Imperial Australia still lives

Dec 22, 2024
Waving flag of Norfolk Island blowing in the wind. Full page flying flag.

It is almost exactly two years since I wrote more in sorrow than in anger about Australia’s neocolonial treatment of its offshore territories, especially Norfolk, Christmas and Cocos Islands. At the time, Australia had achieved the dubious distinction of being the last colonial power in the Pacific and Indian Oceans which had steadfastly refused to grant some level of democracy in the territories it purported to possess.

In fact, in 2015 Australia had unilaterally abolished free democratic elections in Norfolk Island, sacked all the elected Legislative Assembly members and had seized almost all of the property and assets paid for by local residents from taxes and earnings of public business enterprises. This included purloining the local radio station and banning democracy advocates from the airwaves. Not too long ago, this was the hallmark of a coup in states Australian governments tended to look down upon as uncivilised, especially in Asia, South America and Africa. But Canberra described its actions as “normalising” Norfolk Island to be just like other parts of Australia, which of course it is not.

However, Norfolk Islanders then organised and researched, and there were some tentative signs that consultative and participatory democratic structures might emerge. So, two years ago, I concluded:

Two Norfolk Island representative groups – the Council of Elders and Norfolk Island People for Democracy – have petitioned the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation, seeking a UN-supervised act of self-determination, as is their democratic right under international law. In recent weeks, these groups have met with the new Minister for Territories, Kristy McBain, and there are some green shoots of hope that the commonwealth may be prepared to work towards reintroducing limited democracy for the embattled citizens of Norfolk Island. These steps might also raise the hopes of the permanent residents of the Indian Ocean Territories that they might emerge into post-colonial democratic sunlight. But there is a long way to go, and for now Australia remains the most repressive colonial power in the world in its treatment of island territories.

I believe that Minister McBain actually commenced talks in good faith, but as has happened for over 100 years, the federal bureaucrats have imposed their wills and once more the inhabitants of the colonial territory of Norfolk Island have had their hopes crushed.

In the interim, there was a great deal of work put in by Norfolk Island community leaders, working with the Canberra-imposed quasi local government council as well as consulting very widely with their communities. This resulted in a comprehensive model of a governance structure and a cooperative Australia/Norfolk Island administrative process which could help to bring democracy to Norfolk Island.

The joint Norfolk Island Governance Committee (NIGC) held a workshop in mid-2024 and stated some months later that it had been working diligently to develop a bespoke governance model in cooperation with the Australian Government, in accordance with its Terms of Reference. The NIGC is required to work with the Norfolk Island community to develop a plan to modernise Norfolk Island’s governance, consistent with the needs and aspirations of its people. The NIGC is also obligated to recommend a new governance model that is clear, fair and effective, and ensures a secure and genuinely democratic future for Norfolk Island and its people. We await the Australian Government’s decision on the new governance model in anticipation that it takes advantage of this unique opportunity to establish a new relationship that respects the wishes of our community and the needs, interests, and obligations of both Norfolk Island and Australia.

NIGC made clear that the Norfolk community had strongly rejected a local government model, especially as it perpetuates the current state-level democratic deficit and remote administration of Norfolk Island and would retain the current complex and operationally inefficient legislative and service delivery framework.

But in November 2024, apparently with little or no consultation with NIGC or the local community, the commonwealth announced that it was moving to “restore local democracy” in Norfolk Island by in essence renaming NIGC “the assembly” but retaining it within a local government model. It said that the new model was informed by the recommendations of the Norfolk Island Governance Committee. NIGC promptly denied this, and a string of commentators cried foul.

Prominent among them was former ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (also a former Official Secretary in Norfolk Island and former Administrator of the Indian Ocean Territories), who decried the government’s anti-democratic and, quite frankly risible, plans for Norfolk Island. Stanhope wrote to all ACT Senate and House of Representatives raising his concerns, which were also published in Canberra’s City News.

In Senate Estimates on 4 November, just prior to the release of the commonwealth’s colonial master plan, independent Senator David Pocock had made a prescient observation:

I just want to convey the frustration of the people of Norfolk Island. Time and time again they have trusted in the Australian Government and have been disappointed. I am just hoping that this process is not setting them up for another disappointment.

The reaction in Norfolk Island was more fury than disappointment. One of the three locally elected members of NIGC (Alma Davidson) wrote a measured but angry letter to Minister McBain, resigning her role. This is a short extract from her detailed letter:

I stood for election to the NIGC believing the Australian government and you were serious about restoring democracy for Norfolk Island. The disregard of the NIGC Terms of Reference in the final outcome continues Australia’s colonial attitudes!

One of my election commitments was to restore respect and trust. Regrettably your department’s attitude and the Australian government decision have completely eroded any trust and respect. It is regrettable that I have no option but to resign from the NIGC as all my advocacy to achieve the best outcome for both Norfolk Island and Australia has been for nought.

A few days later, the remaining local NIGC members published their views:

This decision is inconsistent with the NIGC’s terms of reference and does not reflect the will of the people of Norfolk Island. Maintaining the current governance framework continues to deny Norfolk Island state or territory-level democratic representation, community voting rights and accountability. It also leaves unelected delegates of the federal minister to act as the island’s de facto state government – a core concern for the community…this decision fails to reflect the will of the Norfolk Island community. Instead, it ensures that all significant decisions regarding Norfolk Island’s future will remain under the control of the Australian government. This outcome directly contradicts the intended purpose of the NIGC process which was to build a new governance partnership based on democracy, trust and mutual respect.

Norfolk Island People for Democracy has produced a well-researched 46-page document advocating limited self-determination for Norfolk Island in free association with Australia, which will further inform its approach to the United Nations. Not surprisingly, it was unimpressed with the federal government’s overt attempt to retain colonial power in Norfolk Island (and by default in Christmas and Cocos too). President Ric Robinson’s recent press release pulled no punches, saying in part:

The Norfolk Island People for Democracy (NIPD) condemn the recent announcement by Minister Kristy McBain, Minister for Territories and Local Government that there will be a continuation of local government. The process has dismally failed to adhere to the terms of reference of the enquiry, the findings of the Joint Standing Committee and the recommendations of our locally elected Representatives.

It appears that successive Australian governments have supported the view that we must remain the most anti-democratic colonial power in the world, resisting all attempts to give the residents of our island “territories” even a semblance of participatory democracy. Perhaps the slow-moving United Nations processes will eventually shake them out of this antediluvian mindset. In the meantime, the peoples of the Pacific and Indian Ocean states just see us as hypocrites when we claim to be the shining democratic light of our region.

 

Pearls & Irritations recommends:

Australia – the last colonial power?

Share and Enjoy !