26 May 2015

Norfolk Island renews plea to Australia

3:44 pm on 26 May 2015

The Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly is calling on the Australian prime minister to delay changes to the island's political status.

It has delivered a Remonstrance Motion passed by the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly to the Australia House of Representatives and the Senate.

Australia has passed legislation stripping Norfolk Island of its autonomy, reducing its government to that of a local level council.

But in a statement, the Norfolk government says the Remonstrance Motion reaffirms the wishes of the majority of Norfolk Island voters that they have a say in any changes, as reflected in this month's referendum.

The Chief Minister of Norfolk Island, Lisle Snell

The Chief Minister of Norfolk Island, Lisle Snell Photo: Supplied

It asked Prime Minister Tony Abbott to delay presenting the legislation to the governor general for assent.

And it says it wants Mr Abbott to confer on the people of Norfolk Island the right to freely determine their political status and their economic, social and cultural development.

It says they must be consulted through a referendum or plebiscite on the future model of governance for Norfolk Island before such changes are acted on by the Australian Parliament.

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