Norfolk Islanders find an unlikely champion

NORFOLK ISLAND – Australian Senator Pauline Hanson is calling for Australia to change tack on Norfolk Island.

Norfolk Island was stripped of its autonomy 16 months ago and now has little power as a regional council within New South Wales.

There has been, and remains, strong opposition to Canberra’s action. Canberra has said that Norfolk Island could not pay its way and that is why it removed the autonomy.

Hanson, on a visit to the island, said that Canberra’s view is quite wrong and politicians need to be better acquainted with the actual situation on the island.

“This island and the people here have actually sustained themselves for a long time now, over a hundred years.

“They have built this infrastructure themselves, not the Australian government – they have a tourism industry here. They’ve gone through a hard time with the global financial crisis like many other countries around the world, including Australia. And saying that just over four million dollars in debt is not being able to sustain themselves when Australia has over 400 billion in debt, so I don’t think Australia should be pointing the finger at Norfolk Island.

“My concern is what Australia has done. They didn’t consult with the people. They never listened to them. There was not a vote taken on it. The majority of the voters here are saying no, we are not happy with what’s happened.

“The people of Norfolk island, they love Australia, there are no problems with that whatsoever. But they don’t want to lose their own self-determination and they don’t want to be taken over and controlled by Australia. I can understand that.

“I think Canberra needs to actually come over here and speak to the people themselves, not the few chosen at the behest of the administrator here. He has not done his job and I think there’s a lot of problems here on the island.

“And what I’m hearing is he (Gary Hardgrave) is arrogant, bombastic – he’s actually a dictator and he’s not helping matters at all.

“And the people are just being ignored. They’ve sent petitions, they have sent letters to the prime minister, to the governor-general. Australia has already said sorry to one group of people, and we don’t need, and shouldn’t have to say sorry to another group of people if we destroy their culture and their way of life.”

Hanson was asked what chance did she think she had of swaying the Australian government to reverse its direction, given that there appeared to be general support for what they’ve done from the Labour opposition.

Hanson replied: “The locals tell me that when they were actually sitting in the gallery when this was passed by the parliament, there was no opposition, there was no talk, it was just basically agreed upon by the major political parties.

“There was only about five or six people in the chamber at the time when this was passed. And the impact that it had on them, I don’t believe that senators knew what was going on.

“Now I’ve encouraged them to have other senators come over here to speak to the people and know what’s happening. We can’t just railroad and say this is what’s going to happen. There has to be consultation.

“You have to have the right administrator here that is going to work with not only Canberra but also work with then people as well. And they have a right to their own self-determination. They’ve done it all these years and I believe they should have the right to continue to do it.”

- Dateline Pacific