The " Personality " era !

Council meetings are now broadcast live to the people of Wollongong, and this ushers in a new era where the councillors morph from being the faceless men and women who decide our civic affairs - to stage personalities who will be judged on their ability to portray themselves as sharp. witty debaters who can entertain as well as make sensible decisions.

At this stage the conduct of council meetings is still governed by old rules that seem to come into conflict with     this new reality.Those attending a live council meeting are denied the right to address councillors from the gallery, but those at home are permitted to email or " tweet " .directly to the I-Pads that council has given each elected representative.   To further create division, those attending a council meeting are required to turn off their mobile phones while in the building, yet those sitting at home watching the meeting on TV are free to interact with their councillor as they please.

It seems that those dedicated people who take council matters seriously by attending council meetings are to lose their voices and be disadvantaged by the new media which allows those not constrained by rules only applicable within the building to have full access to their representatives as the meeting progresses - while the live audience remains mute.

There is also a danger that this new interaction play will see that old shibboleth of politics - " The Dorothy Dixer " - come into play.    It would be tempting to have cohorts ask questions that councvillors are eager to answer - to bring forth an appealing point of view that could go down well with the voters at the next election.   It seems certain that televised events will reward those with telegenic qualities who are able to portray themselves as " action " men and women.

Of course being an elected member of council is really a lesser form of politics.  For many, it is a stepping stone towards a bid for a seat i n state or Federal politics and therefore all the rules that apply to politicians come into play.   Councillors can choose to ignore questions they do not wish to answer or they can deliver a long winded reply that is short on substance and deflects the focus the question intended to explore.


We live in the " communication age " and televised council meetings are supposed to bring civic affairs within reach of the " little people " who pay rates to keep councils solvent.   How many will bother to tune in to broadcasts is a moot question - and whether future council meetings will degenerate into sessions of actors " hamming it up " for vote catching appeal remains to be seen.