I have been quite concerned about the accountability of our leaders and where we are heading as a Nation. Election promises seem to mean nothing once the election is in the bag, and our politicians manage our country more like a business with little regard for the long term damage that is being done by privatisation.

I came across a journalists' blog yesterday that looks like a step in the right direction - the concept is being plugged as "VoterVOX - The voice of Australian voters" and states that it aims to compile an open letter from the people, to the government, concerning accountability and key issues shaping Australia as a nation. The government & opposition is expected to respond to the compiled letter.

The concept looks interesting (link here: http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/yoursay/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/votervox_the_voice_of_australian_voters1/ ) and I was wondering if any body has any opinions on this, or information about similar initiatives being undertaken around Australia in the lead-up to the 2007 Federal Election?

I think it is important that this time around we let the pollies know what we want, and not be told what we want.

Regards everybody :)

mate, they spend a lot of money to learn what we want. they know. and they give us what we want, when it fits in with what they want. that doesn't happen very often.

the reason they can ignore us between elections, and lie to us during elections is quite simple: oz is not a democracy. if we had direct election of ministers, open government, and the primacy of citizen initiative law- we'd get good planning, good and honest administration, and it would rain enough, but only between 4:00am-6:00am.

oz is a medieval oligarchy, kept from fascism only by fading habit. it will stay that way until oz people evolve into real citizens who demand democracy, or are led into '1984' style prole servitude. the latter path is vastly more likely.

Do not forget the one hundred public servants per elected thing that self serves. These are a majority of our problems as they either resign
(from that job into another in the same job),get caught telling lies (and say it was legal advice) or transfer to some other department to only continue their ways. Our elected elite use their internal investigations (by the people being looked at) to tell us that everything is now ok and justice has been done.As i was employed in a local gov that used this method in nearly all investigations i can say for a fact that this is our democracy at work. The elected have no time to do it them-selves so it falls to the trouble makers to investigate themselves ,so if your one of the in ,crowd there is an attitude problem with the person complaining ,but if not in on it ,your will find out how easy it is to be dismissed for doing what your told. Holding the elected one accountable only, does not rid us of the core of most of these problems. CMC's and the ombudsmen of all states rely on the stories told by the afore mentioned people for the truth
and if it sounds close enough they use it as they can then blame it on the information.Then if they get found out by the media or a real independent investigation they can just resign and everything goes away. No justice or accountability will ever be found when a blatant lier can make a decision ,get found out ,then resign with no consequence as they left there job (not sacked) and get another in
another state or department so as to continue with immunity. The information is the most powerful thing we can fight for and for now the demolition work has been stopped. As in (so many stone walls have came down but there is always another behind it) so most have given in.THE REAL INFORMATION IS WHAT WE WANT.

Insignificant,
The challenge is to get more people interested in exposing the corruption of Officialdom. I tried that with a Beatty Government Department & it's cost me dearly. The very people who are charged with fighting corruption appear to be too scared to look into any claims. The only time they get their A into G is when the media picks up on it. The Unions advise you to get a lawyer. yeah right, $$$$$$$. I will soon be in a situation when the Beatty mob's council amalgamations get put into place. Will be interesting if IR will flex any muscles if the State Labor Government will try & shaft us. They cowardly planned the amalgamations till after the federal election so when the crap gets distributed by the fan they can either hide behind Rudd or blame Howard.

The complaint handling process used by our Government departments consist of allowing those that you make allegations against to have access to all the information/documents you send and then allowing them to present whatever picture/story they want to present to the Minister together with a draft letter for the Minister to sign.

Inevitably those you allege are responsible tell the Minister that the matter has been addressed and deemed closed and request that he sign the attached letter stating that fact.

Then they tell the administration system that the person making the complaint has been deemed a vexatious correspondent by the Minister and that the matter is closed and to ensure that all correspondence from them on is filed away. Nobody will therefore ever again look at your complaints, even fresh allegations and pleas for help are filed away.

Recently I requested the Department of Education provide me with Documents under FOI that support and show the Ministers decision to deem me a vexatious correspondent and file my correspondence away after reading that the Miniser had deemed me vexatious in many documents produced under FOI.

They were not able to provide any document that indicated when I was deemed vexatious and by whom or any document that showed me to be on a list of people formally deemed vexatious and the reasons why.

There has been developed an administrative process of halting freedom of speech and silencing complainants by closing their matters and deeming them vexatious correspondents. Procedural fairness and natural justice doesn't exist.

I am at a loss as to hold the Government to account nobody seems to have any jurisdiction, power or resources, it seems like everybody is in on it in some way.

Investigations - Keeping them HOnest
http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/education/investigation.html

Jolanda,
I requested a copy of the report upon which Qld health, the CMC & the Ombudsman based their decision that there was no evidence of victimisation (against me) & was informed I could forward $36.- to Freedom of Information but I may not be able to receive the whole report as the authorities may or may not decide to release only part of the report to me. I ask; How does one defend oneself under a Labor Government ?