In theory, the governments in modern democracies are ACCOUNTABLE to THE PEOPLE, and, in the sense that we, the people, elect them every three or four years, they are. But, in the meantime, they can indicate that they feel accountable to us the people, (if they do,) by providing quality and timely responses to any letters we send them raising any issues or concerns we may have – and, if they don’t do this, if they ignore our letters, or send us totally inadequate letters after long delays, it will be a sure sign, to us, that they don’t.
We’ve not the slightest doubt that, increasingly, the members of parliament, and therefore the governments that are elected will be the ones who have the best track record of providing quality and timely responses to our letters – these days, of course, sent by ordinary emails, which are so superbly convenient and efficient for all concerned.
It doesn’t seem that, at present, governments and oppositions realise this – perhaps because we the people haven’t realised it yet either.
At present, if you go to the NSW Parliament’s website, you find there are two ways of sending letters to Ms Berejiklian raising issues or concerns – in her capacity as Member for Willoughby, willoughby@parliament.nsw.gov.au, and, in her capacity as Premier, a Contact the Premier, and, if you click on the Contact the Premier, you are taken to an incredibly complicated and cumbersome email form, which, as we outlined in this post, we tried to use 3 times and still couldn’t get any clear indication that our letter had been successfully sent! And you get a warning not to expect a response for at least 20 working days, at best, and now longer, because of the virus???
(So many are saying the virus is delaying things!!! The facts are that the virus has caused there to be more good people looking for work who could be employed to provide responses, and that the Berejiklian government has NEVER, at least, not so far, been prepared to spend the money required to have people available to provide quality responses to the people’s issues and concerns in a timely manner.)
There can be no reason for her to have an email form instead of an ordinary email address, other than to make it more difficult for us, the people, to send her letters, and more difficult for us to let others know how we’ve got on in sending her letters – the content of the letters are going to be the same either way.
And if she ever does reply to the letter we sent her on 4 July, 2020, as we’ve mentioned, she will, of course, have to use an ordinary email address, (that’s, of course, if she doesn’t respond with a “snail mail” though Australia Post!!!) and if part of her response is that to respond to her response we can’t use the ordinary email address she’s used, we’ll have to use the email form again, which is probably what will happen – to us it will mean she should get the sack on the spot, and it will certainly be enough for us to decide to never vote for the Liberal National Party for the rest of our lives.
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