Neha Patil (Editor)

Norfolk Legislative Assembly

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Type
  
Unicameral

Political groups
  
Non-partisans (9)

Seats
  
9

Norfolk Legislative Assembly

The Norfolk Legislative Assembly was the prime legislative body of Norfolk Island from 1979 to 2015. Formed after the Norfolk Island Act 1979 was passed in the Australian parliament, its first members were elected on 10 August 1979. The last assembly was the 14th, elected on 13 March 2013. On 17 June 2015, the Australian government abolished the assembly, ending self-government on the island, and beginning transition arrangements to a Norfolk Island Regional Council to be established on 1 July 2016.

Contents

Membership

The assembly had 9 members, elected for a three-year term. The assembly was elected by a popular vote for a term of not more than three years. Electors each had nine equal votes, which could be divided in any way between candidates, but no more than two votes could be given to any particular individual candidate. This variation of cumulative voting is called the "weighted first past the post system".

All nine seats were held by independents, as Norfolk Island did not have major political parties. However, a local branch of the Australian Labor Party was active.

On 20 March 2013, the first meeting of the 14th Legislative Assembly elected Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker:

  • Lisle Snell – Chief Minister
  • Robin Eleanor Adams – Minister for Cultural Heritage and Community Services
  • Ronald John Ward – Minister for Environment
  • Timothy John Sheridan – Minister for Finance
  • Melissa Ward
  • David Buffett AM – Speaker
  • David Raymond Porter
  • Ronald Coane Nobbs – Deputy Speaker
  • Hadyn Paul Evans

    • Abolition

    In March 2015, the Australian government announced that the Assembly would be replaced with a regional council, as part of a plan to bring the governance of Norfolk Island into line with the rest of Australia. A five-person Community Advisory Council would be set up to manage the transition, with Chief Minister Snell and Speaker Buffett being invited to be members.

    In 2014, Snell travelled to Canberra to argue against a complete change to the arrangements governing the island. He did not oppose the island joining Australia's tax and welfare system, but maintained that it should retain similar powers to a state or territory government.

    Snell's overtures and a non-binding referendum held on the island were unsuccessful, and the assembly met for the last time on 17 June 2015.

    References

    Norfolk Legislative Assembly Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA