norfolk Island's people:
JUST STOP COMPLAINING
TERMS OF REFERENCE
*Why are they still playing ball when we keep moving the goalposts and tripping them up?
*What is it about eating Pilhi that makes them so proud of their culture (and will they please ask us for Bounty Day so we can taste it again.)?
*Could they extend their free burial scheme to mainland Australia?
*Why are they fishing in our 200 mile zone without a licence?
*What secret tactics did they use to stop highrise development on the island when we couldn't do it in Australia?
*Would it be possible to replace the Norfolk dialect with Latin so they can understand "Quis custodiet Ipsos custodes?"
*Why do their kids do so well in a third world school?
*Are they educated enough to understand how much money we are spending in the Solomons, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and other independent Pacific Islands?
*Why are the patients so happy with their treatment in a third world hospital?
*Why are the parents not complaining about the third world childcare?
*How do they manage to run businesses without the paperwork?
*Why are their kids missing out on the important experiences of vandalising, spreading graffiti and other anti-social behaviours?
*Where do they hide their unemployed youth and social misfits?
*Why do they keep electing their governments and holding referenda when they know we take no notice of them?
*How do their community organisations and service clubs manage to keep raising so much money from an underprivileged and cash-strapped community?
*How do they get from place to place on their sub-standard roads?
*How do their pollies and ex-pollies get to use their gold passes?
*How can we convince them that "Life is not Meant to be Easy" and that they had better get used to being as miserable as the rest of us in the future?
*What are the angles and untidy edges we still need to knock off so they can fit into the nice smooth round hole we have prepared for them here in Canberra?
See you in our dreams!

THOUGHTS ON ANZAC DAY

This old photo showing the unveiling of the Cenotaph at Kingston (on Anzac Day 1929) is a reminder that, although Norfolk Island has not been under direct enemy attack, war has played a very significant part in the history of the island people.

As far back as the beginning of the 20th century, a number of Norfolkers had enlisted with the Imperial Bushman Force to fight in the Boer War. Then when World War 1 broke out, like others around the world, they were very ready and willing to enlist to fight for King and Empire.
Seventy-seven Norfolk men enlisted with the Australian and New Zealand Forces, a number which represented more than half of all males on the island of suitable military age....a significantly higher percentage of the population than anywhere else in the Empire!! Their patriotism was also demonstrated in very generous donations and subscriptions to Patriotic Funds and War Loans...close to 2,400 pounds, which was a considerable amount from a 'subsistence' economy.

World War 2 saw the same courage and desire to defend the freedom of the region, and over 10% of the island's total population enlisted, and nine paid the supreme sacrifice in overseas service, a casualty rate that was more than double that of Australia per capita. Over 60 men also formed an infantry detachment that stayed to defend the island.
Norfolk Island paid the price with more than lives. Pressure from New Zealand and America led to the construction of the airfield, although Australia at first had not been keen on the idea. They said that it would need fewer defence force personnel to defend the island if it remained isolated. At the outbreak of war, Australia had, in fact, not considered it necessary to send anyone to help defend the island except a handful of men to protect the Cable Station.

The building of the airstrip had an enormous and far-reaching impact. Over one-eighth of the island became effectively "alienated" from normal agricultural and residential use, and many servicemen returned home after the war to find their homes and farms gone forever. As well as the loss of homes and property, the removal of the beautiful Pine Avenue also left a bitter taste.
The virtual quadrupling of the island's population placed enormous strain on the island's resources as food supplies and products such as passionfruit that would have otherwise been exported were allocated to help feed the defence personnel. Timber reserves were decimated, and rural areas became overrun with noxious weeds when the active labour force was absent in large numbers. Nevertheless, the Norfolkers were generous and hospitable to their military visitors.
A 20 bed hospital and many new roads were two of the better legacies of the War. Many may think the airstrip, which opened the island up to the rest of the world, may have been a mixed blessing!

Norfolkers have continued to serve in the defence forces, and have done so proudly. They cherish the ideal of freedom as much as anyone.
I cannot help wondering why Australia insists on nailing us down. Surely the goodwill, the co-operation and even the sacrifice that Norfolkers have shown over the years are enough to guarantee that they can rely on us and our friendship.

THE KIWI CONNECTION

Well, the Kiwi connection is obvious, isn't it?
For one thing, we are pretty close geographically speaking. A flight to Auckland is almost like a short bus trip, while a plane journey to Aussie is starting to get into the full-day excursion, cut-lunch thing.
And a lot of New Zealanders live here. Some have been here for two or three generations, and even quite a lot of Norfolk Islander Bounty descendants have Kiwi passports!
During the war, at one stage there were as many as 2000 N.Z. servicemen stationed here, and a few of them fell in love with the island, or a local girl, and made the island their new home.
There are other factors that make us feel more "at home" in New Zealand. They can cope with "small government" far better than Australia, and they seem to be better at applying good housekeeping principles and budgeting to running the place.
We relate well to our Polynesian cousins, the Maori people, and they fit in well when they come here to Norfolk Island. Come to think of it, although they may have a few real grumbles, the Polynesian communities under the oversight of the New Zealand government have fared far better than Australia's Aboriginal people.
You frequently hear the view expressed that Norfolk Island may fare better as a territory of New Zealand. That is not a new idea!
Soon after the Pitcairners arrived on Norfolk Island, Bishop Selwyn, Bishop of New Zealand, ensured that his Bishopric included Norfolk Island, and was taking a considerable paternal interest in the well-being and spiritual welfare of the Pitcairners. The connection remained strong through the 50 or more years that the Melanesian Mission operated on the island.
But there was a time when New Zealand came strongly to Norfolk Island's defence.
In the 1890's, when the plans were in place to annex Norfolk Island to New South Wales, the NZ Government put forward strong and forceful claims for the right to oversee Norfolk affairs. Not only did they feel it was a more logical and convenient because of the geographic proximity and the fact that the island came under NZ ecclesiastically, but they were strongly critical of the proposed actions by the Governor of NSW.
"..there were insufficient grounds for the contemplated abrogation of the rights and privileges of the Islanders. It was pointed out that the original agreement with the islanders was that 'while their island was, and would remain, an integral portion of the Empire, they should enjoy local self-government without interference."
Sadly, the proposals did not eventuate, but the concept was to be brought up again at various stages of the island's history, particularly during a Royal Commission in 1926.
One wonders how we would have fared as an external territory of New Zealand. A little better, I suspect, than we have done as a territory under the Commonwealth of Australia.
But we will never really know, will we?

