Pom in Oz with Derek Goforth: Does it matter how many represent us if all decisions are made by select few?

Local councils are now being pushed to reduce their numbers even further, with our own City of Greater Geraldton looking like they will be culling their numbers at the next election. It got me thinking, how many people do we need representing us? Given we very well may end up with a situation with elected member after elected member who think and act in the same way? Or worse still, not act at all? Does it matter if we have 20 councillors or two councillors if there are no distinct voices among them? Now, I am not saying that is the case on our council. I believe we have some great council members who speak out as individuals, but I also think we have had members of council sit for successive terms without actually doing anything other than turning up to meetings, nodding their heads and claiming their allowances. I am not going to dig myself into a hole by listing who, in my opinion, I would put in either camp. But the point is — and this applies to all levels of government — how do we ensure we have the best candidates in the seats to represent us? Do we even vote for a candidate, or do we vote purely for the party at State and Federal level? Or do we just vote for the party leader? If we are looking at reducing council numbers across the State, why are we not looking to reduce State and Federal numbers, too? Ask yourself, do you actually feel represented by your members? If you do, can you say what they have done as individuals to best represent you? Not as party members, but as local people who should understand local issues. From my perspective I can list a dozen or more things Shane Van Styn, Natasha Colliver and some other council members have done as individuals to represent me and my community’s interests. Things that they have contributed to as concerned public servants. But other than implementing party policies, I would struggle to do the same for my State and Federal members. I am not saying the members are not good at their jobs. I have a lot of respect for Sandra Carr MLC, but I would not be able to say she has worked for me in the same way as the council have. So perhaps we need to look at a new way of doing things? A system that would actually allow us to elect people who we felt were actually going to work for us, rather than their bosses or their parties. But for the life of me I do not know what that would look like. Our current system does allow for voices to speak out, but how often and how effectively? Does it matter that we have five, 10 or 1000 members in State Parliament if all the decisions are made by a select few? To be honest, I would rather have a larger council and a smaller Upper and Lower House, but maybe it’s just the Pom in me, whingeing as always. Derek Goforth is a teacher at Geraldton Christian College