SINCERE INTENTIONS OR EMPTY WORDS?

The Joint Standing Committee has been visiting again, and I understand they have been seeking to "build bridges". They certainly need to take responsibility for much of the mistrust and poor communication we have with the Commonwealth. This has arisen partly from the heavy bias and lack of balance in their successive reports into island affairs, but their credibility has also suffered from the thoughtless and hurtful comments made by their chairman and another member in relation to the Janelle Patton murder investigation.
In a speech delivered during his time here, Senator Lightfoot and his colleagues parrot the oft-repeated platitudes concerning the issue of looking after Australians and their interests.
Now I will be the first to admit that Australia would a good place to live in, and its profile on human rights and the welfare of its citizens would be reasonably well-regarded in the eyes of the world.
I have no intention of getting into the argument about whether Norfolk Island is part of Australia at this time, but I have serious doubts about whether the Joint Standing Committee and the Commonwealth Government are, in fact, genuinely concerned about the rights of those who live here, who are Australian citizens by choice, or because they happened to be born here. I have even graver concerns for the Norfolk Island people living here who do not hold Australian citizenship, and who have become second class citizens in recent years by being denied full participation in the electoral process.
If you asked any Australian what he values most about living in that country, he will probably speak about his freedoms and democratic rights as exercised through Australia's Constitution. He elects governments and representatives at three levels, and these people are accountable to the electorate on a regular basis, as happens here. If the Government of the day wishes to make a change to the Constitution and method of government, then they must go to the people with a referendum, and the people will make the decision.
In hindsight, it was probably a mistake not to insist on having a Constitution for Norfolk Island (as usual, we were too trusting), and the Norfolk Island Act is probably the nearest thing we have to it. But are we going to be allowed to exercise a democratic choice in the changes? NO!!
We frequently hear PM Howard and members of the Federal Government speak about "Australian values", and the words mateship, understanding, respect and tolerance, historic rights, heritage, cultural freedoms get regular airings. But for some reason, Norfolk Island misses out on these privileges.
Our historic rights are being ignored and denied, and our very real differences are not acknowledged. As for the island's culture...well, grants for oral histories, family banners, museums and recording the Norfolk dialect are fine. But isn't it time that they recognised that this island's culture and heritage is very much tied up with the way we deal with each other, make decisions about our community and meet the needs of our island and its people?
What Australia wants to do with this island goes right to the heart of our identity, our historic values, and our sense of who we are and where we come from. I cannot think of a single ethnic group or minority within Australia's borders who would be expected to put up with this sort of treatment.
Senator Carr, a member of the JSC, is quoted as saying

"..this Committee shares a commitment to ensure the equality of opportunity for Australian citizens."

If they are sincere, can we ask the Joint Standing Committee to recommend to the Australian Government that they cease discriminating against the people of Norfolk Island and

(1)show proper respect and acknowledgement of their historic rights and cultural heritage and values

(2)allow the people of Norfolk Island to make a democratic choice about changes to their system of government.

(3) acknowledge that the forbears of the people in this Norfolk Island community exercised a free and proud system of democracy and equal opportunity decades before the forbears of our Australian counterparts even dreamed of such possibilities!