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The Forum > Article Comments > Mind what you say, or you'll lose your funding > Comments

Mind what you say, or you'll lose your funding : Comments

By Tanya Plibersek, published 17/7/2006

Governments should do all they can to make it easier, not harder, to participate in democracy.

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As anyone who works in welfare knows: it is impossible to do your job without some degree of advocacy. For example, in welfare and youth work, sometimes you have to make a stand when injustices are negatively affecting people's welfare. It is your job to look out for the people as part of your duty-of-care. Whether welfare workers know it or not, they are doing advocacy, and make a stand from time-to-time.

The opposite is social disingagement. The people associated with the apathetic NGOs just "give up" and just sit there like tired bean bags.

They know how to write grants and dabble their report figures for more funding, but their outcomes are a fabrication.

It is a shame that in NSW, many NGOs funded by the State Government prefer to employ members of the ALP. Everyone in inner Sydney knows the organisations that I am talking about. One organisation funded by the NSW Government is so dominated by the ALP, its CEO and the President of that organisation considered running for ALP preselection for the 2007 State election before the Deputy Lord Mayor finally took the ALP preselection.

The ALP goes by the Bill Clinton model. The best way to shut the activists up is to employ them. Then they are bound by confidentiality and responsibility, effectively gagging them.

This is also an expensive way to control activists, many of whom are given meaningless "fat-cat" jobs, with little rationale for such hefty wages.

So which way do we go? Do we shut them up by employing them meaninglessly by funding their NGOs? Or do we de-fund the services and the people miss out? Or do we expect restraint from NGO's political affiliation?

The issue is not advocacy. The issue is many NGOs have political bias which affects the judgement of their professional standards. If you fund NGOs, then you need to give them "arm's distance": that gives them some breathing space. But their responsibility for that right is to show some political neutrality. I have not seen this in NSW funded NGOs.
Posted by saintfletcher, Monday, 17 July 2006 7:13:33 PM
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Yes I agree with Tanya Pilbersek that its a real disgrace that the poor have no advocates in our current system, because if you criticize the government you lose your funding. This allows great injustices to be perpetrated. Literally its a case of out of sight out of mind.
Posted by billie, Monday, 17 July 2006 7:43:35 PM
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Politic's is part of everyday life. It is everywhere and impacts us all.

I think it is a shame that in a country like "fair-go" Australia, that discussing issues that effect us daily, has become "risky".

It is unfortunate that you are deemed as ALP, Democrate,Green or even "radical" if you speak-up on issues that are disturbing you or a section of the community. ie: Corruption, Structural Violence, Health Reform, School Fees, Rates, Bank Charges, Petrol Prices, War, Conflict or Anti-War...

The present public service be it National, State or Local is cloning itself, disreputable, without proper respect or attentiveness to anything that directs vital principle, civic transference and unity in social and political awares.

With a world in conflict, there is (as we speak) even less comfort increasing on the homefront.
Posted by miacat, Monday, 17 July 2006 8:54:59 PM
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Pherdus,

I don't know if I can convince you, because you seem to have made up your mind. But I see the world far more optimistically than you do.

I disagree that standards of living are falling, I think they are rising more rapidly than ever before.

Pollution can be mended.

Populations will be controlled just as soon as having a large family is no longer the only form of social security in the poor world.

Yes, there will be more instability and danger. But ordinary people are being forced to get more and more intelligent and capable every day, just to keep even low-level jobs.

We have never had smarter people or better tools.

Certainly people can be stupid and foolish at times, but I don't think we've _ever_ had a better chance to take hold of some power than now.

David Jackmanson
http://www.letstakeover.blogspot.com

What is the pseudo-left?
http://www.lastsuperpower.net/disc/members/568578247191
Posted by David Jackmanson, Monday, 17 July 2006 9:54:36 PM
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This article by Ms Plibersek clearly shows that the ALP too needs a weak community sector.

"Governments should hear from citizens every day and should do all they can to make it easier to participate in democracy, not harder", says Ms Plibersek.

No, governments should get pushed around by bodies of strong, powerful citizens, who take democracy into their own hands, instead of waiting for the ALP to give it to them.

People who make the compromise of working in a government, or semi-government, job to do needed work (like, say, working in youth shelters) need informal allies who are not directly dependent on Government funding. The allies can do the speaking and the people in the government-controlled jobs can pretend it wasn't their idea at _all_.

The more of us who act like this, the more we'll do to change the sort of things that saintfletcher describes so well.

---

Ludwig, it is possible (not likely, though) that the ALP could be convinced to support Federal optional preferential voting, as a tactical move to hurt the National Party.

It causes no end of institutional problems for the (already disunited) Queensland state-level National-Liberal coalition.

Don't hold your breath though, there would be a lot of conservative/knee-jerk opposition to the idea, from ALPers who are used to the current system.

David Jackmanson
http://www.letstakeover.blogspot.com

What is the pseudo-left?
http://www.lastsuperpower.net/disc/members/568578247191
Posted by David Jackmanson, Monday, 17 July 2006 10:11:11 PM
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Tanya i agree with you, but will the situation change under Labor?.
We hear about truth from some, even Howard, under Howard's regime, his political propaganda is truth, whether you like it or not.
Public money becomes private money due to power and greed sharing, by corporates and politicians.
All advertising whether it be corporate propaganda, political propaganda or any other propaganda, is paid for by the people, and they are totally denied and ignored, when Howard mouths his favourite statements such as "It is in the interest of the Nation", or "In Australia's interest", "Productivity", "Aspirationals" .
The Australian people are swayed by gingoistic and misleading messages, at the start of the day, all day and "at the end of the day", by those who only have there own self interests at heart, and who are very manipulative and own the biggest propaganda machines to achieve their, for profit, or, for political, gains.
There really are not as many choices for people, as they have been led to believe, the feeling of being relaxed and comfortable, will become much more difficult.
Posted by Sarah10, Tuesday, 18 July 2006 8:19:24 AM
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