LESSONS FROM HISTORY

It has been said that those who do not learn from the mistakes of history are bound to repeat them.
This does not mean that we should carry around rage and resentment about injustices of the past. Rather, by examining what has gone before, we gain a better understanding and perspective about the causes and outcomes of certain events, actions and policies that have played a part in our past. This enables us to make clearer and better informed decisions about our future.
Professor Raymond Nobbs has written a book that deals with a significant period in the history of this island and its people. Although the book is a sort of sequel to Ray's two earlier books on the First and Second penal settlements, it is significantly different in that it deals mainly with a different set of people - namely, the Pitcairn/Norfolk community. The history focusses mainly on the period 1856-1956, but explores some of the background of the earlier times on Pitcairn island, and some of the changes and trends that were having an effect on the island beyond 1956 into more recent times.
It is refreshing to read a history of the island written by someone who is proud to call himself a Norfolk Islander, and who therefore has a better appreciation of the values and culture of the island's people. Ray does not shrink from examining very thoroughly many of the controversial issues surrounding the rights of the island community and its treatment at the hands of the colonial and Commonwealth authorities. Nevertheless, he has managed to create a very balanced overview and narrative of the "Pitcairn Period" of settlement on Norfolk Island.

I would like to quote from one review of the book:

"Beautiful Norfolk Island continues to be a place which fascinates, intrigues and at times bewilders. Has ever such a small piece of land had such a deep and rich history? Professor Nobbs' book is just what is needed to make sense of the past and therefore in many ways the same issues which are still here in the present of this remarkable island and its people. I commend this book highly for those who already know and love the island. I commend it highly to those who do not, but for whom this account of a community seeking to maintain its identity in the challenges of increasing globalisation will be fascinating."
THE RT. REV. ROBERT FORSYTH
ANGLICAN BISHOP OF SOUTH SYDNEY

Ray's book is due to be launched on Norfolk Island on Bounty Day. I wish it was "out there" now, because it would greatly assist in our understanding of how we got where we are today!!

However, to keep your appetite whetted, I will, with Ray's permission, be quoting from it from time to time.

TAKING THE LEAD

I cannot help feeling enormously encouraged after listening to today's meeting of the Norfolk Legislative Assembly.
Our MLA's have copped a lot of criticism lately. Some of it has been justified, but a lot of it has been negative, unproductive and unhelpful.
We need to remind ourselves that, for better or worse, they are our representatives, freely and democratically elected by us...or at least by those who have not yet been disenfranchised by Australia.
We need to remind ourselves also, that they were no more prepared for the substance of Minister Lloyd's February 20th announcement than anyone else, nor were they given any more detail than we were. In fact, the Minister imparted more detail to journalists who interviewed him.
So our MLA's have had to deal with all of this emotionally just as we have. On top of that, they have had the difficult task of reading the electorate, because they know it is just not good enough to be guided by their own personal reactions to Australia's plans.
To add to their difficulties, they have not been able to gain any further information from Canberra. As our Chief Minister said, his letters have gone unanswered. Canberra is not interested in dialogue.
Meanwhile, they have been conscious of their responsibility to continue to govern this island properly, as is their mandate...life goes on. But they must not only govern it, but now they are very conscious of the message that their electors have been sending them:
"Get your act together, show leadership, and show us that you can keep our island viable and our economy sustainable."
I am personally very grateful for the message of vision, direction and action that has been promulgated in David Buffett's motion. This is a good springboard to go on to better things, better times, better government by Norfolkers for Norfolkers.
As the Chief Minister said, the Commonwealth Parliament has had over a century to lay its foundations and build legislative systems and practices that are workable, transparent and efficient. You cannot tell me that they have not made plenty of mistakes along the way, that they have not had to make adjustments to their way of doing things.
So why is our system unsustainable just because we may need to make some adjustments after 26 years?It is especially galling when you realise that part of our problem has always been that they have imposed Big Government practices and solutions on a small island situation. For some reason, they think that what works for them ought to work here..and it is just not always the case, in practice.

So to our MLA's..this is a good start.
Keep up the momentum. Be pro-active. Keep listening to us. Keep us informed. Explain what you are doing. Enlist our support.
You are on the right track!
Press ahead confidently for Norfolk Island and its people.

