Discussion Paper 215 / 2001

In recent years, Torres Strait Islanders have made a number of calls for greater governmental autonomy within the Australian federal system. This paper examines a number of these calls and government responses to them. It observes that progress towards greater autonomy has been slow and difficult and relates this to unresolved issues pertaining to three underlying analytic questions: from whom, for whom and for or over what is autonomy being sought?

The paper argues that there have been, and still are, difficult unresolved issues relating to all three questions which Torres Strait Islanders need to address if autonomy is to be progressed. It also argues that the Australian federal system can accommodate greater autonomy in Torres Strait, though it will require some real innovation in Australian federal governance.