Peak bodies Turbocharging democracy!!
As in many things, there is a change in Aussie democracy. Traditionally the government ran the show and peak bodies represented the people in negotiations with ministers and bureaucrats. Today those peak bodies have a very effective tool to turbocharge their impact by involving their membership. That is to say, those who know about it do. The others still do it all themselves, but success is limited because organisations to not vote in elections and the MPs know that.
Tradition
Traditionally Aussies formed associations and joined organisations, then relied on them alone to represent them in discussions with government. Some were community associations, others business associations and still others farming associations. The voters did not individually have much power at all. That suited the government.
By combining in associations voters marshal the resources for researching facts and figures, developing solutions, dealing with government ministers and bureaucrats one on one that we could not do individually. But facts and figures are not the only, or even the major factors, influencing government today. Today a major factor in every politician’s mind is keeping their job in parliament and preferably as part of the government. Without doing that, they cannot achieve what they want to achieve.
That is what gives peak bodies their true Voter-Power. Members cannot help their peak body cannot win an argument over policy with a bureaucrat. But today they can definitely help win over the parliament.
Traditionally the only politician most members ever spoke or wrote to was their local MP. most didn’t even do that.
Turbocharged Voter-Power
Today peak body voters have great sway over government because Parliament controls the bureaucracy which delivers government and the voters, control who sits in parliament.
Today voters tend more to cast their votes for the party that does what they want and against the parties that don’t.
Today peak bodies, associations and organisations have the Votergram Turbocharge system that allows each and every interested association member to tell every single member of any or every Parliament, what they want done and explain why they want it done, all in one action from their laptop or phone. A peak body executive negotiating with the minister develops 1 Voter-Power. When that executive or an association member, for instance, writes to each of the 130 MPs in the NSW parliament by Votergram that Turbocharged member develops 130 Voter-Power (130 VP). When the same member sends a Turbocharged Votergram to each of the 225 Federal MPs, they develop 225 Voter-Power (225 VP). When all the Members of Parliament know what is wanted and have it explained to them, then they are much more likely to do it, than if it is just explained by an executive to the minister.
To Turbocharge it’s power, an association can make its detailed submissions to the minister and bureaucrats, then help its members with their voters’ hats on, Turbocharge the campaign by Votergram.
Multiple voters contacting multiple MPs leverage Voter-Power further. If 100 voters in an association support the organisation’s submissions with Votergrams to say Federal Parliament of 225 MPs the message is turbocharged to 22,500 VP. If a thousand voters do that it is Turbocharged to 225,000 VP.
Greg Bloomfield