WELCOME TO NORFOLK ISLAND

I suppose that there are some who look at us here on Norfolk Island, and ask why we should be treated differently, why we insist we want to do things our way, why we think we are so special.
The simple fact of the matter is that we are different, separate, distinct, and this community has known that for over 200 years, and we are not about to give up our identity.
But that does not mean we want to be a closed or exclusive community. We never have. It is true that our story began in isolated and remote circumstances, and that equipped the Pitcairn/Norfolk people to be very self-reliant, innovative and hard-working. It also helped us to develop a strong sense of community, which persists to this day.
It is a mistake to think that the people of Norfolk Island want a closed community. It was a mistake that was made by Governor Dennison back in 1856, when he acknowledged the desire of the people to live without interference. What the Pitcairners meant was that they wanted to get on with managing their island and their affairs in their own way. Dennison thought it meant that they would be adversely affected by having others join their community, and he proceeded to give the people strict instructions that they were not to invite others to join them or sell their land to them.
Well, the Pitcairners ignored these paternalistic instructions - as was their right - and over the years land was bought and sold, and a number of people were welcomed into the community, including some of the Melanesian mission staff who married into island families.
But it was the island community that decided who should join them, with the decisions being made in a meeting of "The House", which was the informal parliament in which decisions were made by a majority vote. The community wanted control over immigration, just as they do today.
Over the years a large number of non-Pitcairners have joined this community. Some have come to work, found they could relate to the values of the community and stayed. Some have married islanders - that includes me!! Others have come and settled and raised families who have also put down roots here. Norfolkers have always welcomed into the community people who will enhance their way of life, bring skills that can help their self-reliance, and are generally prepared to go along with the "island way", and not want to change the island into a place like the one they left behind. We are quite a multicultural community, and sometimes almost cosmopolitan in character! Everyone who has made a long-term commitment to this community is valued!
Islanders of Pitcairn descent do not enjoy any exclusive rights, except insofar as their "special relationship with the island" may assist their immigration status. That is fair enough. It has been made quite clear to us by Australia that U.N. Conventions will not allow any discrimination on the basis of race. Yet discrimination is precisely what many people of Pitcairn descent are experiencing when they return to the island after a period away, and find they are ineligible to be placed on the electoral roll. While others, purely by virtue of having Australian citizenship, are judged fit to vote on local matters after just six months.
Sadly, we are also now seeing people coming, for the long or short term, and because they have been told this is a part of Australia, they expect conditions to be the same as they are in Australia. They expect the same Australian "rights" (although I suspect a few are quite glad to be free of the obligations in the form of taxes etc.) All this is a result of official Australian Government policies. And it will get worse.
Visitors from other Pacific islands tell us time and time again "Keep control of your Immigration."
Look at Australia - their immigration criteria are stringent, and for good reason. Yet they would deny this community those same rights that they insist on for themselves.

HAPPY EASTER

I would like to wish everyone who reads this a happy and holy Easter.
Because I feel that Easter should be a time for reflection and renewal, I will take a break from posting to this blog for three or four days.
The past weeks have been a busy time, and our energies have been consumed at times by unexpected and unfamiliar activities. In many ways our thoughts and lives have been turned upside down. As we come to grips with what Norfolk faces on the political front, it has forced us to look inside ourselves, and also to look around us to sort out what is important to us in our lives.
In many ways we have been re-discovering so many good things about this island, and especially learning to value each other. Unlikely groups of people have been thrown together, united by a common desire to keep this island very special and beautiful.
However, when feelings are running high, there is a tendency to become single-minded and not see what is going on around us. We allow ourselves to be driven by fear and anger and even resentment, and sometimes this causes us to turn on each other. We begin to label people and groups, and stereotype them. We start to view people with mistrust and suspicion. If the community starts to polarise around differing viewpoints, we run the risk of destroying the very way of life we say we are fighting for!
We should remember there are people who are struggling to get their heads around what is happening to the island, and there are people who have deep questions, doubts and concerns. Some are really doing it tough, and are looking for someone who cares enough to try and make things better. Others are feeling sidelined and insecure, and don't know how their voices can be heard.
We have seen it before in the 70's. The pressures, even those that come from outside the island, can lead to us blaming one another, and there can be tensions in families and in workplaces.
I do not want this to happen. I hope we can really be sensitive to one another's needs and aspirations, and try to understand where everyone is coming from, whether they agree with us or not.
We should be sitting down and listening to one another, and finding out what we have in common.......respecting one another's point of view and agreeing to differ, if necessary.
The Norfolk people are strong and resilient, but we do need each other, every last one of us.
Let us keep the "INASMUCH" principle alive.

Today is Maundy Thursday. Maundy is actually an old word for "mandate" or "command".In the Christian calendar, this is actually the day when Christians have traditionally focussed on one of Christ's most important commandments, given to his disciples at the Last Supper:

LOVE ONE ANOTHER. AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, SO YOU MUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

John 13:34

DAY IN COURT

Since Minister Jim Lloyd's announcement on February 20, the question of "What can we do?" has been in the thoughts and minds of many Norfolk Island people. There may have been an initial feeling of helplessness, but as the days have gone by, many have made a firm resolve to do what they feel they can. For some it has meant writing - submissions, letters, emails. For others it has meant attending meetings, and supporting the different organisations that have taken up the issue. Some have encouraged friends and relatives on the mainland to speak on our behalf. Others have talked to our own government, and offered support and help and encouragement.
It was extremely good news, however, to hear that the defence of our rights is to take place on yet another front - in the High Court of Australia. The case has been lodged, and issue on which the complaint is to be dealt with is the right of Australia to change Norfolk's electoral laws. The plaintiffs will be a group of Norfolk Island residents who have been disenfranchised or had their right to stand for election removed by Australia's action in changing our electoral laws. Our case will be handled by two of Australia's leading constitutional lawyers, one of whom is Robert Ellicot QC, the architect of Norfolk's self-government.
It will be good to have the matter settled. All of Australia's dealings with Norfolk Island in recent years have been carried out on the basis of the "Berwick case" in the 1976, a taxation case, in which the High Court ruled that Norfolk Island was an integral part of Australia, and therefore Australia had the right to legislate for Norfolk Island.
There is a strong tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation of Norfolk Islanders that they were encouraged to leave Pitcairn and come to Norfolk Island by a promise that the island would be ceded to them, that the land would be theirs to deal with as they wished, and that they would be free to live under their own laws and customs.
The reality was that this did not happen.
Disappointment and resentment have continued to the present day.
Many Norfolkers accept that although Australia does not have a moral right to make the island part of Australia or otherwise impose its will on the island, nevertheless what they have done was done legally and constitutionally, albeit without consultation with or agreement from the Norfolk people.
However, there are others who firmly believe that the Britain and/or Australia have acted illegally and unconstitutionally from the beginning
* that they wrongly reneged on a commitment in 1856
*that Governor Hampden acted unconstitutionally in 1896 when he repealed the laws and removed the role of local magistrates of the island
*that the transfer of Norfolk Island to Australia as a territory under the authority of the Commonwealth in 1914 did not in fact give Australia the constitutional powers that it has chosen to exercise over the island ever since.

