Page 3881 - Week 12 - Thursday, 23 November 2006
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For large projects, policies and strategies seeking comprehensive feedback, twelve weeks is recommended.
What a sham, what a shock, what a shame, what arrogance!
The ACT government community service charter has wonderful words in it. It is about “acting within an environment of mutual courtesy, respect and ethical behaviour”. Well, the minister is being censured today by the community and by us because there is no mutual courtesy, there is no respect, and there is no ethical behaviour. The service charter goes on to say that all should have an opportunity to be heard on issues that affect them. Were they heard? No. Were they even asked? No. Should he be censured? Absolutely. It then goes on to say that sufficient time and resources will be allocated to engagement activities. We are going to talk to the community and we are going to make sure there is time and resources. Were time and resources put into allowing the engagement of the community on the closure of the Griffith library? Absolutely not. Deserving of censure? Absolutely so.
Then it goes on to say that high-quality, accurate and timely information to the community for each engagement activity will be provided. Was anything at all provided to the community about the Griffith library closure? Absolutely not. Should he be censured? Absolutely. And then it goes on to say, “Engagement activity and processes will be regularly evaluated to identify areas for improvement.” Well, I hope they take that one to heart. The start of the evaluation should be that you have got to talk to the community first before you could have an evaluation.
But then it goes on. We have the Department of Territory and Municipal Services community engagement policy. This is the minister’s own special one; not content with the government one, he decided that TAMS should have its own. TAMS has a checklist, a set of guiding principles. There are seven guiding principles for TAMS community engagement. And how many of these principles does the minister pass? Let us read them. The first is “set clear and reasonable timeframes.” He fails that one; there were no time frames at all. The second one is “shared learning and obligation”. What does that mean? It means:
Accept that government and the community can learn from each other during the process and that it is important to make an effort to exchange views.
It is important to make an effort to exchange views—“We did not do that, we just told them what we were going to do.” The document goes on:
Continuous improvement. Constantly seek ways to improve community engagement processes and maintain the two-way flow of information.
There is no two-way in this; this is just a one-way street and John Hargreaves is driving the bus. It goes on:
Simplicity, accessibility and openness. Keep the processes transparent—
Transparent!—
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