The week of the 22nd of November

Flags flew at half mast in the community yesterday as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the New Zealand mining disaster this week and the Acting Chief Minister Andre Nobbs has written to the Prime Minister of New Zealand expressing our sincere sympathy to our New Zealand neighbours with whom we share deep and longstanding community ties.

Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated and thanks given for our Bounty. Prayers of support and good wishes were said in churches across our community for the best outcome to flow from the discussions scheduled to take place in Canberra on the 26th November between our Chief Minister the Hon David Buffett AM, the Minister for Finance the Hon Craig Anderson MLA and the Federal Minister Simon Crean MP.

Yesterday afternoon at 4 pm a very wide cross-section of island people, representing many age groups and walks of life, gathered at All Saints Church to pray for the best outcome for the Island from these discussions. The service was timed to coincide with the meeting in Canberra and the Legislative Assembly was represented by Government Ministers, Assembly members and parliamentary staff.

As I write this week’s Your Parliament Your Voice (2 pm Friday) we are yet to receive advice on the outcome of the discussions; however the Chief Minister will brief members of the Assembly at 4.30 pm this Sunday following his arrival back on Island that afternoon with briefing of the community as soon as practicable thereafter.

The next sitting of the Legislative Assembly will be held on Wednesday 1 December 2010 at 10 am and matters listed for discussion can be read elsewhere in this publication.

At the sitting of the House on 3 November 2010 the Legislative Assembly agreed to the appointment by the Speaker of Mrs Rosemarie Gaye Evans JP as the Clerk to the Legislative Assembly and it gives me pleasure to advise that I have formalised the appointment of Mrs Evans to this senior position in the parliamentary service with effect Thursday 25 November 2010.

Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 26 November 2010 and posted on the blog site http://yourparliamentyourvoice.blogspot.com/

Minister Creane, Bowls and Thanksgiving Day

It is Thanksgiving Day on Wednesday 24 November 2010 and in the long standing Island tradition the Norfolk Island community will come together in Prayer at the various churches to give thanks for the many blessings in their lives. It is on Thanksgiving Day that our Chief Minister the Hon David Buffett AM MLA, leaves the Island for discussions on the future of Norfolk Island with the Federal Minister with responsibility for Norfolk Island, the Hon Simon Crean MP. The Chief Minister, who will be accompanied by the Minister for Finance & the Attorney-General the Hon Craig Anderson and Chief of Staff Ms Elizabeth Burns,

The Chief Minister spoke on radio to the Norfolk Island community on Friday 19 November 2010 sharing with the community the reason for these initial discussions; he further advised the community of the visit of Commonwealth officers earlier this week to look at the Island’s finances.

The Norfolk Island community of course is not only planning to celebrate Thanksgiving Day next week it is also looking forward to the holding of a most prestigious event – another first for Norfolk Island – the hosting of the World Singles Champion of Champions Bowls Tournament. We understand some 40 participants from some 24 countries will be arriving from around the world this weekend, along with their supporters and officials. The grand opening will take place at 4 pm on Monday 22 November at the Norfolk Island Bowling Club and both the Chief Minister and the Minister with responsibility for sport, the Hon Tim Sheridan MLA will speak on the opening.

You will recall my mentioning in an earlier issue of Your Parliament Your Voice that 20 October 2010 marked the 30th anniversary of the assigning of armorial bearings for Norfolk Island by Her Majesty the Queen. Elsewhere in this publication you will find a report on this anniversary written by Mr Bruce Baskerville and published in the newsletter of The Australian Heraldry Society. Thank you Bruce.

If you have driven down New Cascade Road recently you will have no doubt noticed that the paddock adjacent to the Police Station and the entrance to the Works Depot, the Library and the Radio Station is now looking very spic and span. You will also have noticed that there have been several rows of trees planted inside two of the boundaries. This is an initiative of the Works Depot and the Roads staff with the encouragement of the Minister for Community Services, the Hon Tim Sheridan MLA who is keen to see planting of fruit trees in public places. Well done to you all for this great community initiative.

The next sitting of the Legislative Assembly will be held on Wednesday 1 December 2010 at 10 am. The Notice Paper for this sitting closes on Thursday 25 November 2010 at 4 pm.

Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 19 November 2010 and posted on the blog site http://yourparliamentyourvoice.blogspot.com/

Financial Arrangement With Commonwelath Government

From the Office of the Speaker

The Legislative Assembly met on 3 November 2010 with all Members present. The first substantial matter on the Programme was a Matter of Public Importance raised by the Chief Minister, the Hon David Buffett AM who announced the taking pace of discussions with the Commonwealth Government on financial and associated arrangements for Norfolk Island. A statement by the Chief Minister on this matter can be found elsewhere in the Norfolk Islander and in Norfolk Online.

The following matters on the Notice Paper were addressed –

1. The appointment under section 48 of the Legislative Assembly Act 1979 (the Act)of Rosemarie Gaye Evans as Clerk to the Legislative Assembly on the terms and conditions contained in the Schedule tabled in the House. The motion, proposed by Chief Minister Buffett, was agreed.

2. Mrs Patricia Anderson was re-appointed as a community member of the Social Services Board for a period of 3 years on the motion of the Minister for Community Services, Mr Tim Sheridan.
3. Mr Tim Rogers was appointed as a member of the Immigration Committee for the period 4 November 2010 to 3 November 2012 on the motion of the Minister for Finance & the Attorney-General, Mr Anderson.
4. The Chief Minister, Mr David Buffett, presented the Provident Account (Amendment) Bill 2010. Debate on the Bill has been adjourned until a later sitting.

The next sitting of the Assembly will take place on 1 December 2010 at 10 am.

Staff engaged in the Legislative Assembly complex
at Old Military Barracks

In my debate supporting the appointment of Mrs Evans as Clerk I gave an undertaking as Speaker to review our parliamentary service to ensure that the Assembly and its committees are appropriately resourced into the future. At present the Legislative Assembly Act only allows for the appointment of a Clerk and a person appointed to act as the Clerk, a role that Mrs Evans fulfilled for 16 years before being appointed Clerk this week.

The following staff are currently employed at Old Military Barracks:

Ms Elizabeth Burns (left),
Chief of Staff
(formerly titled Secretary to Government)

Ms Alma Davidson (right),
Senior Policy Adviser
(formerly titled Research Assistant Government)

Ms Chantelle Meltz (left),
Secretary to the Legislative Assembly

Albeit somewhat late in doing so I would like to mention the appointment some six weeks ago of Ms Chantelle Meltz as our new Secretary to the Legislative Assembly. Chantelle succeeds Mrs Patricia Anderson who retired from the position in December 2009 after some 10 years of loyal service to the Assembly and I trust that she is enjoying her retirement. At the same time on behalf of Assembly staff and colleagues, I welcome Chantelle onto the Assembly team of staff.

Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 5 November 2010 and posted on the blog site http://yourparliamentyourvoice.blogspot.com/