[Linux-aus] Final nominations for LA election

[Bret Busby]

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008, Karl Goetz wrote:

> 
> On Thu, 2008-01-17 at 16:53 +0900, Tim Bowden wrote:
> > On Thu, 2008-01-17 at 16:20 +0900, Bret Busby wrote:
> > > On Thu, 17 Jan 2008, Anthony Towns wrote:
> > >=20
> > > >=20
> > > > Note that either Steve or James will win the V-P position, so one of
> > > > them won't be running for an OCM slot, and there'll thus only be four
> > > > candidates left for those three slots.
> > > >=20
> > > > Since Steve and James are both Melbournians; that means we'll have:
> > > >
> > > > 	Melbourne:    President and Vice-President, plus OCM?
> > > > 	Sydney:       Secretary
> > > > 	Brisbane:     Treasurer, plus OCM?
> > > > 	Adelaide:     OCM?
> > > > 	Regional NSW: OCM?
> > > >=20
> > > >
> > >=20
> > > Wot, no-one from WA or Tasmania?
> > >=20
> > > Loud raspberry!(but not quite loud enough to travel across the=20
> > > null-boar)
> > >=20
> > > Maybe, one day, OCM's will be one per state/territory...
> >=20
> > Please, NO!
> >=20
> > _REALLY_BAD_IDEA_
> 
> Actually i agree with Bret.
> That said, it would be nice if someone in each state wanted to do it - i
> dont think it should be enforced (having people do LA who dont want to
> helps us very little)
> kk
> 
>

What I think would be good, would be not a requirement for a person 
from each state to fill a position as an ordinary committee memmber, 
but, rather a provision for an ordinary committee member position to 
exist for each state/territory, so that, if no-one nominates (or is 
nominated) to represent a state/territory, then the position remains 
vacant.

Kind of like in local governments that have a wards-based system, and 
the senate, with senators representing each state.

So that when elections come around, the Ordinary Committee Member 
positions would be one for each state/territory, and then people from 
each state/territory could nominate for the relevant position, and, if 
no-one from a particular state/territory, nominated (or was nominated), 
then that position could remain vacant, until such time as someone 
nominated for the position.

Whilst I personally think that this federalism system that is used in 
the government of Australia, is a heap of rubbish and that state and 
territory governments are a heap of rubbish, as is the senate, with no 
benefit for the individual states and territories, some form of regional 
representation, has its benefits, and provision for regional 
representation, could help spread both "the load", and, input, so that 
both are not concentrated, for example, on the "eastern seaboard, ahould 
it occur that that happens.

If it happened, that for example, I nominated for a WA Ordinary 
Committee Member position to represent WA, and, someone from WA 
nominated, solely to keep me off the committee, and then, having 
accomplished that, took no further interest in being a committee meber, 
that would be unfortunate, both for the organisation, and, for the 
state, but, having state/territory (or, otherwise, some form of 
regional) representation, and, especially, more than the three Ordinary 
Committee Member positions, could allow more people who are sufficiently 
interested to nominate for the committee, and, achieve more input , and, 
more "spreading of the load", in the running of the organisation.

At present, four people are nominated, for three positions, as Ordinary 
Committee Members. It seems, to me, unfortunate, that they could not all 
be elected to the committee to make use of the volunteering to be 
involved, as willingness to be involved, is something that can be 
difficult to find, in the running of non-profit organisations.

And, if provision exists for each state/territory to have a 
representative Ordinary Committee Member, and not all of those positions 
are filled, then, at least the opportunity will exist for each 
state/territory to have a representative Ordinary Committee Member, and, 
if the opportunity is not taken up by each state/territory, then, it is 
a loss of oppostunity, for the states and territories, that do not take 
up the opportunity.

But, it would provide for greater spread of representation in the 
committee.

So, it is a matter of increasing the provision of representation in the 
committee, and NOT a matter of creating coercion of unwilling and 
uninterested people, to be members of the committee.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992

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