Over the next few weeks I will share with you some of the highlights of my recent official visit to the Isle of Man and to London. Whilst my travel to London was funded by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (the CPA) through our annual subscription paid to the international body of the CPA, my trip to the Isle of Man from the UK was self funded; and I record my thanks to the Isle of Man Parliament (better known as Tynwald Court) for inviting me to visit as their official guest from 2 to 7 July. The main purpose of my visit to the Isle of Man was to sign a Cultural Agreement between our respective Island Parliaments in which we acknowledge, amongst other things, the strand of the early history of Norfolk Island’s settlement through our respective associations with Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh and the subsequent settlement of Pitcairn Island following the mutiny on board HMS Bounty in 1789.
Discussion on the Cultural Agreement began in 2007 with the visit to the Isle of Man by the then Chief Minister of the 12th Assembly, the Hon Andre Nobbs MLA. During Minister Nobbs’ visit lasting friendships were forged with their Chief Minister the Hon Tony Brown MHK and with the then President of the Legislative Council the Hon. Noel Cringle OBE.It was through those friendships that the concept of a Cultural Agreement was agreed and in April this year, the terms of the Agreement were finally settled, and an invitation extended to me, as your Speaker, to visit Man to sign this historic document, a document which agreed the following:
1.The Tynwald Court on the Isle of Man and the Legislative Assembly of Norfolk Island will promote closer links in developing cultural activity;
2.The established link between our two Islands via The Bounty should be recognised on both Islands on each National Day, ie Anniversary (Bounty) Day on the 8th of June and Tynwald Day on the 5th of July;
3.Encouragement should be given to the exchange of music and dance via each local radio station and video recordings;
4.Educational establishments should be encouraged to exchange ideas, ultimately with a view to an exchange student scheme
5.As each step is progressed then recognition should be marked in the Hansard of both Parliaments
It was an honour and a great privilege for me as your Speaker to represent Norfolk at the official proceedings on Tynwald Day this year and on our Island’s behalf to sign the Cultural Agreement at the Tynwald Day Banquet and at the conclusion of the signing to be invited to say a few words - a very moving experience.Other official overseas guests of Tynwald came from Belgium, France, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Eire, Northern Island, Norway, Scotland, Wales, the United Kingdom and the United States of America; the American contingent being the NASA astronauts who crewed the historic final mission of the space shuttle Discovery earlier this year. To hear them speak about their work as astronauts was truly inspiring.
I will share with you some facts about their ancient Parliament - Tynwald Court. The Isle of Man is a self-governing Crown dependency.It has its own parliament, administrative system and laws but pays Britain to take responsibility for international affairs and defence.It is the oldest parliament in continuous existence in the world and in 1979, when Norfolk Island commenced its journey back to internal self-government; Tynwald celebrated the millennium of its parliament – 1000 years.
Their parliament comprises 24 members with a popularly elected lower house known as the House of Keys and an upper house, the Legislative Council.Both Houses come together each month as Tynwald Court to discuss legislation, Government administration and funding. On 5 July each year there is an open-air Assembly in St John’s on Tynwald Hill where new laws passed in the previous year are proclaimed in English and Manx and promulgated into law. This is their National Day – Tynwald Day.
The Manx people cherish their ancient rights and are a very proud people, a fact that for me was so evident when they sang the Manx National anthem.Their motto in Latin which appears with the official Three Legs of Man emblem on their national flag and on their Crest translates to “It will stand wheresoever you throw it” and accurately reflects their resilience “not to ever give up”.That is evidenced by the fact that never before in history has the Isle of Man been more prosperous or independent than they are today.
Promulgation of Manx laws on Tynwald Hill
The Isle of Man Crest
The Isle of Man has become a major player in space commerce and their Government has attracted firms to its shores due to the zero per cent corporate tax, government grants, the Island's political stability, commercially friendly legislation and its state of the art telecommunications infrastructure.
The benefits of our new association are already bearing fruit with an offer from the Hon Alex Downie OBE, Minister in the Isle of Man Government with responsibility for Economic Development who has offered us the opportunity to be linked with the Isle of Man in their recently opened “Genealogy Museum”; we will also explore how our respective Youth Assemblies can be linked.
To be continued next week …..
Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 10 August
The Legislative Assembly met on Wednesday 3 August 2011 at 10 am and concluded at pm with a lunch break between 12.30 pm and 2.00 pm.
