Does government consultation actually work?

RMIT University Media Release

A review panel examining the use of puberty blockers in gender affirming care in Queensland has been criticised for its lack of specialty expertise. So, are committees, consultations and inquiries just a matter of course – or do they serve a meaningful purpose? An RMIT expert explains.

Dr Kathryn Daley, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies says:

“The premise of consultation is that there are people who have expert views that will strengthen the quality of decisions being made.

“When this happens without appropriate experts, not only are decisions less informed, but the process of consultation is undermined.

“When there aren’t suitable experts on a committee or involved with consultation, we see a corruption of the process, which further undermines the public perception of how decisions are being made.

“Claiming that there is a working group sometimes offers politicians an opportunity to escape questioning. Any outcomes from the working group are often so far into the future that the politician escapes accountability.

“It’s quite clear that there is a campaign to prohibit the use of puberty blockers in Queensland and the composition of the review panel appears to be about creating evidence from ‘experts’ who support that agenda. When processes appear to be contrived, this erodes public trust on all political decision making.

“The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – to which Australia is a signatory – stipulates that young people have a right to participate and be included in decisions that are being made that affect them. Yet here we are, witnessing a group of people forming decisions without the people being affected by those decisions having a seat at the table.”

Dr Kathryn Daley is Associate Director of Social Equity Research Centre and a senior lecturer at RMIT. Her work is focused on improving the wellbeing of people living on the margins, particularly children and young people.

 

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