TOP Will Convene Citizens' Assemblies To End Political Gridlock
"Politics as usual isn't working. We're stuck in a wasteful cycle of pendulum politics where every left-right lurch after an election costs us," says TOP spokesperson David Webb. 'Every time Government changes, we endure economic uncertainty on par with 9/11. We just can't afford that anymore'.
Recent examples of political waste include $229 million on the abandoned Auckland light rail project, $300 million (and counting) for cancelled inter-island ferries and $297 million lost in (another) overhaul of New Zealand's polytechnics.
'The consistent decline in right track / wrong track polling shows us that people are losing trust in our political system. The Citizens' Voice is about turning that trend around by doing democracy differently – with everyday people leading on the hard issues, and politicians following' says Webb.
The Citizens' Voice policy has two components:
Citizens' Assemblies. Like jury duty but for policy, Assemblies bring together a random, representative, paid group of New Zealanders to learn about a complex issue, deliberate on solutions and make recommendations that Government must respond to. The process is designed to progress politically gridlocked, long-term issues like superannuation, housing, healthcare and infrastructure.
Parliamentary Commissioner for Citizens' Voice. An independent, non-partisan office gives the policy institutional backbone. The Commissioner will convene Assemblies, ensure they are fair and robust, use new digital democracy tools to amplify Citizens' voices and ensure Government engages seriously with Citizens' recommendations.
'Citizens' Assemblies are about trusting that everyday New Zealanders, when given information and time, can find common ground and set sensible, long-term policy directions on the issues politicians have failed on' says Webb.
Citizens' Assemblies have helped navigate tense, complicated issues internationally and in New Zealand. In Ireland, Assemblies broke decades of deadlock on marriage equality and abortion. In Auckland, an Assembly's recommendations on water infrastructure were adopted by the Watercare Board.
Two issues that could benefit from a Citizens' Assembly approach are New Zealand's Constitutional system and Superannuation.
'The Treaty Principles controversy highlighted the partisan, performative nature of Parliament. The Bill itself was short-sighted and divisive, but there is a real need for a national conversation on our Constitutional framework and the role of Te Tiriti. How we make that decision is as important as the decision itself - maybe more so' says Webb.
'Superannuation is on track to send New Zealand over the fiscal cliff – but it's a politically untouchable issue because it's a vote loser for politicians. A Citizens' Assembly would give Parliament the social license to finally act on Superannuation.'
'The problem with kicking the can down the road, is that eventually, you run out of road' says Webb. 'With challenges like AI and climate change coming at us, New Zealanders deserve a political system built around courage, co-operation and long-term thinking. We're launching the Citizens' Voice policy to do just that.'
A full overview of The Citizens' Voice policy - including FAQs, briefing papers and international examples - is available at www.top.org.nz/citizens-voice.
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