Security threat no hindrance to border talks

Border protection detail: Jason Lorca and other
volunteers help install traffic control bollards
on a road near Nambour, New South Wales.

The president of the Federated Trans-Tasman States expressed “disgust” at the contents of printed material that crossed the northern border, near Nambour, and which was discovered on Monday.

The material, which included text calling the president a “filthy boong” and FTTS congressional members “cockroaches” and “Mexicans”, was discovered in the backpack of a man by police near the border crossing located just north of the town of Nambour.

The fliers also contained “specific, credible” threats against the NSW city of Brisbane, according to a police spokesperson.

“This printed matter constitutes a threat to national security,” said Detective Inspector Graham Strope of the federal police’s Brisbane-based Northern NSW Command.

The man, who claims to be a seasonal farm worker, told police he didn’t know how the material came to be in his backpack.

Police say he told them he was driving to a job near Lismore for the macadamia harvest after having helped harvest tomatoes at a farm on the border south-west of Bundaberg.

Police say the man will remain in detention until they have “established unequivocally” his identity and exhausted all lines of enquiry.

“We believe these messages are another sign that the government of Capricornia is desperate," said President Pinjarra on Wednesday.

“In Perth and in Townsville they want to sow factionalism within our borders. But I know that Trans-Tasmanians will show discipline and unity and keep vigilant when there is any unusual behaviour.

“Police in cooperation with the armed forces patrolling our northern borders have been successful on more than one occasion in short-circuiting attempts by elements originating in Far North Queensland to disseminate inappropriate material.

“I have thanked the Chief of the Federal Police and the Head of Army for their help in investigating this illegal activity. We must continue to be careful, especially in Brisbane and the north east.”

Nambour was a focus of intense fighting during the Second Secession War of 2163-78, and continues to act as a flashpoint bringing attention to often sour relations between the two nations.

Capricornia Governor-General Jonas Johnston said through a spokesperson that the material had “most likely” originated in Hobart, “where there are many people who do not have confidence in the FTTS government”.

“Or it could have been shipped over from North Aotearoa,” the spokesperson said. “We know that a lot of people there, who after all used to live in a sovereign nation and remain loyal to the British monarchy, as we do, continue to hope for a return to better times.”

Negotiations over Outback borders continue amid sporadic outbursts of violence on the Great Bight and along the Line of Détente established under the auspices of the United Nations in 2179.

President Pinjarra said that the discovery of “inappropriate” material would not affect border negotiations, which are currently underway in the capital, Canberra.

“We still hope to reach agreement by the year 2190, in two years’ time,” he said. “That remains our goal.”

The United Nations General Secretary through a spokesman said the offensive material was “regrettable” and that she hoped that continental border negotiations would continue.

Negotiations remain stalled over where to draw the western border. Congress remains committed to a border at latitude 125 degrees. Capricornia’s Parliament has said on numerous occasions that the border should be “where it was before”, at 129 degrees east.

Premier Srinavee of Vandemonia said his state was committed to the success of the negotiations and that the material was not produced there.

Premier Faulkner of North Aotearoa said that the Governor-General’s claims were “laughable”.