Bali to become part of Australia

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has announced today that Bali will become part of Australia. The ground breaking news was aired at a special news conference in Canberra today. A clearly excited Mr Howard told journalists, that over a year of backroom negotiations had gone on between Canberra and Jakarta, over the future status of the island.

Bali, the largely Hindu province of Indonesia, has long been a favourite with Australian holidaymakers. The terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005 have had a huge impact on both the local people and the Australian public. Said Mr Howard, “We knew it was time to do something about it.” “Australians feel a special affinity with the Balinese and vice versa.” “It is our hope that making Bali a part of Australia will help the island to move forward into the 21st Century,
with improved services, education and healthcare.”

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also attended the meeting. Mr Downer commented on the important event “Today we are welcoming Bali into our country. Even I can smile at this.” Mr Downer explained that while Bali is still a part of Indonesia, the island will become a ‘Special State of Australia’ as of Jan 1st 2007. Australians will no longer need passports and visas to visit Bali, and Balinese people will have limited visitation rights in Australia.