We can only hope that this matter will now be progressed with the fairness, balance and transparency that have been notably missing from the dealings we have had with DOTARS and the Australian Government.
Yesterday someone aptly described the community of Norfolk Island as "an endangered species." We can only hope and trust that the Justice system will protect us!

WISH LISTS

Life is not perfect...we should get used to it. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be putting our best efforts into making it as good as we can.
We have some wonderful people living and working here, especially in our community services.This is a place where people still matter. The staff of our hospital have always shown great commitment to providing the very best standard of care to their patients, and the Hospital auxiliary, the Service clubs and the community will always give great support to any efforts to improve facilities.
The same goes for our school. As well as giving their best to the nurture and education of the island children, there is naturally a desire on the part of teachers and parents to have the best of equipment, teaching aids, work environments and opportunities for the students to extend themselves and further their education.
When we have visits from bodies like the Senate Joint Standing Committee, they are naturally interested in the provision of health and education, and their line of questioning would no doubt follow the line of what could be done to improve things. And I am sure the staff of our school and hospital can think of many things.
It is what these committees do with this information that leads to unbalanced reporting and misinformation. Because we do not have a particular facility or item, or because something needs upgrading, or something else has broken down, does not mean that our hospital is third world, and needs bulldozing and being replaced immediately with a state-of-the-art facility. Because we do not have access to every scholarship or area of funding for education does not mean that our school is unable to do a good job.The Australian Government would love to portray itself as Santa Claus, just waiting to tick off everything on our wish lists.
But it does not work that way. There would not be a hospital in the whole of Australia which does not want to add to or upgrade its facilities. And many of them have whole wards and other facilities that are unused because they cannot staff them! Other hospitals have equipment that breaks down - yes, even during operations - the JSC got great mileage out of that one!
Schools on the mainland, too, never reach the point of having everything they want or even need. They have to sort out priorities, and often rely on the parent bodies and community to provide extras, just as we do here on the island.
If we really think that coming under Australia is going to create a community where we want for nothing, then we are living in the Land of Make Believe. Just ask the residents of comparable communities in Australia...remote rural areas with fewer than 2000 people. They would just love to have access to even half the facilities and services that we enjoy now, just as they would love to have our high employment rate and low crime rate.
I have lived here for 40 years, and have seen such enormous improvements in the staffing, the infrastructure, the equipment, the service and the facilities in the Norfolk Island School and the hospital. This has been a result of a responsible attitude on the part of our own government, who have themselves recognised that our isolation requires us to have something better than a small country town. Their efforts have been wonderfully supplemented by those of local organisations and community groups, service clubs, businesses and private benefactors. This community has a wonderful sense of ownership of our school and hospital. Moreover, they are tailored to our special Norfolk Island needs.
Yes, we must continue to raise the standards of our education and medical services, and our government must make them a priority. But we should also be realistic, and not sit waiting for Santa to come in from Canberra loaded with gifts. It simply will not happen. They have made it clear they are not interested in what we say we need. They reserve the right to draw up the wish-lists, and that is what you will get, like it or not.

A THIRD OPTION

We had all been looking forward to this, our sesqui-centenary year, as a time for celebrating all the good things about Norfolk Island, and all we have achieved in the past 15o years.
Instead we find much of our time and energy is being directed towards resisting the push by the Australian government to take away the self-government that we fought so hard for.
However, most of us are also being realistic and responsible, and we are looking at the changes we need to make to ensure we continue to be a viable community.
Yes, Australia has presented two solutions for us to choose from. But we would rather develop our own.
Why?
1.Well, we really think we are in a better position here to know what sort of things will work best for Norfolk Island and its people, without damaging our culture and our proud traditions.
2.We elected our Legislative assembly to manage our island, and we want to support them in their efforts. We did not elect DOTARS, or Minister Lloyd, or their representatives and their endless committees.
3.We really want the best for our island and its people.
4. We really believe that Canberra's "solutions" to our current difficulties will leave us in a far worse economic position than before.

Let's face it...we have not been shown one shred of evidence that changing the model of governance will help us maintain a viable economy and a sustainable community.
So we are actively thinking about it for ourselves.

We know we will probably have to make changes that will involve changes in our spending, our budgeting, and the way we order our finances. We also need to accept that we may need to deal with a little more paperwork, and possibly privacy issues. We may need to pay more for the infrastructure, the facilities and the services we enjoy here.
All of this is infinitely preferable to having big-government solutions applied to small-island problems.

It has been suggested by some that we should ask Australia to give us more time to prove we can do it. They are quite used to shifting goalposts, so it should not be too hard for them to shift deadlines.

This is a clever island. We have lots of people here who have the will and the ability to come up with some creative solutions. These past few weeks have taught me that there are all sorts of people prepared to stand up for this island and its democratic rights. They include old and young, women and men, islanders and mainlanders, newcomers and long-standing residents.

If we all pull together, get behind our own elected government, speak up and act with positive strength and conviction, we can do it.

Give the third option for Norfolk Island a big tick.

SPEAKING UP ABOUT THE NORFOLK LANGUAGE

In a 1914 Memorandum relating to Norfolk Island, Atlee Hunt, Secretary of the Commonwealth's Department of External Affairs, referred to "The Local Jargon" of Norfolk Island as follows:

"It is not picturesque nor effective, and justifies its description as "a barbarous attempt to garrotte the English language". Its use contributes to maintain a spirit of exclusiveness among these folk, and for this reason, as well as because it has no merits to justify its continual existence, it is hoped that its employment may be discouraged in every way."

