Each edition we feature the views of a State Local Government Association President. The following is from Councillor Peter Woods OAM is President,Local Government Association of NSW and President, International Union of Local Authorities (Asia-Pacific Region).
Increasingly Local Government in Australia is coming to realise the importance of developing an international perspective. In doing so, it follows the trend in local communities in many other parts of the world where the need for an international perspective has been self evident for many years, both because of the bitter legacy of past conflict based on lack of intercommunity awareness and understanding and because economic and social well being has increasingly depended upon international cooperation and trade.
As the representative of Australian Local Government on the peak world body representing local communities – IULA, the International Union of Local Authorities – and as President of IULA’s Asia Pacific section, I have had the honour to see this growing international awareness at first hand, and to see that our growing interest in matters external to our own country warmly reciprocated by neighbouring countries in Asia and the Pacific, as well as Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Europe.
I cannot overemphasise the importance of effective regional partnership. The persistent downturn in economic activity in many Asian economies has impacted deeply on Australia, both directly by depressing demand for exports, and indirectly because international financial markets perceive that we are linked to Asia.
It is therefore increasingly important that we deal sensitively with our neighbours, and that we are supportive in their time of need. Many Asian countries are undergoing profound political and social changes even as the economic issues begin to sort themselves out; we need to remain constructive in our interaction even when we see evidence of acts by government or by sections of the populace which offend our western democratic sensibilities.
At the same time, at the local level, we can give both practical and moral support to those who are seeking changes to achieve greater freedom and equality in Asia. Interestingly, the advent of the electronically interconnected global community is downgrading the importance of national boundaries vis a vis local boundaries.
Issues primarily of importance to national governments – for example, taxation regimes, political control, censorship – are becoming harder to control and regulate. This makes local identity, based on physical connection, all the more important as a balance to global homogenisation.
Already in Europe we are seeing the fragmentation of traditional nation states. Witness the recent devolution of powers to Scotland, at the same time as a new pan European identity takes shape.
Such trends cannot be far off in our own region, although, from our own perspective I would prefer the devolution to revamped Local Governments and the end of the anachronistic and divisive parochialism, duplication and wastage manifested in State Governments.
Australian Local Government also needs to take a stand on issues of international concern which have an impact at community level. For this reason the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) recently presented a submission to the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, opposing Australia’s signing of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment.
In that submission we called on the Federal Government to recognise the imbalance of resources between local communities and large transnational enterprises. This situation could give rise to risk aversion on the part of Councils to the detriment of certainty and good government.
It could also see democracy superseded by transnational corporate imperatives. Finally, a well developed international perspective is increasingly important to counterbalance the growth of minority sentiment based on intolerance.
One nation, maybe; many peoples, certainly. Closer ties with local communities in other countries are a practical way to achieve greater harmony and to defuse the racial timebomb which reactionary elements and their acolytes seem determined to ignite.
Let us unite the world through the people’s government, Local Government, generating interaction and genuine goodwill.