Answers were provided both to questions without notice and on notice.
The following papers were tabled:
1)Resolution of Internet Service disruption – Media Release
2)Letter from CASA dated 6 July 2011 re Fire Vehicles Norfolk Island
3)Direction from the Minister to the NI GovernmentTourist Bureau
4)Norfolk Island Annual Report 2009-2010
5)Census and Statistics Regulations 2011
6)Traffic (Amendment) Regulations 2011
7)Planning (Amendment) Regulations 2011
8)Virement of Funds 6 July – 3 August 2011
9)Cultural Agreement between Norfolk Island and Isle of Man
10)Report from the Employment Conciliation Board 2010-2011
11)Report on Public consultation for proposed variation to the NI Plan 2002 and the draft plan being a proposed amendment to Schedule 2 of the Norfolk Island Plan (as amended)
12)An Alternative Roadmap
13)Customs (Amendment No 3) Bill 2010 – Explanatory Memorandum
In statements the Chief Minister reported on progress with the current request to the Commonwealth for interim funding and on the Census to be conducted on 7 August 2011
The Speaker reported on her official visit from 2 to 7 July 2011 to the Isle of Man to sign a Cultural Agreement between the Isle of Man and Norfolk Island; she alsoreported on her attendance in London as the Norfolk Island delegate Centenary Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
The Speaker reported that the Administrator had assented toHealthcare (amendment No 2) Act 2011 and the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2011
Outcomes for matters on the Notice Paper which were debated are as follows:
1)The House resolved to determine an amendment to Schedule 2 of the Norfolk Island plan in in order to allow for a subdivision of portion 34j1 Martins Road
2)The House revoked the appointment of Ronald James Holdsworth under section 23 of the Supreme Court Act 1960 and under section 73 of the Court of Petty Sessions Act 1960 and appointed Geoffrey James Atkinson in his stead
3)Jennifer May Goulding was appointed under subsection 65(2) of the Employment Act 1988 to the Employment Conciliation Board for the period 4 August 2011 to 3 August 2014
4)The House recognising the need to give direction and momentum to the policy expressed in the governance “road map” and acknowledging that the processes of examination and assessment prescribed by the “road map” are yet to add definition to a future governance model, endorsed, in principle, the Norfolk Island Government’s broad preference for a “territory-type” model of future governance
5)The Chief Minister presented the Customs (Amendment No. 3) Bill 2011; debate was adjourned
6)Debate resumed on a statement adjourned at the July sitting of the House in relation to the new immigration policy and guidelines
7)The Social Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 was agreed to
The House adjourned until 7 September 2011 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 5 August 2011
When does the Legislative Assembly next meet? The next meeting of the Legislative Assembly is on Wednesday 1 June 2011 with a second meeting scheduled in June for the 22nd. The Notice Paper for the 1 June sitting can be found on www.info.gov.nf under the heading Assembly Matters and in The Norfolk Islander and in Norfolk Online.
Assembly Procedure Responding to last week’s request for more background on Assembly procedure this week we will talk about Committees and the role they play in the parliamentary process. Committees are established both by the standing orders or by resolution of the House.
Norfolk’s Standing Orders provide for two types of committees. Standing Committees and Select Committees. Standing Committees are appointed for the life of a Parliament and have a continuing role. Select Committees are formed for a specific purpose and cease to exist when they have presented their final reports. This week we will talk about our Standing Committees.
Standing Committees Our standing orders currently provide:
17. A Standing Orders Committee to consist of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and 3 other Members shall be appointed as soon as practicable after the opening of a new House to maintain a continuing surveillance of the practices and procedures of the House with a view to making recommendations which would enhance the operational efficiency of the House.
18. A Committee of Privileges shall be appointed as soon as practicable after the opening of a new House to – a) inquire into and report upon complaints of breach of privilege which may be referred to it by the House; and b) inquire into and report upon any matter referred to it under the Legislative Assembly (Register of Members’ Interests) Act 2005.
The Committee to consist of three permanent members and an alternate member to act when a permanent member is unavailable due to illness; is off Island; or nominates to be absent due to a conflict of interest or some other reason
19. A House Committee to consist of the Speaker and 2 other Members shall be appointed as soon as practicable after the opening of a new House to advise the Speaker on the facilities to be made available to Members and staff within the areas allocated to the House.
