A good move

We've just helped Tokelau become the world's first solar-powered nation, with the commissioning of the first stage of the Tokelau Renewable Energy Project. Good. If we're to get out of the technological hole we've dug ourselves and avoid dangerous levels of climate change, we need completely change our energy infrastructure. Tokelau is tiny compared to the scale of the problem - but switching them over will both show the world what can be done, and hopefully encourage other states to do likewise.

Tokelau shames us again

Tokelau has declared its exclusive economic zone to be a whale sanctuary. This brings the number of whale sanctuaries in the South Pacific to eleven, covering most of the area's ocean:

(Key: Green = whale sanctuary, blue = whales protected, but no explicit sanctuary. List of countries from here; map based on this)

Not a lot of space for the Japanese to murder whales there, is there?

Interestingly, MFAT is getting grumpy about this. Tokelau is an NZ dependency, and MFAT seems to think the move should have been discussed with them. But this is essentially an internal matter of fisheries regulation, something Tokelau has power over, rather than one of foreign policy. And in any case, it would be wrong of MFAT to overturn the decisions of Tokelau's democratically elected government, just as it would be wrong for our foreign monarch to veto those of our elected Parliament.

Climate change: More shame

Tokelau has become the latest Pacific island nation to declare a 100% renewable energy target. Like Tuvalu and the Maldives, Tokelau has a strong incentive to act: at only 4 metres above sea level, climate change could literally wipe their country off the map. And they can already see it happening...

The irony here is that Tokelau is still part of New Zealand, and every single one of its inhabitants is a kiwi. Our government's current policy is that their homes and livelihoods should be sacrificed without compensation in the name of higher profits for our polluting farmers. It is not "foreigners" our governments inaction is threatening - it is us.

Once again, the poor, who have the least responsibility for the problem and the least ability to respond, are being forced by necessity to lead the way, while the rich make excuses and lag behind. It makes a complete mockery of the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities", and we ought to be deeply ashamed of it.

Tokelau stays (again)

Tokelau has again voted to stay part of New Zealand. The independence vote did better this time round - 64.4% as opposed to 60% - but still fell short of the two-thirds majority it needed for independence. And the margin is absolutely tiny: only 16 votes out of the 692 cast.

After two referenda in less than two years, I'd say the result is pretty clear: not quite enough Tokelauans want to be independent. Hopefully the Tokelauan administration won't make the same mistake as last time, and force their people to vote again until they get it right. Instead, it would be better to back off, spend a little more time building that majority for change, and have another go in a few years time.

But regardless of what Tokelau chooses, one thing shouldn't change: like the people of the Cook Islands and Niue, these people are whanau. They should always be welcome here, and we should continue to help them for as long as they want and need it.

Voting until they get it right

Last February, Tokelau voted in a formal act of self-determination to remain part of New Zealand. This wasn't what MFAT was expecting - they wanted Tokelau to opt for self-government, so as to get the UN off their backs about colonialism - so they came up with a simple solution: the Tokelauans would vote again until they got it right.

The next act of this embarassing parody of democracy will take place in two weeks' time, with the final count on October 25. And this time, the Tokelauans are expected to make the "right" choice. But what if they don't? What if, once again, a majority support self-government but it fails to make the 66% threshold? Will MFAT force them to vote again next year as well, or will they accept that the time just isn't right yet, and wait a few more years for public opinion to shift that little bit further?

There's a mirror here of our republic debate: Tokelau already effectively has self-government simply by virtue of geography (just as we are already a de facto republic). The vote is purely about symbolism - about whether to cast off the virtually nonexistent colonial yoke and become formally independent (twink out the distant Queen and put our government on a fully democratic basis), or keep the status quo. Either way, it will make little practical difference to people's lives or the way the country is governed - the main one being a change of flag. And that doesn't really result in people being highly motivated to vote for change. But I'd hope that when the time comes for New Zealand to vote on ditching the monarchy, we'd do it properly, and accept the result (at least for a couple of electoral cycles), rather than forcing the public to go back to the polls year after year until we produce the "right" result.

Voting until they get it right

Earlier in the year, the New Zealand territory of Tokelau held a referendum, in which they narrowly rejected self-government. Now it looks like we'll be forcing them to vote again next November. What will happen if this produces the same result? Will we force Tokelauans to keep voting until they get it right?

Tokelau

Tokelau has voted to stay with New Zealand. Or has it? A clear majority of Tokelauans - almost 60% - voted for independence, but they failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority required to become legally self-governing. So, no change - but its hardly a ringing endorsement of New Zealand rule. From the Herald's description of "grim-faced" foreign affairs officials, it seems that this wasn't how things were supposed to go at all - Tokelau was supposed to vote for independence, and the UN would finally be off our back about colonialism. I guess no-one expected that enough Tokelauans would actually vote for colonial government...

And OTOH, why wouldn't they? They already have effective self-government of their own manner and choosing, and New Zealand is a distant and undemanding master. Change seems pointless and unnecessary. While this sounds strange - who wouldn't want to be independent, and have their own voice, however small, on the international stage? - New Zealanders display exactly the same thinking about the monarchy, a similar historical relic. Likewise, it took us sixteen years to accept the offer of full independence (in the form of the Statute of Westminister) from the UK. If we were slow to cut the colonial apron strings, we can hardly complain if others are too.

The sun sets on New Zealand's Pacific empire

Today, exactly 80 years after control was handed to New Zealand by the UK, Tokelau will begin a formal act of self-determination to choose between remaining part of New Zealand, or becoming self-governing in free association as the Cook Islands and Niue are. In practice, they're already self-governing - via village councils and a General Fono to handle national issues - and a vote for the latter will mostly confirm that reality. Tokelauans will retain New Zealand citizenship, and we will continue to provide aid and assistance. They will however have a new flag, and be politically independent. The sun will finally have set on New Zealand's Pacific empire.

The sun sets on New Zealand's empire

Back in the nineteenth century, New Zealand politicians like Julius Vogel and Richard Seddon dreamed of making New Zealand "a better Britain" - complete with its own empire in the South Pacific. The Cook Islands, Niue, and Samoa were all acquired at various times, and all have since gone their own way. Now, the sun is finally going to set on that dream: in a little over a month, Tokelau, our last colonial possession, will vote on independence - and is expected to opt for self-government in free association, just as the Cooks and Niue did 40 and 31 years ago respectively.

While I'm pleased to see Tokelau take this step, I can't help but worry about how well they're going to do. Tokelau is basically a subsistence economy - albeit with phones, an internet domain, and three geosynchronous satellite slots - and they will remain dependent on New Zealand aid for a long time to come, if not forever. But this is appropriate - after all, every single Tokelauan is a Kiwi, as much as if they'd been born in Auckland, Ashbuton, Dunedin or Te Awamutu. And as kiwis, albeit seperated by a few thousand miles of ocean, we owe them a helping hand.