[LINK] Online Consultation with Australian Government

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Tom writes,

> The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
> have released the report, "Consulting with Government - online": 
> <www.finance.gov.au/publications/consulting-with-government-online/>.
> 
> This recommends an Australian Government online consultation forum 
> for community consultation .. In all three phases of the consultation,
> overwhelming support for the concept of a Government consultation blog
> and discussion forum. Respondents expected that online consultations 
> should form a part of the Government's policy consultation process ...
> To foster greater citizen participation in government policy making the 
> Australian Government should consider establishing a Government online
> consultation forum, to complement existing community consultation. 
> From: Consulting with Government - online, AGIMO, 2008. Tom Worthington

A sensible report, if somewhat overdue.  But, one doubts that any such
report suggestions would have made any headway at all under our previous
governments however, so, lets hope that our esteemed Rudd & Co speedily
put some departmental-muscle into these proposed democracy-enhancements.

Personally one would hope for some legislative muscle behind the initiative

For example, the Queensland Gov online petition site has legal guidelines
regarding timely and appropriate Ministerial responses to public comments.
That is, follow-up action regarding public entries on the website must be
made within a quite limited timeframe, and by the appropriate Gov Minister.

Say we do have virtual mechanisms for public opinion .. so what, if public
opinion can simply be safely ignored, or only fobbed off? Having a platform
for public opinion/comment/debate is all very well, but would surely simply
aggravate those of us whom expressed real concerns which were then ignored.

Telling government departments to be web2 proactive online might appear to
be useless without appropriate legislation around how seriously they do it?

Cheers Tom
Stephen Loosley
Victoria Australia