THE BALLOT BOX

Voting has been in the news a lot lately, with state elections in Tasmania and South Australia, and now a repeat of the half-Senate election in W.A.
I think most people would agree that choosing your government and having a say about what happens to where you live is a pretty basic human right.
But not, it seems, on Norfolk Island.

Yes, we have elections here every three years for our Legislative Assembly, but nowadays you can only go on the electoral roll if you are an Australian citizen. It does not matter how strong your connection with Norfolk Island and the Bounty/Pitcairn descendants is.
But that is not all.
Our last two governments have become more accountable to Canberra than their own electors.
A "Roadmap" has been adopted whereby, in return for some funding assistance, our government is required to make changes on Norfolk Island. Such as opening up immigration to any Australian or New Zealand citizen, without any checks or balances. And many other things.


And since the Passing of the Territories Reform Bill, which was forced on us at a very difficult time, our elected members can be sacked by Canberra. And it has been threatened that this will happen if they do not toe Canberra's line. They cannot even grumble or express the doubts and concerns of their electors.
The greatest disgrace is that Canberra is planning to change governance arrangements on Norfolk Island without allowing the people of Norfolk Island to register a democratic vote on the matter. Yes, there has been consultation, most of it is anecdotal, and they tend to "cherry pick" what they want to hear.
Below is the letter that I wrote to our local paper this past weekend. I wrote a much angrier one a few days before, but withdrew it. It was the result of what I will describe as an "Australian official" - a person with a great deal of influence and authority in dealing with Canberra, and the person that our MLA's are obliged to go through if they wish to communicate with the Federal Government - said to mainland ABC media about how Norfolk people think and feel . He created the impression that all Norfolk people want to become part of the Australian system. He presumed to know what you and I think and feel. We have never had the chance to put our views in an objective democratic way.

Even if you do want to become an integral part of Australia, pay Australian tax, relinquish Norfolk Island's identity as a separate and distinct external territory, you would have to agree that such a decision should not be made without the will of the people.
Below is my letter

Dear Sir

An Australian Official tells the media that there is no longer opposition on Norfolk Island to coming under the Australian system – but I do not know where he gets his statistics from, because he didn’t ask me!

http://abc.net.au/theworldtoday/content2014s3973446.htm

Minister Briggs says that the responses to his invitation for comment show that unambiguously people want reform. But the submissions were voluntary and subjective, and we are not told how the very broad-ranging comments are being collated or codified.

One of your regular correspondents pours cold water on Minister Adam’s move for a plebiscite, because he says that democracy is really just all about the provision of health services, employment, taxes etc... – but my dictionary says otherwise!

Without asking us or seeking our blessing, our previous government signed on to a Roadmap process whereby we virtually lost self-government, and major decisions were forced on us by Canberra in return for funding.

Our present Assembly was elected by people who thought that at last we would be given a voice. But they continue to be accountable first to the Federal Government, rather than the constituents  they are supposed to represent.

Moreover, they work under the shadow of a threat that they can be sacked by someone other than their electors.

And so we continue the continual and longstanding arrangement where the welfare and future of this island is decided by people who do not call this place home.

It is SHAMEFUL that Norfolk is still denied access to proper and informed democratic processes, especially in this day and age, and in this part of the world. You just cannot do this to a community that had a free and fair democracy, including a vote for women, when Australia was just a collection of British colonies.  History will judge current events and processes harshly.

I do not believe the very resilient Norfolk people fear change or reform. But they need to know with certainty that those reforms will really be ones that will make Norfolk Island a better place, and then they need to OWN any decisions that are made before we can move forward.

“Four for Forward Thinking” published their response to the Minister. For some balance, you can see my response at

http://angelsandeagles.blogspot.com/

Yours sincerely

Mary Christian-Bailey