SOMETHING FISHY

You may have noticed that ever since Minister Jim Lloyd made his announcement on February 20th, we have not been given much more information. The Canberra people have just repeated the same thing over and over again. Perhaps if they keep saying it, they hope we will believe it. They have not even made much attempt to explain or justify what they plan to do. They have not been able to demonstrate that their plan will solve any problems we may have.
They simply want to swallow us up. They say it is for our own good, and we in turn are expected to swallow it hook, line and sinker!

*They tell us we are in economic difficulties - and then threaten to block any initiatives we want to make to strengthen and diversify our economy.

*They tell us we face future insolvency, then take away our customs revenue to make sure it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy!

*They tell us they have to take away our customs, immigration and quarantine and say it is about border control. But we already have to go through exactly the same immigration and customs barriers and checks as every other visitor or exporter to Australia.

*They say they want to "maintain the strength, self-reliance and culture of Norfolk", and then they threaten to take away the very things that have kept us self-reliant and strong up until now.

*They talk about the "special character of Norfolk Island and its history and its people" - and think they can preserve it by extending Australian Commonwealth laws to the island.

*They talk endlessly about consultation - but have ensured that it is only a one-way process and that we have absolutely no say in the agenda!

*They say that we should not expect the Australian taxpayer to fund a small helping hand out of our current temporary difficulties, but they can afford to spend $674 million in aid towards governance in other 'independent' Pacific islands in one financial year.

The simple fact is that they have had a long-standing and well-developed agenda to swallow us up and make us just another part of mainstream Australia. They want to take away our separate identity and absorb us into their system of laws and government. They do not really want to help us...they would rather see us dependent on them.

It is unfair. It is unjust. It is undemocratic.

It doesn't even make sense.

It must not happen.