Thanks for the opportunity to talk about the Norfolk Island Party (NIP).

The Norfolk Island Party isn’t an acceptance of the currently political framework we find ourselves in.

It is about using one of the few tools we have to potentially effect change.

The requirement for a Party is 1500 members, recently gone up from 500 members.

We are looking for that many members as soon as possible.

Membership forms can be found as you walk in, or on the Norfolk Island Party facebook page.

We would like tap into the large Norf’k diaspora living in Australia who are also upset about what is happening in their homeland.

Although we may or many not win a seat, power can be with preference deals with other candidates or parties who would be willing to take on our campaign.

It is also a platform for our voice to be heard in the media.

If the party achieves its aims, then it will be disbanded.

The aims of the Norfolk Island Party are:

• Fight for our rights under international law as well as our children’s future
• A voice in Norfolk’s future
• Protection of our land
• To ensure that the Norf’k people’s identity is recognised and respect.

In recent years an amount in the vicinity of $1billion has been spent, with the result being an unsustainable, un-democratic government model, a broke Island.

• Our identity and heritage have been taken away.

Infrastructure and spending have been poorly directed and targeted.

The bureaucratic and regulatory environment is killing our way of life and business, and the cost of living is spiralling out of control.

At this point the four people controlling the Island and making all the decisions are:

• Nola Marino
• Eric Hutchinson
• Mike Colreavy
• Andrew Roach

All are unelected and all are foreign.

This is a dictatorship of the worst kind and is totally unacceptable.

The Australian government strategy and policy for Norfolk Island is all about their national interest and nothing about Norf’ks National Interest.

It is about dispossession and theft.

Harsh words but it is the TRUTH

While we support avenues of redress, such as the UNHRC complaint, and our petition to the Decolonisation Committee, joining the Norfolk Island Party is a way that we can hopefully force them to the table so that a sustainable, democratic government model is put in place that respects OUR RIGHTS.

We want to stress that it is not about us wanting to join their system, but using their system so we can achieve our goal and our rights are upheld.

Thanks fe aklan.

It is time to press the reset button.