20. A Business Committee to consist of the Speaker and 2 other Members shall be appointed as soon as practicable after the opening of a new House to arrange the order of business for the House.
20A. An Impact of Bills and Subordinate Legislation Committee, to consider Bills and subordinate legislation referred to it by the House shall be appointed as soon as practicable after the opening of a new House. The Committee to consist of three permanent members and an alternate member to act when a permanent member is unavailable due to illness; is off Island; or nominates to be absent due to a conflict of interest or some other reason.
20B. .A Public Accounts and Estimates Committee to consist of the Speaker (ex officio) and three other Members shall be appointed as soon as practicable after the opening of a new House to scrutinise and assess the financial administration of the Public Sector, and to promote reform where necessary. The Committee shall – 1) examine - a) the accounts of the receipts and expenditure of Norfolk Island; b) the financial affairs of authorities of Norfolk Island; c) all reports of the Government Auditor which have been laid before the Assembly; and d) such other relevant matters as the Committee deems relevant
2) Report to the Assembly with such comments as it thinks fit, any items or matters in those accounts, statements and reports, or any circumstances connected with them, to which the Committee is of the opinion that the attention of the Assembly should be directed
3) Inquire into any question in connection with the public accounts which is referred to it by the Assembly and to report to the Assembly on that question. The Committee may consider any other matter relevant to its inquiry; shall have the power to send for persons, papers and records; and may invite submissions from members of the public
21. Other standing committees may be appointed from time to time to consider and report on such subjects as may be decided by the House.
22. All standing committee shall be appointed on motion and, except as provided in standing order 17, 18, 19 or 20 or unless otherwise ordered, shall consist of a minimum of 3 Members to be nominated: Provided that if more Members are nominated than are required the House shall proceed to ballot.
If there are specific matters of parliamentary procedure that readers would like me to discuss in Your Parliament Your Voice do send me an email with your query to speaker@assembly.gov.nf.
Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 27 May 2011 and posted on the blog site http://yourparliamentyourvoice.blogspot.com
I received an inquiry from a member of the public during the week relating to procedure on questions, questions on notice and adjournment; and the inquirer suggested “Perhaps it would be a good time to publish this information anew?”
Readers may find my response of interest and I quote it here.
“Questions. Questions without notice are just that - they are asked openly in the House and unless the member asking the question has given the Minister prior indication that he will be asking a specific question, the Minister would not have notice of the question. Questions without notice do not appear on the Notice Paper. As an aside there is no obligation on a Minister to answer a question, whether it is on notice or without notice, though for political reasons it would be unusual for a Minister to refuse to do so. There are times that a Minister may not know the answer to a question without notice and often the Minister will say "I will take that question on notice". When this happens there is an expectation that the member will then put his question in writing and lodge it with the Clerk for it to appear on the Notice Paper for the next sitting.
“Questions on notice means that a member lodges a question in writing with the Clerk to the Assembly; this can happen at any time between sittings with the deadline for lodgement being 4 pm on the Thursday before the sitting at which the member seeks the question be answered. Questions on Notice then appear on the Notice Paper which is published in the Islander and on Norfolk Online by the Clerk on the weekend prior to the sitting day.
“Whilst by convention Questions/Questions on notice are a facility available to Members of the Parliament to seek information on issues with which they may have a concern, nevertheless it is not uncommon for members to ask questions of Ministers on behalf of members of the public who have requested they do so; but the name of the member of the public would not be mentioned.
Adjournment. Adjournment of debate is the term used when a matter on the notice paper is to be adjourned until a later day; the rules require that if a member moves a motion of adjournment the Chair must put the motion forthwith without further debate. If the motion is agreed to, debate is so adjourned. If not, debate continues until concluded and the question put - that the motion be agreed to.
A motion to adjourn the House till another day is different. By convention the motion for the adjournment of the House is a facility open to members to use to raise a broad range of issues.” (Unquote)
Parliamentary documents can be found on www.info.gov.nf under the heading Assembly Matters. If there are matters of parliamentary procedure that readers would like me to discuss in Your Parliament Your Voice do send me an email with your query to speaker@assembly.gov.nf.
Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 20 May 2011
Sitting of the Legislative Assembly on 4 May 2011 The Legislative Assembly met on Wednesday 4 May 2011 at 10 am and concluded at 12.35 pm; Deputy Speaker Snell and Mr King who are off Island were granted leave from the sitting.
