in after poll

Norfolk Island

More women in after poll

THERE will be more women and probably more harmony in government following a general election on the remote Australian territory of Norfolk Island, the returning officer says.

A record three women were elected to Norfolk Island’s nine-member legislative assembly in a poll held in April three more than in the previous legislature, said returning officer David Rodgers.

There are nearly 1200 registered voters on Norfolk Island, where around half the population are descendants of the Bounty mutiny families, w'ho moved there from Pitcairn Island in 1856.

The assembly called the election one year early because of deadlock and inertia among the island’s four-person executive. The government had no chief minister and the four executive members were divided down the middle on many key issues, Rodgers said. One executive member w'as even the unofficial leader of the opposition, although there are no

political parties on Norfolk.

“It was unworkable,” Rodgers said.

Voters reacted to the deadlock and

administrative bickering by dumping

two ministers from their seats. One of those defeated, Ric Robinson, has been campaigning for self-determination for the island, about 1600 kilometres east of Brisbane. “I think there will be a lot more harmony in government now,”

Rodgers said.

The legislative assembly will meet on May 4 to choose a new’ president, or speaker. It also must select an executive, although the size of the “cabinet” has yet to be determined.

Rodgers said unlike the last assembly, the new' legislature may decide to pick a government leader. “There seems to be a consensus there is a need for one.”

Twenty-seven independent candidates

contested the poll in a single electorate.

Under the island's electoral system, voters had nine votes each and were able to cast up to four votes for one candidate.

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