Deepening democracy
Mayor's Column
One of the biggest local government changes in recent years has been the increased demands for real consultation with the public.
If you sometimes catch the whiff of a power struggle behind the critics of consultation, your instincts are right; increasingly democracy has been deepened by the demand that the decision-makers, elected and unelected, get out and listen to the will of the public.
Consultation has moved from being a nice addition to a plan, a polite nod in the direction of democracy, to become an imperative.
Local government and other public-sector groups are now required to put some real grunt into consulting with and considering what the public want. It’s a major change to how things have traditionally been done, and I think it has the potential to revive how we regard local politics.
Consultation doesn’t suit the tastes of the news media who like a nice simple plot line to their stories, preferably with both heroes and villains in the mix. Nor does it suit those in politics or administration who like to tackle every task with the underlying assumption that they know best. Established lobby groups and self-appointed spokespeople on various issues also find broader consultation not always to their liking.
What I think the new models of consultation are very good for are democracy and the public. It takes the decision-making process out of the control of the few and puts the potential power back in the hands of the public. It adds up to a profound change in the way that things get done.
One of the greatest barriers to making the most of this change is the cynicism and doubt that is having such a corrosive impact on politics. In recent decades, as what seems like wave after wave of massive change has washed over our society, one result is that some people have become passive, resigned consumers of change.
The reality is still that people can still choose to make a positive difference, but there’s a sad, widespread belief that this is not the case. I believe that if the public takes up the opportunities offered by the present round of consultations we may be able to turn this belief around quite quickly.
Consultation, for all its frustrations, is one of the most effective tools we have for deepening the process of democracy. It goes some way to answering Mr Future Shock, Alvin Toffler in his book Anticipatory Democracy, in which he says, “I fail to see how it is possible for us to have a technological revolution, a social revolution, an information revolution, and moral and sexual revolutions, and not a political revolution as well.
“Simply put, the political technology of the industrial age is no longer appropriate technology for the new civilisation taking form around us.”
Challenging words. With consultation at least we’ll get some answers.
There are two big consultation rounds now taking place that I urge you to take part in.
The Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy in partnership with other Canterbury councils is asking you for your ideas about how to manage our future growth. So far it already has over 1000 responses — it needs and deserves more.
Second, the Christchurch City Council is getting into consultation now on the draft Community Outcomes and Strategic Directions for the 2006-16 Community Plan.
This is about setting both the priorities for the whole of Christchurch, and working out what role the Council has in achieving them. It is where we set our goals for getting to where the community tells us it wants us to go.
Where we get messages that seem to fit better with other agencies — ECan or the District Health Board, for instance — we will be passing it on to them and they will be doing the same for us.
Staff will be taking the consultation out to the public and you should also feel free to come and talk to staff and Community Board members — both about the Outcomes and also about what you see as the really important issues, topics, or areas that we should be concentrating on. Watch out for the displays, and staff, in community libraries this month. A booklet called Let’s Talk It Through will be available from libraries and service centres from May 16 onward. You can also use the Have Your Say area on the Council website, at www.ccc.govt.nz
Do have your say.
Do help us to deepen democracy in how we collectively shape our future.
Mayor of Christchurch
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