The following papers were tabled:
1) Minister for Tourism, Commerce and Industry, Mr Nobbs – a) Tourism Ministers Summary of Initiatives; b) Postal Services (Amendment) Regulations 2011; c) Print out on Marine Bioregional Planning Initiative taken from www.environment.gov.au/coasts/east/index
2) Chief Minister, Mr Buffett – a) Virement of Funds since 6 April 2011; b) Financial indicators for February and March 2011; c) Economic Indicators December 2010 based on GST Gross Revenue; d) Explanatory Memorandum to the Customs (Amendment) Bill 2011 3) Mrs Griffiths – Curriculum Vitae for Professor Kenneth William Wiltshire AO; 4) Ms Adams – Open Letter to Members of the Assembly of the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly from Island Elders Marie Bailey OAM, Bernie Christian Bailey, W.A. Blucher AM, Tom Lloyd AM, Ken Nobbs, Jim Olsson and Greg Quintal MBE.
Statements were made on the following issues:
1) Speaker Adams – a. Recorded the making of history in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly with the election of its first female speaker, South Coast Liberal MP Shelley Hancock. Congratulations were extended to Ms Hancock on her election; b. acknowledged the invitation received from the Hon John Mickel MP, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, for the Speaker and the Clerk to the Assembly to attend the Regional sitting of the Queensland Parliament being held later this month in Mackay. Whilst unable to attend, the Speaker extended her best wishes for a successful sitting;
2) Chief Minister, Mr Buffett – a) spoke on the advancement of the Norfolk Island Road Map; b) advised of the visit of the JSC from 5 to 7 May 2011. The JSC is to meet with Members of the Assembly and in private session with community members and groups during their visit.
Outcomes for matters on the Notice Paper which were debated are as follows:
1 Mrs Lorraine Boudan was reappointed as a member of the Immigration Committee for two years from 21 May 2011; 2 Mr Albert Buffett, Mrs Jeanette (Liz) Calder and Mr Peter Horrocks were appointed members of the Norfolk Island Museum Trust for 3 years from 5 May 2011; 3. Substantive debate ensued on the motion proposed by Mrs Griffiths in respect of the Commonwealth Funded review of the Norfolk Island Administration and all its associated business entities. The motion was agreed with amendment to paragraph c); 4. The Customs (Amendment) Bill 2011 was introduced and passed through all stages; 5 Debate on the Ombudsman Bill 2011 was again adjourned.
The House will next meet on 1 June 2011 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 4 May 2011 and posted on the blog site http://yourparliamentyourvoice.blogspot.com
Friday, April 1, 2011
Visit of Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories (the JSC)
I have received advice from the Chair of the JSC, Senator Louise Pratt that the committee is returning to Norfolk Island on 5 to 7 May 2011. The final programme for their visit will be published when received.
Meeting of the Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly will next meet on Wednesday 6 April 2011 at 10 am. The matters to be called on at the sitting can be found elsewhere in the Norfolk Islander and in Norfolk Online. It is anticipated that the May sitting will be held on 4 May.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
In recent weeks we have focussed on our role in the Commonwealth of Nations, the community and school projects associated with the Commonwealth Day theme of Women As Agents Of Change and on Norfolk Island’s role as a member branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (the CPA). I have this morning receive a press release from the Secretary General of the CPA (we include his photo taken at Buckingham Palace) which I share with you here.
CPA Secretary-General in an Audience with The Queen
LONDON – CPA Secretary-General Dr William F. Shija in late March briefed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on arrangements for the 57th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, to be held in July in London, and on the entry of the Parliament of Rwanda into the CPA. Briefing Her Majesty in Her capacity as Patron of the CPA, the Secretary-General met The Queen at Buckingham Palace to outline the programme for the conference. He noted it included a discussion of the 2011 Commonwealth Day theme of “Women as Agents of Change” in a conference workshop. That subject will also be discussed at the Conference of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and in a session of the 31st Small Branches Conference, both of which will be held in London at the time of the plenary Conference.
