PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE in Tasmania, and especially so in Launceston run counter to the Status Quo. At various times Cr Walker has been an advocate but Council's management has consistently refused to consider this form of community consultation. Given that the process involves transparency and accountability this says something about Local Govt in Tasmania and Launceston specifically!
Interestingly, Rosemary Armitage MLC – Member of Launceston – has express her disinclination to advocate for 'Participatory Governance' and apparently on the premise that it lends authority to randomly appointed citizens albeit that Juries/Assemblies have no authority except to advise. It is possible that giving even this much 'authority' to 'ordinary citizens' is seen as diluting the authority of self-nominating elected representatives who have one way or another persuaded a 'majority' of electors to grant them a seat in government irrespective of expertise.
RANDOM EXAMPLE: The Ostbelgien Model: a long-term Citizens' Council combined with short-term Citizens' Assemblies
In 2019, a permanent Citizens' Council was established in Ostbelgien (German for Eastern Belgium, the German-speaking community of the country) to constitute the third fundamental democratic institution together with the Parliament and the Executive.
Objectives
On 25th February 2019, the all parties in the parliament of Ostbelgien voted to establish a Citizens' Council and a Citizens' Assembly. Its main objectives are providing citizens not only a permanent voice in the process of decision making but also a systematic monitoring system to ensure the are heard. Ultimately, the project seeks to increase accountability and reinvigorate the agenda-setting power of common citizens.
This mechanism (known as the "Ostbelgien Model") was designed with G1000, a platform for democratic innovation and representative deliverative democracy.
The model consists of a permanent institution (the Citizens' Council) and a temporary institution (Citizens' Assemblies or Citizens' Panel). The Citizens' Council (Bürgerrat in German) is composed of 24 people, who take the post for 18 months. This has two aims: avoid parliament-like long terms and give the opportunity to every Ostbelgian to take part in the institution.
Their two main jobs: setting the agenda and prepare the Citizens' Aseemblies (Bürgerversammlungen in German). This means they decide the topics to be treated but do not emit recommendations themselves. Instead, they make use of ad hoc deliverative processes: they determine the size and duration of a Citizens' Assembly on a specific topic (around 50 citizens drawn by lot working for three weekends over three or four months). The Assembly then issues recommendations to the parliament, which has to engage in debate with them. Later, the parliament, the government, the relevant commission and the responsible minister elaborate a due response.... READ MORE HERE
Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them. ... William Arthur Ward
Don't wait for the right opportunity: create it. ... George Bernard Shaw
Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor. ... H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Just take an opportunity
Don't wait for the right opportunity: create it. ... George Bernard Shaw
Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor. ... H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Just take an opportunity
and make it as perfect as you can. ... zingPROVERB
TASMANIAN LOCAL GOVERNANCE
If the current Local Govt Act 1993 isn’t broken yet it is however well and truly past its USEbyDATE
Given current technologies that by now are:
- Well proven and truly functional;
- Very accessible; and generally
- Well understood in the wider community.
They're increasingly ubiquitous and not the property of bureaucracies to fiddle with and 'keep away' from the citizenry. These technologies are in fact exemplary examples of 'democracy' in their in-built ‘democracy’ albeit that they embody a disruptiveness that persistently changes the status quo.
To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
Winston Churchill!
Quite simply, the status quo is unsustainable!
Participatory democracy or Participant democracy
noun
individual participation by citizens in political decisions and policies that affect their lives, especially directly rather than through elected representatives. SEE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_democracy
Open Participatory Democracy in the Basque Country: The Role of Open Digital Platforms in Public Budgeting and Finance
Conference paper ... First Online: 06 June 2018 980Downloads https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-92052-8_41
Abstract
The processes of formulation, implementation and political deliberation for the correct operationalization of public administrations has transformed into a complex endeavour at a time where the idea of representative democracy is going through important changes and future challenges. The idea of public administration and governance has become increasingly decentralized and overloaded with new interactive processes which involve a greater number of political and social actors. This has given rise to new collaborative, interactive, and participatory governance strategies to create new public and social value. Moreover, this has opened the gate for the emergence of new digital platforms of participatory democracy, clearing the path for public and digital social innovation. This paper is focused on an open participatory initiative developed by the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country, to develop a digital platform Public Budgeting for the year 2018. This strategy was developed along 2017 to redefine public budgeting through agile platforms of citizen participation.
Ongoing accountability in real time involving the COMMUNITY OF INTEREST AND OWNERSHIP – http://auditingplacedness.blogspot.com/
Definition: Community of Ownership & Interest
- Community of Ownership and Interest: (compound noun/proposition) an all-inclusive collective/community of people, individuals and groups, who in any way have multi layered relationships with a place or cultural landscape and/or the operation of an institution, organisation or establishment – typically a network.
- Usage and context: cultural geography; civic and environmental planning; and community administration
- REFERENCE: Dr Bill Boyd, SCU et al
CONTEXT NOTE: Used in opposition to ‘stakeholder’: one who has a legitimate interest, stake and/or pecuniary interest in an enterprise, endeavour or entity. Also used to demonstrate inclusivity as opposed to the exclusive implications attached to ’stakeholder’.
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What is a Citizens’ Jury?
A Citizens’ Jury is an innovative means of involving everyday people in the process of government decision-making. These projects are genuinely pioneering and each one expands the critical mass of knowledge and understanding around how citizens can best influence the decisions their governments make.
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Nuclear waste storage plan prompts more citizens' jury debate in South Australia
Updated 8 Oct 2016, 12:48pm
PHOTO: Mark Parnell of the Greens is worried Finland could be cited as a nuclear model for SA. (ABC News)
Greens leader Mark Parnell is worried members of the South Australian Government's citizens' jury are not getting all the facts as they consider whether the state should pursue a nuclear future.
The Government is considering a royal commission's recommendation that SA store high-to........
Problems and Purpose
A Citizens’ Jury is a form of deliberative mini-public where a small group of citizens are randomly selected to deliberate on a given policy issue and provide recommendations to the organizing entity. The jury are usually given a specific question to answer or a clearly defined scope, and provide a report at the end of the process detailing their recommendations. The purpose of a Citizens’ Jury is to bring deliberation and public participation into public policy decisions. A CJ is a small enough group to help ensure genuine and effective deliberation can take place,[and utilises a random or stratified sample of the community to try and ensure that the group is sufficiently diverse and representative of the broader affected public. Proponents of the CJ model suggest that decisions made by a representative group of citizens are more likely to be accepted and viewed as legitimate by the broader public, because the jury making the recommendation are everyday citizens as well
LINKS
- https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-resources/citizens-jury-process
- https://law.anu.edu.au/news-and-events/news/review-supports-act-citizens%E2%80%99-juries-changes
- https://www.isca.org.au/News-and-Media/Insights/Are-citizen-juries-the-answer-to-successful-decisi
- https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/planning-for-2050/sydney-2050-citizens-jury
Opinion | Citizen juries a way to avoid fruitless debate
n recent years Novocastrians have witnessed hard-fought debates over the art gallery redevelopment, CBD building heights, the rail line truncation, the Newcastle Bowling Club redevelopment in King Edward Park, and Supercars....... https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/5026763/citizen-juries-a-way-for-city-to-sidestep-futile-debate/
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