From the Office of the Speaker

“Your Parliament – Your Voice”

From the Office of the Speaker

Commonwealth Day 2012

We sent out the call recently for names of our young people living/working in London who might be interested in nominating for selection to represent Norfolk at the Commonwealth Day 2012 celebrations being organized in London on 12 March by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. We are thrilled to have received three applications!  Traditionally we are only able to submit two names but as we have received three names we have sent all their names to London in the hope that CPA may be able to accommodate them all.  If not London will make the choice on our behalf so let’s stay positive that we will get a good decision on our request!

Visit of Consul General of the United States in NSW, Mr Niels Marquardt

It was an absolute pleasure to be able to host a morning tea last Monday to offer Members and parliamentary staff the opportunity to meet the US Consul General in NSW, Mr Niels Marquardt.  Mr Marquardt has taken the opportunity to combine business and pleasure on Norfolk over the past week and he is joined by his wife Judith and two of their four daughters Torrin and Yannika.  It was rewarding for us all to reflect back on the historical ties between the United States, Pitcairn and Norfolk Islands as a result of the whaling industry; an industry which brought the ancestors of the Evans, Buffett and Young families to Pitcairn Island and the ancestors of many current residents to Norfolk Island in the late 1800’s. We are encouraging the Marquardt family to return for Bounty Day or Thanksgiving Day (or both perhaps!) to continue to foster our relationship.

Australia Day Thursday 26 January 2012

Congratulations to those in the community who received Norfolk Island Australia Day Awards at a function held at Government House to celebrate Australia Day. I trust the Administrator’s heartfelt speech will be published elsewhere in the local press along with the names of the local recipients of our Australia Day awards. The US Consul General also addressed the community gathering expressing his appreciation for the warm welcome he and his family had received on the Island and how impressed he was with the obvious pride evident in our caring for the environment and our land. He also read an Australia Day message from the United States President Barack Obama to the Governor General of Australia. The message is also published elsewhere in the local press.

Welcome to the Clerk to the Legislative Council of Victoria

The Clerk Mrs Gaye Evans JP and I extend a warm welcome to our colleague Wayne Tunnecliffe, Clerk to the Legislative Council of Victoria and his wife Lorraine who are visiting Norfolk for a week’s holiday. Our friendship with Wayne and Lorraine goes back many years and we look forward to catching up with them socially over the coming week.

February sitting of the Legislative Assembly

Elsewhere in this publication you will find full details of the matters to be considered at the meeting of the Legislative Assembly next Wednesday 1 February 2012 at 10 am.

To read the Notice Paper, Programme and Minutes of Proceedings and legislation tabled in the House go to www.info.gov.nf. Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 27 January 2012 and posted on the blog site http://yourparliamentyourvoice.blogspot.com