Politics of Tokelau - Decolonisation

Decolonisation

On 11 November 2004, Tokelau and New Zealand took steps to formulate a treaty that would transform Tokelau from a New Zealand territory to an entity that is in free association with New Zealand. Besides drafting a treaty, a UN sponsored "act of self-determination" had to take place. The referendum, supervised by the UN, started on 11 February 2006 and finished on 15 February 2006. Although a 60% majority voted in favour of the proposal, a two-thirds majority was required for the referendum to succeed, so Tokelau remained a New Zealand territory. In June 2006, Kolouei O'Brien announced that the Fono had agreed to hold another referendum. This second referendum took place between 20 and 24 October 2007 and again fell short of the two-thirds majority required for independence, by 16 votes, at 446 votes in favour and 246 against.

In all the United Nations-sponsored efforts to give Tokelauans the self-government which they have more than once failed to endorse, the assumption has seemed to be that the proponents of those who lost the vote have the right for the vote to be repeated with a view to reversing the verdict but, that once self-government were achieved, this could never be reversed. Supporters of this view can argue that it is consistent with their vision of ideological purity; the current New Zealand government is associated with such a view. Sceptics can argue that one-sided attempts to repeat the vote are inconsistent with both supposed respect for the expressed wishes of Tokelauans, with the heritage of balanced constitutional government and with practical politics: some of these sentiments have been expressed by Tokelau's former Head of Government, Patuki Isaako.

In April 2008, speaking as leader of the National Party, future New Zealand Prime Minister John Key stated that New Zealand had "imposed two referenda on the people of the Tokelau Islands", and questioned "the accepted wisdom that small states should undergo a de-colonisation process".