A new rule introduced in our school in 1915 forbade the use of anything but "the King's English" being spoken during school hours. The penalty for lapsing into Norfolk was to copy out 100's of lines to the effect that "I must not talk gibberish at school." Anderson, the headmaster at the time, predicted the Norfolk language would die out in a few generations.

Fortunately, banning the language could not extinguish it....in fact, it may well have led to its being used more fervently in defiance. Culture is something that not only sustains a people in adversity, but is often stimulated by it. The language was the natural means by which the people of this island communicated and interacted with one another. Only the Norfolk idiom can express those things that are peculiar to the island, both tangible and intangible. They are not easily translated into English.

In 2004 the JSC Committee recommended the preservation of the Norfolk language. (Funny how Australia's policies are always changing, while Norfolkers have steadily stuck with the same aspirations from Day One.) A worthy aim, on the surface. But when Australia takes on a cause like the Norfolk language, it is a bit of a worry, especially when they state that it is "in Australia's national interest". Here is a nation which thinks it understands Aboriginal culture just because it acknowledges traditional owners on public occasions, organises the occasional dance display, and hangs a bit of Aboriginal art here and there. The track record on Aboriginal culture is not good.

Now when people talk about preserving things, I have images of museums, with dinosaur bones, small animal foetuses in bottles, or stuffed animals displayed in their "natural setting." But it doesn't matter how much money you throw at something to preserve and display it, or even to record, document and teach it, you will not breathe life into it.

Language, like other aspects of culture, cannot be kept alive by being isolated, described, analysed, dissected etc or kept in a showcase. It is kept alive by being spoken and used by the people who have grown up with it. It is a living thing, and expresses ideas, personal characteristics, feelings, values, activities, and shared memories that belong to those people.

Now if you succeed in squashing the spirit of those people, changing the way they deal with and interact with one another and altering their social and cultural environment.......

If you make it difficult for them to pursue those activities which have sustained the community for two centuries, and turn the island into a place that their families and young people can no longer call home......

If you take away away their distinct identity and substitute the "Average Australian" one......

Then no amount of documenting or teaching alone will keep that language alive.

The language, and the Norfolk traditions, character, values and activities it describes will just become museum relics, like other aspects of the island's unique culture.

If Australia's plans for property taxes are brought to fruition......

If we lose our control over Immigration.....

If our Norfolk people are displaced by a homogenised Australian community.......

we may no longer have anyone left here who speaks or understands Norfolk...or even cares!

SOME SCARY STORIES

For those who think that the changes Australia wishes to make on Norfolk Island amounts to little more than paying a bit of income tax and collecting an old-age pension should think again.
We are beginning to hear many stories from people who have had experience of living, working and doing business in mainland Australia, and most of them have no desire to return to that sort of regime.

Running a business on a small island with a market of fewer than 2000 people, plus just a few hundred tourists at the best of times, is not easy, but at least you do not have to expend large amounts on book-keepers and accountants. If you run a business under the Australian tax regime, you will need a huge amount of paperwork, and you will need to keep it all properly stored for 5-7 years! An auditor can ask to come and go through your books, your invoices, and your receipts at any time, and they will be prepared to follow the "paper trail" of even a $5 item not only through your books but your supplier's books! You will be fined for any small mistake you make in declaring your income.
Now if your business has not been doing so well, but they decide you are telling porkies to hide something, you will be assessed on an "industry average". (I am starting to feel that everyone under the Australian system has to be average-or else!!) The onus of proof is on you!
Even if you are scrupulously honest, the stress factor is enormous. As someone said "Big brother is watching you for the rest of your life."
Even a simple tradesman is subject to the same scrutiny and accountability. Your workplace and tools can be inspected at any time, and if your tools do not carry the appropriate tag saying they have passed inspection, you are in trouble. Charge-out rates on "the mainland" for tradesmen and professional services are generally about triple those on Norfolk Island, because they have to factor in all the business taxes, indemnity insurances compliance costs, O.H.&S. costs, plus the higher wages to compensate for income tax.
If you try to run a business under the Australian regime, you will not only have to deal with Company tax (30% on profit) and income tax payments for yourself and your employees, there will be compulsory superannuation deductions, stamp duties, payroll tax, fringe benefits, business insurance premiums, a complex system of Workers' Compensation and Public Liability. A small business in Australia is classified as one with a turnover of less than $2 million, or fewer than 100 employees. So none of our businesses here would even register on the Richter Scale, and Australia would probably see them as unviable anyway.
The business owners would not be the only losers. We would all lose out.
Not only would we lose out on the availability of the goods and services from those who do not survive, but we would pay much more to those who do manage to keep going in business.

The same scrutiny that the Tax Office applies to businesses is also applied to Welfare recipients by Centrelink...but that is another story!

Meanwhile, to find out how our low tax base enables us to enjoy facilities and professional services that would normally be unavailable to a community of this size, I urge you to read John Kelly's submission to the Grants' Commission. You can find it on the NAG Website.
http://www.nagnorfolk.com/

CHILDREN OF THE BOUNTY

Yesterday I wrote about the fact that Norfolk Island is distinct from Australia ethnically, historically and culturally.

The Norfolkers/Pitcairners never migrated to Australia as a community, and they never voluntarily "adopted" Australia as their homeland or country of citizenship.

The history of Norfolk's people is quite separate and distinct from that of Australia, and their culture has evolved quite separately also.

For the first two decades after the Mutiny on the Bounty, the surviving mutineers, together with the Tahitian women and children, in their extreme isolation, formed a peaceful and positive little community that was to amaze the captains and crews of visiting ships after their discovery. All they needed in the early part of the nineteenth century was a little friendly and helpful advice. But the pattern of resourcefulness and calm strength was well and truly established by then, and survives to this day.

The Norfolk/Pitcairn dialect was also established early, combining the English of the mutineers, the Tahitian of the women, and possibly a West Indian influence from Edward Young. To this day, there are nuances, emotions, humour, and Norfolk "ways" that cannot be expressed in English. Only the colourful Norfolk language conveys these things properly.

