CANBERRA'S CONTEMPTThis is the 12th Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island, together with the two clerks.
They are about half way through their term of office.
When they were elected, Norfolk was very much at the crossroads.
The Federal Government had recently abandoned and walked away from its year long exercise to introduce governance change to Norfolk Island. In spite of our joyful relief, we were in a difficult position. Not only had the exercise used an enormous store of the time, finances and resources of our own government, but we had achieved nothing in areas where the Commonwealth could have assisted us in making useful reform and progress.
The elections that followed showed that the people wanted a change.
Old hands, including those who had been most useful in resisting Canberra's push, were voted out.
There was a generational change for a start.
But I believe we elected a government that we wanted to take us forward in a positive manner.
A government that would firmly address the areas that Canberra maintained were a concern, such as economic sustainability.
And a government that would seek to build a good working relationship with the Commonwealth so that we would not have to face the events of 2006 again.
The elected members accepted this mandate. They have been proactive in many areas, especially in planning for a more stable economic future.
There has been a focus on planning for future infrastructure needs, such as a harbour and international standard airport, and the maintenace of an airline, our lifeblood, in difficult times. These are areas for which the current Rudd government has taken the previous Coalition to task for neglecting, saying that they are vital to future economic stability and productivity. I believe they are important to this island too.
The task of building a dialogue with the Commonwealth actually got off to a fairly hopeful start. That is, until the election of the Rudd Labour Government. There were changes in portfolio arrangements, and the island now came under the Minister for Home Affairs Bob Debus.
The Minister has shown a distinct lack of interest in discussion and consultation with the Norfolk Island Government, and has taken almost a year to even visit the island.
There has been plenty of activity at a political level, with visits from Annette Ellis, the member of the Canberra electorate to which Norfolk Island is loosely attached, with voluntary voting rights. There has been the establishment of a Norfolk Island Branch of the Australian Labour Party, who have, "dem tull", been more successful in reaching the Minister's ear than our own Government members.
But on a Government to Government level, we have been shown something that comes close to contempt.
The Minister came to the island on Sunday. The main purpose of his visit was not actually to talk with our Legislative Assembly but to be involved in an International "Islands of Exile" Conference.
No doubt his announcement last week about changes to Norfolk's Governance were timed to conveniently coincide with the visit he was going to make anyway.
But he will not even speak to our Government until today, two days after his arrival. He will already have held many private meetings and discussions with individuals and groups.
Dialogue (??) with our government is low on his list of priorities of appointments.
This is an insult to the people of this island and their elected representatives.