Arthur Gorrie
Back in the 1990s, when Queensland was briefly a world leader in open accountable government and tolerance of dissent, no-one would have predicted the sad and disrespectful state of public discussion right now on the Voice referendum.
Gympie region was close to the action when a better way was pioneered, by police corruption commissioner Tony Fitzgerald QC, in his later inquiry into hotly contested land use issues on K’gari, or Fraser Island, as it was then officially known.
But our talent for this sort of public discussion seems now to be lost.
“Bed-wetters” said near-Gympie resident and Yes campaign contributor Noel Pearson, about those advocating compromise on one issue or another.
The No campaign’s hyperbole, including comparisons with apartheid, has not helped either.
But 30 years ago, we only needed to travel from Mr Pearson’s Noosa district address to K’gari, to see a better way in action.
As Fitzgerald explained at the time, “The aim of public participation should be to provide an assurance that government is open and responsive to public opinions, views, advice and debate and that interested people and organisations have a right to participate and influence land use decisions.”
“The gap in common understanding between individuals and government is reduced…, the quality of the final decision is improved and perceptions of participants expanded…, the probability of community acceptance of decisions is enhanced … the community generally becomes more informed about land use matters and in time divisive debate is minimised.”
How about that for a new idea?