There is no doubt that the strong Polynesian influence in the culture was complemented by the British values, first of the mutineers (especially Adams) and later of Evans, Buffett, and most importantly George Hunn Nobbs.

Later, on Norfolk Island, this Britishness was further reinforced by the influences of the staff of the Melanesian Mission, some of whom married into island families.

Many will not be aware that there was also a strong American influence in the culture. Visiting whalers often spent time with the islanders, and frequently left their wives on the island during the whaling season. Island pies, and also the celebration of Thanksgiving, are just two important aspects of our culture that we learned from the American visitors.

However the continuing Polynesian/Tahitian tradition has persisted. Polynesian dancing, weaving, cooking and music are still practised and enjoyed by Norfolk Island people. It should be remembered that this was a close and isolated community, and there was not a great deal of marriage with outsiders for the first hundred years. Even today, there is still a high percentage of Polynesian blood in many island families.

This fact was really brought home when a group of Norfolkers travelled to Tahiti last year to help the Bounty descendants still living there celebrate their Bounty Day - the anniversary of the sailing of the Bounty into Matavi Bay in 1788. The warm family feeling that the Norfolkers experienced when they met their Tahitian cousins took them quite by surprise.

In spite of the language differences, they discovered they had so much in common, and were overwhelmed by the emotional welcome and the kind hospitality shown to them by the Tahitians. The bonds were extremely strong! And they even kept meeting Tahitians who looked just like particular Norfolkers back home!

Norfolk Islanders also still feel they are of the same race as the Pitcairn Islanders. They still share the same bloodlines, the same language, and many of the same traditions. They too are "Children of the Bounty."

In 2004, the Senate Joint Standing Committee said:

"Norfolk Island's history and cultural heritage are highly valued as part of Australia's national and multicultural heritage.....Australia's national interest... is also served by ensuring that these aspects of Norfolk Island Life are maintained." (Review of Annual Reports of DOTARS and Dept of Environment and Heritage. p.87)

I find it incredibly arrogant of the JSC to speak of the culture of a people as if it were some commodity, or some feather to stick in Australia's multicultural cap!

Whatever Australia may do with Norfolk legally and constitutionally, this will not make Norfolkers into Australians in the ethnic or cultural sense. Their history and heritage are unique and separate, and they are rightly very proud of this!

AUSTRALIA NOT IN THE PICTURE!

Today they unveiled a magificent Mosaic mural at the Norfolk Island Airport. The mural is a sesqui-centenary gift to the island from the Community Arts Society, and a large number of local residents contributed to the project with time, hard work and creative ideas.
I am told that there was a "brainstorming session" early in the project for ideas of what should be included, and from nearly 300 original suggestions, close to 100 themes, images and symbols were incorporated into the design. These include symbols from Tahiti and Pitcairn, as well as numerous aspects of the history of the community on Norfolk Island. It includes personalities, families, culture, transport, houses, flora and fauna, education, foods, crafts, everyday objects and landmarks, and much more that is unique to our community.
The Bounty and the Morayshire are shown, and so are Tahiti and Pitcairn and Norfolk. There are depictions of their strong Polynesian traditions as well as their British ones.
But you will not see Australia. Or anything about Australia.
Unless you count the model of the Cenotaph, which records the names of all those Norfolkers who fought for King and Country in two World Wars. They fought to defend their island and the freedom of the people of the region. And now the country whose flag they fought under is wanting to deprive the descendants of those proud and brave men of their rights as free citizens of Norfolk Island.
You see, this community never ever chose to migrate to Australia or settle there. They came from Pitcairn to Norfolk Island in 1856, believing it was being granted to them by their British Queen. They were content to be under the paternal oversight of the Queen's representative, Captain Dennison, Governor of Norfolk Island (who also happened to be Governor of Britain's colony of New South Wales.)
When they were annexed and brought under the New South Wales Government in 1896, no one consulted them or asked if they wanted this. In fact, they made it clear they did not!
When the island was brought under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1913, once again no one bothered to ask if this was what they wanted.
In more recent years, islanders who thought they were born to be citizens of Norfolk have been told they are, by default, citizens of Australia. No one is quite sure when it happened, and certainly no one asked if they minded.
Norfolk people have never chosen to identify with or be just another part of multicultural Australia. Their ethnicity, their heritage and their culture are quite separate and different from that of Australia and Australians. They feel first and foremost Norfolk Islanders.

As one admires this mural, one realises that the people of this community have a very rich and colourful tradition, heritage and culture, of which they are justly proud. It is their Pitcairn/Norfolk heritage, and these people are prepared to stand firm to preserve their unique and special identity.

MONEY MYTHS 2

MYTH4: Australia Pours Big Money into Norfolk Island

Definitely not.

In the later days of the Advisory Council, Australia was giving Norfolk Island a grant of a little over $60 000. Even then, this represented only a small percentage of the island's revenue. And the cost of the Administrator and Canberra's responsibilities on the island came out of this money.

With the coming of self-government, the island was to raise and spend its own revenue. As is only right, there are certain things that Canberra pays for. Such as the cost of their Administrator and his staff and Government House. The island receives no direct annual grants, but the Commonwealth does contribute to the running and maintenance of areas that are owned by the Crown, or which serve Commonwealth interests. The Norfolk Island Government and the Commonwealth share the cost of KAVHA, which is Crown property and part of Australia's colonial heritage. They pay a third of the cost of the Federal Police presence here.For some reason, the Commonwealth assumes the total responsibility for National Parks. That is a good thing. When we see the incredible waste of money in that area, it is a warning to us of what will happen if Australia takes over other areas of responsibility.

