A group of British MPs has arrived on Norfolk Island at the invitation of a former chief minister of the island and the spokesman for the Norfolk Island People for Democracy, Andre Nobbs.
In November Nobbs travelled to London to make a presentation to the British parliament about the Australian government’s decision in May last year to revoke Norfolk Island’s autonomy.
The island – roughly halfway between Australia and New Zealand – had been governed by its own legislative assembly since 1979, but that has now been abolished and replaced with a regional council. Australian law is now enforced on the island.
Nobbs told the British parliament why he and his organisation were opposed to the Australian government takeover, and called for an independent review of the decision.
Conservative MPs Andrew Rosindell and Daniel Kawczynski, Labour MP Paula Sherriff and parliamentary adviser Lloyd Mattingley agreed to visit the island on a “fact-finding mission” starting Tuesday, Nobbs told Guardian Australia.
Rosindell had visited the island in 2008, when Nobbs was chief minister, and the pair had maintained contact, Nobbs said.
“The British politicians will have an opportunity to collect information and facts from the people on the island about how they feel about the takeover and the situation, and they will also meet with Australian government representatives to make sure eevryone gets to have a say,” Nobbs said.
“Up until this point there has been no independent review of the process Canberra used to make this decision, and we believe the Australian government has made decisions using misleading information. We hope the politicians will put pressure on the Australian government and call for an independent review.”
Nobbs believes the takeover was unlawful and his group is exploring several routes to have it overturned, including appealing to the United Nations and gaining representation from the high profile human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson QC.
The island has a grim convict history and is famous as the final refuge of some of the Bounty mutineers, whose descendants are still a prominent presence among its population of barely 1,300.
On Tuesday Nobbs said the British MPs would be taken to a “tent embassy” of islanders who took over the parliamentary compound on the island in April and have remained there since.
“They will host a community dinner for the MPs,” Nobbs said.
Nobbs said the MPs would stay until Friday, and that the trip was being funded by Norfolk Islanders.
A spokesman for the minister for regional development, Fiona Nash, said the government was aware of the visiting MPs.
“The Australian administrator will of course meet with them as a matter of courtesy and we look forward to him being able to convey accurate information to the MPs,” he said.
“The Australian government is focused on delivering healthcare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, student assistance payments, pensions and social security to the island’s Australian citizens.”
