Political Self-Interest as a Barrier to e-Government

Canberra.
The final speaker in this DHA 2012 session is Julie Freeman, whose interest is also in online political participation; her focus is on the City of Casey local government authority in Victoria, comprising a population of 256,000 citizens served by 11 councillors. How are online tools and platforms used in local government in this case?

Casey has its own council Website, of course, as well as a Twitter and Facebook presence (which is mainly used to disseminate media releases), the civic networking site Casey Connect (a council-provided platform for local clubs and associations to present themselves, at arms’ length from council) and the civic consultation facility Casey Conversations (a PhD project which offers discussion boards on key advocacy issues, without direct council involvement in the discussions).

Such reluctance to be involved in direct discussions probably stems from the perceived threats of online engagement (and this needs to be seen against a backdrop of various scandals affecting council, from allegations of official misconduct through leaking of information to sexual harassment; the impression here is of a seriously dysfunctional council). As a result, social media remains ‘locked down’; motions to Webcast council meetings have been rejected by councillors on multiple occasions; indeed, it seems that transparency itself is seen as a threat, and that councillors fear that their actions in decision-making processes may be used against them by their political opponents.

At the same time, there are some overtures towards greater citizen participation. Various models are being discussed and rejected, however: petitions are seen as dodgy and manipulable; citizen attendance at council meetings is seen as a distraction (because lobbying should take place beforehand); and direct contact of citizens with councillors remains the mode of interaction preferred by the councillors. Some councillors clearly also have a very basic understanding of digital technology (as well as, frankly, of democratic processes…).

E-government strategies remain shaped by fear at this point, then – most centrally, by fears about their impact on the councillors’ own political careers. An advancement of e-government in Casey is likely to require a significant change in governmental culture in the first place.