Australian Government further gags Norfolk Island free speech

[Norfolk Island, South Pacific, Friday 4 March 2016, 1000 AEST]

The Australian Government and its subsidiary Norfolk Island Administration have taken further steps to restrict free speech on Norfolk Island.

As a result of the passage of the Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Act 2015 in the Australian Parliament, the Government has embarked on a process of transitioning Norfolk Island from the status of an external territory with a limited form of self-government, to that of a regional council modelled on those in the State of New South Wales. This is against the wishes of the majority of the people of Norfolk Island.

As reported on 29 January, prior to the visit to the island of the responsible Minister Hon Paul Fletcher, the Executive Director of Norfolk Island Peter Gesling directed that a radio announcement on behalf of the Norfolk Island People for Democracy not be broadcast. On 28 January he went further and directed that the public meeting to be held with the Minister not be broadcast.

Further moves by the Administration against Radio Norfolk have now transpired. On 27 January Gesling also decreed that henceforth all community announcements would require approval from the Administration, and that all interviews were to be pre-recorded and approved by him prior to broadcast. A request for clarification of this ruling from Gesling by the Acting Manager of Radio Norfolk was met with her removal from her position with one week’s ‘stress leave’, and subsequent redeployment elsewhere in the Norfolk Island Public Service.

In unrelated incidents one volunteer presenter was sacked for mentioning on radio that the Australian Government would not be providing funds for the radio station after 1 July 2016; and two volunteer presenters of a popular and mildly satirical weekly show were sacked with immediate effect for not being “apolitical”.

In a letter published 27 February in The Norfolk Islander and on Norfolk Online, Dr Chris Nobbs argues that the reasons given by the Administration for these actions are specious, and that they are merely intended to gag free speech and criticism of the Australian Government. Concern is also expressed that Norfolk Island public servants may be being stifled in the exercise of their democratic rights to free expression on the political processes involved in the island’s transition.
Chris Nobbs, an independent commentator, Norfolk Island