The Secretary-General reported that Her Majesty congratulated the Association for giving this subject such a prominent place in the London meeting. The Secretary-General also informed The Queen that the Parliament of Rwanda joined the CPA at its 2010 General Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya. He advised Her that Rwanda’s Parliament sought to benefit from the Commonwealth’s parliamentary expertise as have the other two members of the Commonwealth, Cameroon and Mozambique, which had earlier joined the Commonwealth and the CPA despite not having a historic connection with either organization. The 57th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and associated meetings are to be hosted by the United Kingdom Parliament and the CPA U.K. Branch in London from 22 to 28 July to mark the Centennial of the founding of the CPA. The 57th Conference will be opened by a member of the Royal Family representing The Queen who will be away from London at the time. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is composed of the Parliaments and Legislatures in 53 of the 54 Commonwealth nations and their overseas territories. It has a membership of more than 16,000 Members of national, state, provincial and territorial Assemblies. The Commonwealth country not currently in the CPA is Brunei, which does not have an elected Parliament.”
Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 2 April 2011
Elsewhere in the Norfolk Islander this week we have published Her Majesty the Queen’s 2011 Commonwealth Day Message together with an overview of how we celebrated Commonwealth Day at home here on Norfolk Island.Your Parliament Your Voice this week is focussing on Brent Adams who represented us in London on this special day.
Our picture shows Brent on the right speaking with Her Majesty and the Commonwealth Secretary GeneralMr. Kamalesh Sharma.
Brent has sent us his report on the day’s activities and we publish it in full below:
“On Monday 14th March 2011, I was fortunate enough to be able to represent Norfolk Island at the Commonwealth Day celebrations held in London. Commonwealth Day is held on the second Monday in March each year, the Royal Commonwealth Society organises an observance to mark the occasion. The observance brings together people from across the world to celebrate the special partnership of nations, peoples and ideals which constitutes the modern Commonwealth.
“The Commonwealth is made up by 54 member states stretching to all corners of the globe and encompassing approximately two billion people, over half of whom are women and girls. It seemed appropriate then, that this year’s Commonwealth Day theme was “Women as Agents of Change”. I, along with 46 other young people from the Commonwealth travelled to London to take part in the celebrations, to learn more about the Commonwealth and Parliamentary processes, at the invitation of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). On Monday morning we met at the Palace of Westminster and were given a tour of both houses of the UK Parliament, the House of Commons and House of Lords. The history associated with the Palace complex is truly amazing, we walked the same halls that the likes of Winston Churchill have travelled, been in the same room where Kings have laid in state, or traitors have been tried (Guy Fawkes).
“After being welcomed by the CPA Secretary-General, Dr William Shija, we were given presentations about the work of MP’s as well as that of a High Commissioner. I must thank them for giving their time, Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, Mr David Broom MP, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons & His Excellency Joseph Zammit Tabona, Malta’s High Commissioner to the UK. As this year’s Commonwealth Day theme was “Women as Agents of Change”, it was only fitting that the key note speaker to address our group was The Rt Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar MP, Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, the first woman to hold the office of PM in her country and one of only three women in the Commonwealth to currently serve as Head of Government. She spoke on the troubles that women face in the world and how investing in women and girls can accelerate social, economic and political progress. Prime Minister Bissessar will hand over her role as Chairperson in Office to Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard later this year when Perth will hostthe Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
“After lunch, we walked the short distance from the CPA office to Westminster Abbey for the main Commonwealth Day Observance. The Observance is a multi-faith gathering, in the presence of HM The Queen & HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The Abbey must’ve had well over a thousand people in attendance and showcased the varying cultures of the Commonwealth with performances from some very talented artists.
“HM The Queen, as Head of the Commonwealth, gave the main address where she spoke on the special and significant role that women play in society and how more needs to be done to encourage women and girls.There followed presentations by other noted citizens of the Commonwealth, from poets to economists. As well as singer Annie Lennox (who I was lucky enough to meet after the service), who shared her experiences about a recent visit to Malawi and discussed her support for HIV/AIDS charities and foundations.
“Later in the evening there was a reception at Marlborough House, headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat. Of the 46 young people invited by the CPA to attend Commonwealth Day, only about 7 or so tickets were available for the reception, which I was fortunate enough to be one of.Despite there being a few hundred people at the reception, I was extremely honoured to be able to meet The Queen. We spoke briefly about Norfolk Island and about my University exchange here in the UK.
“This trip down to London, to attend Commonwealth Day and represent Norfolk Island, was a once in a life time event for me, and I am extremely honoured to be given the opportunity. In the space of only a day, I met some amazing people from all over the world, saw some incredible sights and have had the privilege to represent my country at this years gathering of the Commonwealth family of nations.
