Residents Roundtables have been launched to facilitate a process of pro-active policy planning instead of protests.

They provide physical meetings and online forums.

I firmly believe, that democracy will work best when politicians and the people pool their proposals for a common purpose.

Residents Roundtables are themselves an exercise in renewal of rights and relationships to combat the current isolation in which both sides currently leave the other after elections.

I invented Votergrams in 1986, formed FairGO a few years later and more recently formed Voterland which hosts the Residents Roundtables.

There is a widespread voter perception that democracy in Australia does not govern “for the people”.

It is known to be at least partially corrupt from current inquiries and court cases.

It is felt by large segments of the community to not be serving the interests of residents and voters.

The past practice has been for residents to await government announcements then do nothing when they agree but protest if they don’t. That style of negative reinforcement does not enjoy much credibility in any field of human relationships and it does not work well in democracy.

Politicians and bureaucrats criticised for proposals on which they have spent months working are justifiably annoyed and rush to defend their pronouncements.

Protests actually make them more determined to proceed than likely to about-face.

Residents Roundtables are designed to allow the residents and voters in a democracy to initiate action and proposals by telling their politicians what they want in advance.

Greg Bloomfield

FairGo