You Can’t Do That!

01 Jun You Can’t Do That!

Dear Here to Help,

Sometimes, government makes decisions that just don’t make sense. And I really want to find a way to change those government decisions, so that they work better. But when I talk to colleagues in my profession/industry, they tell me to “leave well alone”, saying that if I intervene, things might get worse.

What do you think?

Thank you for your query.

That is a very good question.

I have been told many times in my career that some things just cannot be done; that some government decisions just cannot be changed. “Don’t rock the boat,” is another saying that I hear.

My response is fourfold:

• what is the best possible outcome, if nothing changes?
• what is the best possible outcome, if something changes?
• what would a “worse” version of government’s current decision look like?
• what could a better version of government’s current decision look like?

And in every case, we have worked to improve the government’s decision. While the next decision may still not be ideal, it is a positive step in the right direction, and we can keep working together until government’s decision works well.

Let’s look at an example. Government proposed substantial changes to the regulation of a particular industry. Government’s stated purpose was to “reduce red tape”. However, the changes proposed would have dramatically increased both red tape and penalties for the industry.

We set up a series of industry working groups and the conversation was interesting. There were three main groups of people:

• don’t argue with the new regulator – they might make things harder for us in future;
• these new regulations just won’t work; and
• somewhere in the middle.

Interestingly, other industries who dealt with this regulator told me that you cannot negotiate with the regulator and the regulator does not meet face-to-face with industry. Essentially, they told me to give up “you can’t do that!”

However, we had right on our side. The proposed regulations were simply unacceptable and, in parts, unworkable.

And so, I just kept going. I spoke to whoever would listen in government. I wrote submissions and letters and ministerial briefing papers.

In under 6 months, this regulator hosted several meetings with our industry and the final regulations were acceptable and workable.

With right on your side and more than a little determination, you CAN do that – you can improve the outcomes of government decision-making.

This article comes from my column entitled “Here to Help” in Hunter Local, June 2022. If you have an everyday problem just begging for a simple, real world solution, send it to “Here to Help” and let’s see what we can achieve.

Elaine Abery has a closet full of great ideas and empowering solutions. She’s also the Director of Unravelling Red Tape, a company dedicated to helping everyday people, not-for-profits and companies change the world through improved decision-making and legislation.