Public meetings are sometimes a lot like a game of medieval and gladiatorial street football – even if its played out in slow motion.When you unpack the tactics on display its usually pretty clear what is going on and who has what at stake. The thing is the rules … well, they’re a little bit obscure. They are kind of there but by and large they are made up on the fly.
In general the rules are close to being open slather. Nonetheless there are some rules that are adhered to even if only to avoid the bodies being carried off the field of play in public view. That’s not a good look while the game is actually in train.
Assassinations etc. are best dealt with beforehand. Likewise, executions are advantageously left until after some bureaucratic transgression or other – and best carried out well away from the glaring lights of public scrutiny.
All that said, this is the kind of situation a 100 or so Launceston ratepayers and residents walked into at Launceston’s Town Hall at 6 pm last Monday. The home team of suits was laying in wait for them in the Reception Room. After some reasonably polite formalities the whistle was blown and it was GAME ON!
So to this match last Monday at Town Hall. Well it had all the promise of being a well planned fizzer. Except, somehow the word had got out despite the best efforts of some of the suits to keep the crowd small and compliant. But there is always an enthusiast who’ll frustrate the promoter’s intentions, isn’t there?
It is surprising that the match pulled a crowd of 100 plus but there you go. However, there were some conspicuous absentees on Town Hall suits’ squad – had they been there the score may have been a little different or the game may have been played a little differently.
Early on it was clear that this was going to be a rather uneven match. Actually, both sides underestimated the scene. The bureaucrats kicked an early goal but after that they very quickly lost control of the game on the night. Indeed, the eventual score was Suits one and Citizens four – with two own goals for the Citizens in that. This is only a rough estimate because the home side failed to supply an official score keeper but it is indicative of the match. The suits were outclassed!
A win is a win, is a win. Now the task is about getting down to business. Having identified at least some of the problems that need to be dealt with the needs that now need to be met are to do with finding ways:
• To inform ratepayers and residents what their options are;
• To disseminate the information needed to change outcomes;
• To win equity for ratepayers and residents;
• To work for improved democratic processes and participation in local government decision making;
• To work for accountability and good governance in local government; and
• To promote the return of local government to local control.
The job is ahead and for the moment all that can be said is “watch this space”.
Can pigs fly? Well, the aim is to find a way to get a pig of an idea of the ground and air born.
3 comments:
The story goes that one of the suits got a bit of a dressing down from a citizen for blatantly patronising the citizenry. Did that happen? If it did how do we find that citizen?
Well the Examiner is on the ball with the latest news. The meeting was Monday evening, they didn't have a reporter at the meeting on the night and now they report on it three days later.
I wonder who gave them the information upon which they report? It has probably been cleaned up to suit someone or other. Oh well it is Launceston.
The thing that is to be feared in all this is Council initiating another mega project that is poorly conceived and poorly managed. The waste management facility in Launceston that ratepayers have already paid dearly for is an example of this.
The bottom line must be that money must be saved and the savings must be reflected in the rates people pay.
If that is seen to be unachievable two things need to happen. The first one being reaching an outcome for resource recovery that is cost neutral. The second being a total audit of the Council’s management to identify the impediments within the Council’s management that prevent the kinds of outcomes ratepayers are seeking.
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