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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4972 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

In this case, the committee recommended that techniques used should relate to the consultation objectives.

A further committee recommendation is that plain English be used in all government communication. The protocol states:

Information should be written in plain English, be concise and be in an appropriate format and language.

The following statements in the protocol, I believe, address many of the remaining recommendations of the committee. Under the heading of "Using strategies that maximise people's ability to participate", the following statements are made:

... the consultation process aims at allowing maximum opportunity for citizens to make their concerns heard and be taken into account before a final decision is made by Government. Skilled communication techniques are essential elements of consultation. These include:

... encouragement of continual dialogue;

... ensuring that all parties feel ... that they have been adequately heard and will not be disadvantaged by their involvement in consultation;

... providing resources to enable citizens to participate;

... consultation also involves a process of feedback, which informs everyone involved in the consultation about the outcomes, decisions and timelines for implementation.

Another key aspect of maximising participation includes allowing sufficient time for consumer groups and peak bodies to contact and gain feedback from their members.

The protocol states:

Timeframes should be developed in the initial planning process which has been agreed to by all participants.

It should ensure that consultation plans provide adequate time for all stakeholders to participate in an informed way. It also makes a commitment to "honest and transparent" parameters, which include an understanding of:

... the aims of the consultation;

methods of consultation;

steps in the process;

who will ultimately make the decisions as a result of the consultation;

the timelines.

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