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The Forum > Article Comments > Australia should develop Open Government Partnership > Comments

Australia should develop Open Government Partnership : Comments

By Kellie Tranter, published 7/4/2015

The Abbott government seems to have an aversion to informed criticism and self reflection. It seems to be run as a separate and autonomous corporation bearing the hallmarks of many religious institutions with its high priests, dogma and secrecy.

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Indeed, the lion should become vegetarian, all animals must be equal, earthquakes must give a 24-hour notice, rapists should follow a professional code of honour and pickpockets must wear a distinctive uniform.
Posted by Yuyutsu, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 10:01:15 AM
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Fly me to the moon or Jupiter or mars!

No, on second thoughts Kellie, it be easier to dig a hole in the shoreline sand, then take a bucket and empty the ocean into it!

Try doing it on an ebbing tide, it'll at least give a temporary illusion of outstanding success; as does dreaming!
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 12:09:22 PM
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A good piece, very much in line with some of the ideas of behavioural economics.

The only way to move away from the idea of politics as a zero-sum game is to foster cooperation based on free flows of information at the party and electorate level. At election times there is no reason that candidates should do the same, but once a Government is formed the game is no longer "winner take all" and should not be played that way, on either side.

Just as importantly, it's not a fight staged for the commentary of second-rate media hacks, although that is very much the way it's played on all sides.

As the comments here show and let's face it, they're pretty mild compared to what can be heard elsewhere, the public is not remotely happy with the current way that political parties do business and what's more, the country is starting to show the effects of treating public policies as a prize to be fought over by vested interests.

If anyone doubts that the adversarial model is a failure at creating good outcomes I suggest they have a quick chat to any family lawyer. Alternatively, have a quick look at any thread on this site that deals with contentious issues. There are no meetings of minds, no solutions, no progress of any kind, just groups talking past each other, for all the world like a Question Time session.

Stick with it Kellie, this is an important conversation that we really need to have.
Posted by Craig Minns, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 1:06:56 PM
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Dear Craig,

When two teams play a sport they may seem to see it as a zero-sum game, but both would rather keep playing even if they lose than stop playing at all.

From the perspective of the ball, however, it's the other way around: being beaten from side to side, the best outcome is that the game be stopped - it cares not which side beats stronger or more accurately.
Posted by Yuyutsu, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 2:01:23 PM
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Hello Yuyutsu,
The point I was making is that it is possible to create a positive sum game.

Unfortunately, your response shows how successful the process of teaching the public that only a zero-sum solution is possible has been.

The thing is that there is an enormous vacuum waiting to be filled and sooner or later someone is going to do just that. It's quite crazy that we have so many of our best and brightest minds devoted to presenting a slightly more sophisticated version of school debating competitions as the highest public expression of the democratic process. It's even crazier that our system of government is so dependent on carefully planned "leaks" and the quasi-educated guesswork of unelected talking heads to inform the public (and political opponents, often) of the workings of Governments and oppositions.

Let's face it, if the people in our Parliament are so untrustworthy, what does it say about us that we elect them?

The reality, of course is that they are not untrustworthy, they're stuck in a game in which trust is deliberately excluded from the rules.
Posted by Craig Minns, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 4:46:04 PM
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Dear Craig,

<<Unfortunately, your response shows how successful the process of teaching the public that only a zero-sum solution is possible has been.>>

Solution for what?
Do we even agree on the what the problem is?

I don't know anything about this "process" because I refuse to be indoctrinated. I don't have a TV and whatever these bastards say I'm not listening to anyway.

The author writes: "Open Government is about knowing what your government is up to" - this is not MY government and I don't care about knowing what they are up to, let them do whatever they like and they don't need to tell me anything so long as they get out of my life. I don't mind whether between them they to play a zero-sum game or any other game that pleases them - I just want them out of the way, I want them to stop kicking me!

<<what does it say about us that we elect them?>>

I don't know any of my friends who did, but I know of many who thought that by voting they could slightly minimise the damage, as well as avoid a fine.
Posted by Yuyutsu, Tuesday, 7 April 2015 7:37:17 PM
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