It's More Than Talk

[Michael Hardner]

In my latest Blogspot article, I introduce a recent document that I feel offers some hope for improving public dialogue. The Public Policy Forum group was formed during the Mulroney government in the 1980s. Their purpose,is to strive for excellence in government - to serve as a neutral, independent forum for open dialogue on public policy, and to encourage reform in public sector management. Four key factors have distinguished the PPF as a unique organization on the Canadian landscape.

The document is entitled:

It's More Than Talk

Don Lenihan, New Brunswick's Provincial Advisor on Public Enagement does an excellent job of explaining why our reliance on "traditional media" is currently failing the political process. The report recommends: "At a minimum, one high-profile, large-scale project should be launched within six months of this report’s release." What they're talking about here is using some of the great things that happen on Forums such as Maple Leaf for getting public input on how government works.

As has been pointed out, these projects are not inclusive (they only have small numbers of participants, typically 35) but they are, in my view, the first steps in achieving something great: replacing our current media (television and newspapers) as the dominant mode of public dialogue.