“I would like to thank the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Norfolk Island branch of the CPA, The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Hon. Robin Eleanor Adams, and would especially like to say a heart felt thank you to Mrs Gaye Evans, Clerk to the Legislative Assembly.”
Our picture shows young people from around the world chosen to represent their respective countries at the Commonwealth Day Celebrationsin London – centre front is Secretary General of the CPA Dr William Shija.
Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 18 March 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Sitting of the Legislative Assembly on 9 March 2011
The Legislative Assembly met on Wednesday 9 March 2011 at 10 am; the sitting immediately suspended until 11 am due to a technical glitch with our recording system; the sitting resumed at 11 am and concluded shortly after 5 pm with a lunch break between 12.40 pm and 2 pm.
Condolences were recorded in respect of the passing of Pieter Dirk Johannes Swynenburg, Laurence Pinney Parker, Juliete Quintal and Ernest Francis Quintal.
The Chief Minister reported he had received a letter dated 9 March 2011 from His Honour the Administrator advising that the Administrator had that morning received the resignation in writing of the Hon Craig Anderson MLA, as Minister for Finance and The Attorney General and further advising that the resignation was effective upon its delivery to the Administrator. Mr Anderson has indicated to the Administrator that he will remain, for the time being, a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Leave of absence from the sitting was extended to Mr Anderson and to Mrs Griffiths.
The first substantive matter on the Programme was a Matter of Public Importance raised by the Chief Minister, the Hon David Buffett AM MLA who reported on his discussions last week with the Federal Minister, the Hon Simon Crean, MP, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government about further short term funding for Norfolk Island, i.e. until the conclusion of the financial year, 30 June 2011 and on the Norfolk Island road map developed in partnership between the Norfolk Island and Commonwealth Governments. The Chief Minister tabled the road map and moved – That the paper be printed. The road map is available on the Telecom website www.ni.net.nf. Copies are also available in both hard copy and electronically from the Offices of the Legislative Assembly by phoning 22003. Discussion ensued with all members participating.
Answers were provided to 11 of the 14 questions on the Notice Paper.
The following papers were tabled: 1. Exemptions approved under the Customs Act 1913 from payment of customs duty; 2. NIGTB GM and Tourism Australia Discussion Update; 3. Virements authorised by executive member under Public Moneys Act 1979; 4. Declarations of Residency during the year end 31 December 2010 granted under the Immigration Act 1980; 5. Inbound passenger statistics for January 2011; 6. Instrument creating a head of the Trust Fund under the Public Moneys Act 1979; 7. Review of Telecommunications Competition on Norfolk Island; 8. Policy on Dental Treatment for Children and Pregnant Women; 9. Review of Renewable Energy Technologies for use on Norfolk Island.
The following statements were made – • Chief Minister reported – o On the meeting of S.C.A.G. in Wellington New Zealand last week which was attended by Mr Craig Anderson MLA; o It was not proposed to set a GEP quote for 2011 under the Immigration Act 1980 • Mr King, in his role of Chairman of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee – advised of his intention to convene the Committee to investigate i) Barter card ii) Telecommunications and iii) NZ Telecom accounts and the report to Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly.
A message from the Office of the Administrator was reported to the House advising that the Administrator had declared his assent to the Provident Account (Amendment) Act 2011.
Outcomes for matters on the Notice Paper which were debated are as follows:
o The House recommended the appointment by the Chief Executive Officer of Mr Bruce Taylor as an Executive Director with the title or designation of Deputy Chief Executive Officer. o The transfer, subject to specified conditions, of the registration of one unit from “”View Rest Inn” to “Cumberland Resort and Spa” was approved. o The House noted the answer to a question on notice no. 107 relating to barter card dollars. o The House agreed the appointment under section 51 of the Norfolk Island Act 1979 (the Act) of CST/Nexia as the Norfolk Island Government Auditor within the meaning of section 51A of the Act for the financial year ending on 30 June 2011; the House further agreed that CST/Nexia also be appointed as the Auditor of the Norfolk Island Government Tourist Bureau for the financial year ending 30 June 2011. o The Court of Petty Sessions (Amendment) Bill 2011 was introduced and passed through all stages at the sitting. The purpose of the amending Bill is to provide for the Court of Petty Sessions to conduct hearings in New South Wales in limited circumstances. o The Minister for Tourism, Industry & Development presented the Airport (Amendment) Bill 2011 and the Norfolk Island Government Tourist Bureau (Amendment) Bill 2011; debate on both Bills was adjourned, Copies of the Bills are available on www.info.gov.nf under Legislative Assembly/Bills awaiting passage or from Mrs Jan Keeping in the Legal Services Unit at the Norfolk Island Administration. o The House agreed that recommendations numbered 1, 2 (a) through to and including (e) and 3 (a) and (b) of the Report of the Impact of Bills and Subordinate Legislation Committee on the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2011 be agreed to and the remainder of the Report noted. o Debate resumed on the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2010. Detail stage amendments proposed to the bill were tabled and debate on the Bill was adjourned.
