[LINK] The Open Government Partnership

[Jan Whitaker]

At 03:04 AM 22/01/2014, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
>Come on Australian governments! Get with the Internet, and, ask opinions!
>
>Make it easy for us to know what you'd like to know. Actively seek ideas.
>
>When a young Aussie *Attorney General* feels we need more public opinion
>for proper law making, and good governance, then by golly, I guess we do!

I think the medium varies. I just listened to the bi-weekly radio 
session of Q&A with the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Robert Doyle. The 
exchanges are polite and friendly usually, with points raised and 
explanations given for a range of public policies for the city, with 
some new ideas emerging and taken into consideration. It's good for 
(generally) non-working people who listen to ABC AM radio. But that's 
not the medium younger people use, so wouldn't necessarily be the 
choice for them. Maybe the Triple Js and youth oriented commercial 
stations are a place to go.

However, if online is the choice, there must be another element: 
awareness of its existence. How does that happen? Few read newspapers 
any more in print. Do we know the demographics of those who read 
online papers? How else do those in govt and public service who want 
to involved the public get their attention? And when they do so, can 
they handle the activities in such a way that make them personal, 
respected, and useful? Surveys are just the opposite.

I think crossover media connections are the key IF there are websites 
as the means for capturing this interaction. People need to be 
invited to participate. And given the lack of faith in any attention 
being paid to what is offered from the public who have beat their 
heads against brick walls trying to provide input, there is a HUGE 
hurdle to get those re-engaged.

Call me cynical (because I am) that until there is a major disruption 
in the type of politics in this country, we essentially are a tinpot 
dictatorship pretending to be a democracy, no matter which major 
party is in place. Ethics is an unknown concept in their worlds, at 
least for the leadership with very few exceptions. So most people 
prefer to sit on the sidelines hoping they'll implode.

Harrumph.
Jan


Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com

Sooner or later, I hate to break it to you, you're gonna die, so how 
do you fill in the space between here and there? It's yours. Seize your space.
~Margaret Atwood, writer

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