We have all heard Winston Churchill’s much quoted pronouncement that ‘Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the rest!’ Within Australia, democratic principles are rarely questioned but what happens when governments fail? We can readily answer that the next election will sort things out, however if people have lost confidence or become totally disillusioned with ‘government’ per se our whole system is undermined.
When governments fail to listen, when people and their needs are put behind the forces of market driven ideologies, when equity, fairness and justice are thrown out the window and the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ grows wider, then all the seeds are there for extreme political groups to harness this discontent for their own short term purposes.
The ability of extreme right wing groups to turn people’s frustration and anger onto some other, often more disadvantaged, group is not new. However, it strikes at the very heart of our political system – our democratic principles of fair play and tolerance.
When people feel disempowered, their lack of trust in government threatens the very fabric of our democratic system.
As a nation, we are renown for our willingness to give everyone a ‘fair go’ but at the same time we have a propensity to ‘chop down tall poppies’. Our tendency to be a nation of ‘knockers’ and ‘drubbers of authority’ has meant that governments and politicians from all spheres have always been fair game for criticism.
But if this boils over, and gets to the point where there is a deep seated malaise in the community, it is vital all governments work hard to regain people’s trust and confidence.
In spite of media hype about the so called Hanson factor in the recent Queensland election, it was widespread approval for Peter Beattie’s decisive handling of electoral rorting that resulted in the unprecedented landslide return of the Labor Government. People’s trust and confidence was clearly demonstrated.
Speaking at the Annual Conference of Local Government Professionals in Melbourne (see page 6), Mary Crooks believes that, being closest to the people, Local Government is ideally placed to regain people’s trust. Listening and empowering communities to address issues will turn frustration into positive actions that will benefit the whole community.
Mary Crooks does not believe this is solely the responsibility of elected representatives, but advocates that all Council staff, as part of their job description, spend time listening to the concerns of residents and ratepayers.
Good government comes from listening and empowering people. Harness the positive actions of people in your community rather than deal with their reactions when things go off the rails.