International Women’s Day
It was with much pleasure that I accepted the invitation to speak at the International Womens' Day Breakfast last Tuesday 8 March, 2011 at the Paradise Hotel & Resort. The theme this year was “Women Making Changes” and some 75 women and men gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this organisation and to enjoy one another’s company over breakfast. I chose as the theme for my speech the activities that are being planned for Commonwealth Day which will be celebrated next Monday, the 14th of March. This year the Commonwealth Day theme is “Women as Agents of Change” which was most complementary to the theme for International Women’
Commonwealth Day 2011
With the co-operation of the Headmaster Mr Neil Solomon, the School Assembly next week will be held on Monday and the programme for the gathering is focussing around Commonwealth Day 2011. The School Captains and the Youth Assembly will be playing an important role in the proceedings and I as Speaker will be reading the Commonwealth Day Message received from Her Majesty the Queen. In the lead up to Commonwealth Day students at our school were offered the opportunity to enter into a competition to design a poster if they were in infants; and to write an essay if they were in primary or secondary, on a woman who had changed their life, or their family’s lives or the community’s life. We have had a wonderful response, especially from our infants and primary school students and the winners will be announced and receive their awards at the Assembly on Monday. We will also be launching the first volume of our e-book which is created to tell the story of women who have been agents of change in Norfolk Island’s history. The e-book, which is a community project, is designed to grow and grow with time and is to be hosted on the school’s living library website.
Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 11 March 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Sitting of the Legislative Assembly on 2 March 2011
As foreshadowed in last week’s column the sitting of the Legislative Assembly scheduled for 2 March was adjourned until Wednesday 9 March 2011 at 10 am.This decision was taken by Members to accommodate the ministerial visit to Canberra of the Chief Minister and the Minister for Finance and The Attorney-General to have further discussions with Minister Crean, as well as providing them with the opportunity to brief Members on their discussions and to report formally to the House on 9 March 2011.The Ministers return to the Island this weekend.
The Notice Paper for the sitting was published in last weeks Norfolk Islander; however it is anticipated that there will be additional matters introduced into the House on the day by leave of the House.(Leave must be granted without dissenting voice)
International Women’s Day
Tuesday 8 March, 2011 is International Women’s Day celebrating 100 years of International Women’s Day and Women making Changes.This year’s celebrations are being held at the Paradise Hotel & Resort between 7.00 and 9.00 am with special guest speaker Mrs Fenella Evans.
When reading about International Women’s Day and this year’s focus on “Women making Changes” I was prompted to explore the website www.womenasagentsofchange.org.
As you will be aware from earlier columns of Your Parliament Your Voice that Women as agents of change is also the theme for Commonwealth Day 2011.I found the following explanation on what the theme means on the above website and I quote:
“”It means that by investing in women and girls, we can accelerate social, economic and political progress.Women and girls make up over half of the world’s population.In the Commonwealth, that’s over one billion people.By educating them, giving them accessible health care and making sure they are treated fairly and have the same opportunities and protection as men and boys, we can go a long way towards addressing the many problems of the world.Women and girls need to be included at all levels of decision making to ensure that their needs are properly met.This will benefit us all.”End quote.
Next week I will share with you the programme for Commonwealth Day which is being celebrated in a most meaningful way at the Norfolk IslandCentralSchool on Monday 14 March 2011. Our photo is of Queen Victoria, the woman who made instrumental change to all of our lives on Norfolk by agreeing the relocation to this Island of the Pitcairn community in 1856.
Issued from the Office of the Speaker on 4 March 2011.