In 1997 when the Commonwealth Grants Commission made its report into Norfolk's financial viability, the TOTAL spending on Norfolk Island by the Commonwealth was less than $4 million. That included all sorts of things like the Meteorological Bureau, the Ionospheric station, Foreign Affairs and Defence, Veterans' pensions, matters which are totally Australia's responsibility. Of that amount, the things they said could be considered to bring some direct benefit to the island amounted to just $676 000 ...and that included 50% of the costs of the Norfolk Island branch of the Territories department, 50% of the costs of the Administrator's office and Government House, and an amount of $100 000 for Medivacs. And 50% of the Commonwealth share of KAVHA costs was actually said to be properly a Norfolk responsibility, even though the island was already contributing far more than the Commonwealth in this area! The $676 000 also included an amount of social security payments being paid to residents, which they had no doubt earned through years of paying Australian tax! The Federal Government has even subsidised private industry in Australia for far greater amounts! e.g. Mitsubishi, Kodak, Sugar, Ethanol.

In other words, it was chicken feed.

We didn't actually have to pay this amount, but it was firmly placed in the ledger as something for which we should feel beholden to Australia. Moreover, the Grants Commission implied that we were even more in Australia's debt because they allowed us to keep our Customs duty and departure tax revenue, which rightly belonged to the Commonwealth!

I wonder if other countries are made to feel in Australia's debt because of the cost of maintaining their embassies and diplomats there!

Now we will admit that Australia has made available some small grants from time to time, such as for the Water Assurance Scheme many years ago, the stabilising of the Cascade cliff, and the restoration of the Kingston wharf. Not only have these been mostly tied up with indemnity issues, but the amounts were extremely small when compared to aid given elsewhere in the region.

Let us get a bit of perspective here. In 2004-5, Australia spent $674 million in foreign aid to this region just to assist in Governance issues. They have contributed $4 million to Fiji's upcoming elections. A month or so ago, they announced they were giving $38 million to Vanuatu to upgrade their judicial system.

Yet for the few scraps that Canberra throws us, there are great strings attached; we are made to feel dependent on them and incapable of managing on our own.

If Australia was really interested in sound Governance on the island, it would cost them comparatively little to help us through our current potential difficulties. They could even do it simply by removing some of the legal and constitutional obstacles they keep putting in our path.

But they do not want to assist. They simply want to take control for themselves.

MONEY MYTHS

The media loves to portray Norfolk Island as a place where people avoid paying taxes. Some journalists like to imply that we have got away with this situation for too long, and it is about time Australia made us pull our weight. They also like to create the impression that the island is full of millionaires avoiding taxes that they should rightfully be paying to the Australian Government. This misinformation suits Canberra well, and they do nothing to dispel the myths. When Minister Jim Lloyd was interviewed on Radio National the morning after his announcement about changes in Governance on Norfolk Island, he was asked if it was right that Norfolk Island people should be allowed to get away without paying tax. He replied that the system was different here, but he did not attempt to explain that we receive very little from Australia either.

MYTH1 Norfolk people do not pay tax.
Norfolk residents do not pay income tax on money earned on the island. Most Norfolk residents do not pay any taxes to Australia, except on incomes and revenue earned in Australia (and the same applies to other countries like New Zealand, the U.S.)
Norfolk residents do pay a whole range of taxes and levies to our own government. Customs duty and Waste Management levy is charged on all goods brought into the island. We pay a Financial Institutions levy, a Healthcare levy, a Fuel levy, and all sorts of user-pays charges for registrations, licences and the like. Many people pay a Water Assurance levy (for sewerage) and businesses pay a range of levies, such as the bed tax paid by tourist accommodation owners. Our government also earns money from Government Business Enterprises such as Norfolk Telecom, the Electricity Undertaking, the Post Office, the Liquor Bond, the Lighterage Undertaking. Visitors and locals alike pay a departure tax. There probably ways we can spread the tax base more widely, and we are working on that. We are quite prepared to look at ways of contributing more to the running of the island...but we want that money to go to our own Government, not to Australia!

MYTH 2 Norfolk residents get special treatment from Australia.
Norfolk residents do not receive social services from Australia...no pensions, no baby bonus or family allowance, no student allowance, no childcare subsidies, no dole, no disability allowance, no business, training or employment subsidies, no Medicare, no pharmaceutical benefits.
There would be a handful of people receiving a Veterans pension, and rightly so. Likewise there are some people who have qualified for an Australian pension after a lifetime of paying Australian taxes.
We pay totally for our own Health services and hospital, and for our Education system. There is a locally-funded pension and special allowance for those who need it. We pay for our own roads and other infrastructure.We pay for our own Public Service.
Australia used to help us out with medical evacuations, using the R.A.A.F, but no longer does provides this neighbourly facility.
We are remarkably self-sufficient and independent, and want to remain so.

MYTH 3 Norfolk Island is a tax haven for millionaires
If my reading of property prices on the mainland is any indication, millionaires are a dime a dozen nowadays. There may well be a number of them living here. It is hard to tell, because we do not see any ostentatious mansions or lifestyles, nor does anyone drive a really classy car (except for one or two eccentrics!) The better-off people here are often still working hard, and pulling their weight in the community.
They are certainly not avoiding tax. Any money they are earning in Australia or New Zealand is being taxed in those countries. Norfolk as a tax haven is well and truly a thing of the past. Those who exploit taxation loopholes have all gone elsewhere.
Of course, there may be a few people who, through enterprise, hard work and good investment have made a million here on Norfolk Island. I say "Good luck to them." They do not owe Australia anything!
I believe the myth about rich people exploiting the island comes from people who would like you to think there is a class structure here. Norfolk is a remarkably egalitarian place, offering opportunities for all.
In future posts, I will deal further with Norfolk's financial relationship with Australia, and with our own Government's financial situation. There will be still more myths to be laid to rest.

LUB-BE NORFOLK

Let Norfolk Island Be.

