TASMANIAN DDD NOW!

 

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Against the background that Tasmania's Local Governance Act 1993 is long past it USEbyDATE plus the fact that on the evidence, in a 21st C context, the Act is no longer 'fit for purpose', the burning question is WHAT'S NEXT!

The status quo that tells us that only 52.8%  of Tasmanian men and 46.9 % of Tasmanian women read at a functional level, should be causing alarm bells to be ringing very loudly – but they are not. After that the 'white males' are disproportionately the decision makers within every level governance. Plus, there are those at every level of Local Govt who exploit the status quo to their 'fiscal advantage'. 

Indeed, the higher up the 'bureaucratic ladder' you go the evidence for the exploitation of 'status quo' gets to be increasingly evident – and all too often cynically so! Even more to the point, 'the Act' compounds the situation in SECTION 62/2. This provision in the Act' is antithetic to transparency and accountability. In fact, a Council concerned about negative perceptions in regard to its accountability might well move NOW to proactively address the issue of accountability and 21st C RELEVANCE at the upcoming Local Govt. Elections.

Quite apart from anything else, an incumbent cohort of Councillors might well take the opportunity to dispel the perception that they are wedded to the status quo and moreover that they are willing to commit  the opportunities 21st C technologies offer to enhance the functionality of local governance via Direct Deliberative Democracy (DDD).

HOW MIGHT THIS BE ACHIEVED?

At the upcoming Local Govt Elections a Council – or indeed multiple Councils – initiate an 'ELECTORS POLL' that provides constituents with the opportunity to vote on 2 questions:

1. ... Do you endorse the proposal that Council empanel a STANDING CITIZEN'S ASSEMBLY that:

• Has a standing membership of 9 members randomly invited through a civic lottery with chairperson appointed by the membership;
• Has a standing membership that changes completely in not less that 18 months;
• Every 6 months 4 members stand down to be replaced by randomly invited members via a civic lottery;
• Meets not less than monthly to deliberate upon an agenda determined by its members and formally reports to Council monthly;
• Independently publishes its agendas and minutes on the public record;
• Is empowered to empanel up to 3 experts per meeting to inform critical deliberations;
• Is empowered to appoint a SPECIAL PURPOSE ASSEMBLY with its membership randomly invited through a civic lottery and that a has a tenure of no more than 6 months. 

YES       NO

2. ... Do you endorse the proposal that the agendas and minutes of ALL Council committees be placed on the public record.

YES       NO

At this time it is the cheapest time to initiate a Local Govt Electors Poll and the opportunity should not be missed IF a jurisdiction wishes to engage more overtly with its constituency towards achieving enhanced and more inclusive outcomes