TAKING ACTION

Taking action can involve writing to your local politician, submitting to select committees and writing about issues in the media. PSGR appreciates expert knowledge to help drive education and information in the public interest, to support the protection of health and environment and protect future generations.

2023 Urban Pesticide Spraying in New Zealand - do the NZ EPA's assurance of safety have merit?

Elected members, after formal presentations from the public, are assured by council staff that urban herbicide sprays are safe because the New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority (NZ EPA) claims the practice is safe if applied in accordance with label instructions.

Who is correct? It's confusing, but PSGR consider that the NZ EPA is the 'authority', but that New Zealand's chemicals regulator is not doing the work to demonstrate that urban sprays are safe. It's difficult to trust the assurances of a regulatory agency that pushes real risk assessment out for years, and in the meantime, uses old industry data to claim safety.

PSGR have supported residents and councillors to understand the evidence base, that new information continues to be ignored and dismissed, in our presentations to councils around New Zealand. We've now put together a publicly available presentation to highlight why the justification by the NZ EPA - that the herbicides are safe if they are used as per the instructions on the label - lacks basis. Our information page contains links and a 2-page summary to assist the public and public officials to assess - basically - the evidence gaps that result in it being impossible to claim safety.

It's important to be able to discuss how the NZ EPA can't particularly assert that they have done real work to understand whether herbicide applications to roadsides, parks, and around urban infrastructure, such as shops, schools and hospitals, where residents, including children regularly travel, are safe.

Check out this page for more information.

Scaling up Citizen Involvement.

In his latest book, Government for the Public Good - The Surprising Science of Large-Scale Collective Action, author Max Rashbrooke discusses the idea of 'liquid government' which centres around two concepts. The first is that high quality democratic discussion is naturally deeply deliberative - making the 'public use of arguments and reasoning.' The second is that government might also deeply participatory - decision-making can involve ordinary citizens. Rashbrooke's book is exciting and a useful guide for utilising the democratic forces of public knowledge and making the most of digital technology, in the public interest.

Rashbrooke suggests that new technology, increased literacy and an enhanced sense of personal autonomy has facilitated a shift that are early indicators of liquid government, and that these factors can play an important role in democratic renewal, bringing politicians and the public closer together. Liquid government should complement and enhance government.

The complex and multi-disciplinary challenges brought about by modernity require complex and multi-disciplinary responses. Participatory government transitions the role of civil society shifting culture from that of consumers to that of citizens. It reduces the risk of (linear) technocratic government; helping to navigate complex trade-offs; reducing risk of long term conflict; helping government navigate uncertain terrain; helping civil society interpret 'value' and 'well-being' in socio-cultural rather than monetary ways; and along the way, greater public input and participation (and knowledge) acting to reinforce and secure social trust (as legitimacy). It is challenging but such a process over the long term, can help inform and educate civil society, requiring transparent processes and public, easily accessible forums for all socio-economic groups. It can draw society together rather than polarise. Two suggested ways, Rashbrooke has suggested are through assemblies and through technology.

Assemblies: Forums where people come together at what are variously referred to as citizens assemblies, mini-publics, or citizen juries, This can scale up to national public policy conventions. These have variously been held in Britain, Canada, Ireland, and Brazil

Technology: Taiwan is experimenting with the vTaiwan Process, (v for virtual). Online channels helps build consensus around an issue. If consensus is not settled, the next step is 'live streaming' with stakeholders. It is 'recorded, open, and transparent' and the transcript is available online.

Rashbrooke quotes academic Matthew Flinders, who after citizen assemblies in Sheffield 'challenged the myth that people are irredeemably disengaged from politics - instead, people are more than capable of grappling with complex questions about the way we are governed.' (p.273)

We recommend you buy the book to understand in more detail, how democracy, in the public interest, can be strengthened and deepened.

Rashbrook, Max.

Government for the Public Good - The Surprising Science of Large-Scale Collective Action

Bridget Williams Books, Wellington. 2018

Another book recommended for reading which has undergone broad sector public consultation to arrive at a compelling outline to strengthen democracy:

Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Andrew Butler

Democratic Renewal: Ideas for constitutional change in New Zealand

Victoria University Press

Taking Action

2023 Urban Pesticide Spraying in New Zealand - do the NZ EPA's assurance of safety have merit?

Scaling up Citizen Involvement.

Information