Weekly column from Council Courier e-newsletter by CEO Greg Hallam, Friday 21, April 2017.
Yesterday LGAQ President Mayor Mark Jamieson launched the Association’s 2017 Advocacy Action Plan.
The official birth of a plan which has been a thoroughly consultative and democratic process, vetted by our Policy Executive and tested with councils across the state during our recent Elected Member Updates was in front of thirty-plus ministerial chiefs of staff and senior media advisors.
The room full of the influencers advising the Palaszcuck Government was buoyed by the presence of the full LGAQ Policy Executive.
The big turnout of high-powered political insiders is testament to the LGAQ’s pulling power and in fairness - the current State Government's commitment to the Partners in Government protocol.
We could not have asked for a better representation from 1 William Street, aka the 'Tower of Power'.
The timing was exquisite as our State Government refines its upcoming 2017-18 State Budget.
In some respects, this year being an election year, the Advocacy Action Plan is just as important as our soon-to-follow 10 Point State Election Policy Plan.
We’re looking at an election budget, where the stakes are higher.
Couple this with the fact that governments of all levels are increasingly adhering to the belief that delivering in the here and now is more important than promising future action and we're looking at some serious opportunity.
It would take up way more space than this column affords me to detail the action plan itself – so look for yourself here.
It's upbeat, positive, unashamedly pro-council, cogently written and featuring some seriously schmick design.
Our intergovernmental relations team will now stalk the corridors of power in William St and Parliament House over the next month and well and truly socialise its contents.
The forthcoming 10 Point State Election Policy Plan is pitched at all the parties and will be shaped in part by what’s absent in the upcoming State Budget.
In everyday news, LGAQ staff continue to be out and about delivering Elected Member Updates in all corners of the state - even yours truly is participating.