This bumper sticker was commonly seen on the back of Norfolk vehicles in the 1970's. It expressed very succinctly the feeling of frustration that Norfolk people felt with the continuing interference of the Federal Government in their affairs. For a small section of the community, it expressed a desire to really "go it alone." I have heard this view expressed fairly frequently in recent days, as people contemplate the possibility of another lifetime of having their basic rights squashed and their heritage and culture ignored.
For most however, "Lub-be Norfolk" simply meant "Stop messing around with us, and let us get on with governing this island in the best interests of its inhabitants." Although there have always been some in the community who want closer integration into Australia, the majority by far simply want a close and friendly association which would benefit both countries.
The fact is that the Norfolk Island people have been remarkably consistent in their wishes and aspirations for the governance of their community.
On their removal from Pitcairn to Norfolk, the islanders desired that they should be allowed to live according to their own laws and customs, without interference from outside. Much the same as we desire today!
When almost all their laws were repealed in 1896, and they lost any measure of autonomy by being annexed to New South Wales, the incumbent magistrates Adams and Quintal expressed their concerns in a letter that gives a strong sense of deja vu!
They stated that that the move would:

" First, involve the destruction of the distinctive character and race of the people, as well as the ancient laws, institutions, and customs of themselves and of their Pitcairn fathers;

Secondly, subject the people to a code of laws entirely different from their own and unsuited to their circumstances;

Thirdly, inundate the island with strangers and expose all its unalienated land;

Fourthly, subject the island to taxation; and

Fifthly, deprive the islanders of the rights(which they had exercised for over 100 years) of electing their own magistrates."

Over the next 80 years, the feelings of the islanders remained unchanged. They never resigned themselves to being subjected to the rule and order of Australia and her representatives, and continually asked and petitioned for a greater say and genuine control in their own affairs, and the right to say how the moneys raised on the island were to be spent.
In 1962, after rejecting the local municipal governance offered by Australia, the President of the Advisory Council, Mr Jim Needham, said:

"Norfolk Island has been remarkably consistent in knowing what form of government it wants...........our policy, after all, has been consistent for 65 years. Can it be more clearly stated in any other form?" (Pacific Islands Monthly Jan 1962)

Today, in 2006, our aspirations still remain the same. We still know what we want and need. Could any member of the Australian government say that?
No, but with their blinkered eyes and blocked ears, they continue to call the tune with no real attempt to consult and negotiate with us.
Yes, I know they send commissions, committees and inquiries here with tedious regularity, and we will have a real barrage of them this year. The trouble is, they do not even know the right questions to ask, let alone the answers. They will only hear what they want to hear, and dismiss everything else as the rantings of a noisy, self-interested minority!!
By all means continue to write to and email the Minister and DOTARS, but contact the P.M., the Treasurer, the Foreign Minister and all the ordinary M.P.'s and Senators. If they will not listen, I feel we must start to tell the rest of the world. Let your friends and relatives know what is happening to this island. Write to the newspapers, Human Rights' Organisations, anyone you can think of. Get behind our Assembly, and encourage them to be proactive in resisting Australia's push.

Keep positive and don't give in.
If we lose what we have, we will never get it back.

WI GUUD, THAENK YU

It is probably hard for Australia to understand that Norfolkers are totally unimpressed by the carrots they dangle in front of us to persuade us that we would be better off under their system. It doesn't matter how many millions they promise to spend here, we think we already live in the best of all possible worlds. We don't envy another soul on this planet.
Norfolk Island is tailor made for Norfolkers......that is, the Pitcairners and the people who have come to settle because they like the Norfolk way of doing things. It doesn't matter how much Canberra consults and deliberates to design a model of government suitable for this island. Their model just will not fit. Because they do not come even close to understanding this island or its people.
Our visitors come closer to understanding. They tell us time and time again: "Do not let Australia come in. They will spoil this place. We envy your way of life."
This is a contented, busy, productive, vibrant society.
Early in the mornings, you will see all manner of people out walking, or swimming, or tending their gardens, or picking up rubbish along the road. They have something to get up for here!
During the day, you will see people gathering, chatting, laughing, interacting. You don't see anyone, young or old, just sitting round, sad and idle. Our senior citizens are active and productive into their later years, in their gardens, around their farms, in community work, and even in the paid workforce. Our young people are focussed, positive and courteous. Our children and our old people feel safe. Families and extended families are strong and supportive. You will rarely see any vandalism or graffiti.
Community organisations are well-supported. There is strong participation in sports and in arts and crafts. We know how to work hard and play hard. If you go to the Supermarket, you will see trolleys filled with consumables.
Rarely do you hear a complaint about our hospital or school. Quite the opposite....we are proud of both. Large numbers of people are connected to the internet. Some of our facilities may be on a small scale (as is appropriate for a small island) - but they are accessible to all.
Our homes and public buildings may not be ostentatious, but they are tidy and well-maintained. Our roads are excellent for a small semi-rural community. Large numbers of our people, young and old, own their own businesses, or reap the benefits of the tourist industry in some way. Our people are enterprising and resourceful.
There are some challenges living on small remote island. We have to catch our own water, and use it carefully. Our fuel and power costs are high, as are prices of some of our groceries. Sometimes the supermarket runs short of things. You can't "take off" for a weekend. If we get really ill, we may have to go to the mainland.There is no garbage collection. If we want something, we have to work for it ourselves - we can't ask someone to do it for us.
We accept these "inconveniences" as part and parcel of living here. People who want the so-called comforts of an urban environment should not be living here. The Australian Government cannot do a single thing to change these less convenient aspects of rural island life. But in making us dependent on their handouts, and taking away our responsibility for meeting our own needs, they will greatly damage the wonderful spirit of this community.
Time and again, you will hear Norfolkers say:
"Ai guud, thaenk yu." (I am just fine, thank you.)
And they mean it.

If you want to know how good life is here on Norfolk Island, and learn more about our wonderful community spirit, go to my other blogsite at
http://devonhouse.blogspot.com/