BORDER CONTROL AND SECURITY
Regardless of the outcomes of any other "negotiations" with Australia over issues of governance, sustainability etc., we on Norfolk Island are going to lose control of over who or what comes into this island.
In a letter to a local resident, (who had queried the necessity to take over this area when Norfolk already complies with any Australian Goverment requirements in this area), the Minister Jim Lloyd said:
"regardless of which of the two governance models under consideration is
eventually adopted, it(i.e. the Commonwealth Government) had decided to extend
federal customs, quarantine and immigration regimes to Norfolk Island.)"
The letter goes on to "explain" that new security threats and a changing
international security environment require that Norfolk Island "does not become
a weak link in Australia's overall border security chain."
Which does not explain anything much at all, when we already comply with
everything they require, when the Commonwealth Government already has power of
veto over these areas while we administer them, and when any person or item
arriving in Australia from here already needs to go through the same security
checks that are required of a person or item coming from any overseas
destination. Believe it or not, because I hold British citizenship, I cannot
even be checked in here at the Norfolk Island airport to travel to Sydney unless
airline staff make a phone call to Canberra to check that is OK to allow me on
the plane!
Now if they are sincere, and there really is a weakness in our controls here,
wouldn't it have made sense to sit down with our government to talk about it?
Don't they think we are also interested in security? Couldn't we have come to
some agreement in a spirit of mutual co-operation?
We often ask our visitors who come back time and time again what they like about
Norfolk, and they often say that it is because they feel very safe here. We have
made our immigration controls work very much in our favour, so that this remains
a peaceful and productive community. That is going to be lost.
Our immigration system enables us to preserve our culture, and to protect the
rights and freedoms and opportunities of those who call this island home. I
often hear the PM of Australia speaking about Australia's Immigration system and
controls being necessary to strengthen and protect "Australian values." What
about Norfolk Island values?
We have strictly controlled the goods and plant material that arrive here,
so we can avoid bringing in anything harmful or undesirable. I consider that we
have done a pretty good job in the quarantine area, even under pressure from
locals to relax things a bit. But now we are no longer to be trusted.
Our Customs service has worked well. While bringing in a wide range of goods
that are attractive price-wise to our visitors, the service has also provided
valuable revenue for the running of this island. That money will now go into
Australia's coffers.
When the Australian Government talks about security, whose security are they
referring to? Whose borders? Whose controls?
They should admit it, this is not about our ability to sustain our governance,
or our ability to maintain proper security and border control. It is about
bringing Norfolk Island, once and for all inextricably within Australia's
borders. It represents more nails in the coffin for our unique and separate
identity.
UNIFORMITY AND CONTROL.....that is what Canberra has in mind for little Norfolk Island. That is their agenda. The rest is a smokescreen.
From Mary Christian-Bailey, an Island Resident. For more, click here