Genuine public consultation is one of the cornerstones of a healthy democracy. On the other hand, the pretense of public consultation is a denial of democracy. Two recent examples clearly show we have some work to do here in Saskatchewan.

The "independent" review of SGI's no-fault automobile insurance scheme fell prey to accusations of bias and political meddling when the Minister in charge of Crown investments sought to limit the commission's scope in a letter to its Chairman. In the letter, the Minister communicated the government's desire that the review look only at tinkering with the current system, and not be a comprehensive overview of no-fault insurance. According to the government, the auto insurance Commission is supposed to be less of a review than a retread.

The Task Force on Municipal Legislative Renewal started out innocently enough last year. The provincial election has just taken place and changes to municipal government had not been an issue for any party, including the governing NDP. But the fires or protest were soon lit when the task force's pollsters started calling citizens and asking some very leading questions about the state of municipal government.

When the interim report suggested dramatically reducing the number of municipalities, all hell broke loose. The Task Force was eventually forced to back off on their proposals for forced amalgamation. They had jumped to their conclusions well in advance of the people they were supposed to be consulting. By the time the government and its task force clued in, the damage was done: confidence and trust were lost, and people in rural Saskatchewan felt even more alienated from their government.

So how do we improve public consultation in this province The rules for meaningful consultations can be summed up by the three E's. Engagement means involving individuals in the decisions that affect them before the decisions are made by asking for their input and allowing them to debate the merits of one another's ideas and assumptions. Explanation means that everyone involved and affected should understand clearly what is at stake and why the issue is important. Expectation works two ways: it is what the government hopes to gain at the end of the process to guide its decisions, and it is also the commitment that what was said and discussed during the consultations will be the actual direction the government takes.

At least two more important public consultations will occur over the next few months. The government's new "economic development" strategy paper has just been released (with a final document slated for early 2001) and public meetings are being scheduled. And the province's Commission on Medicare (the Fyke Commission) has just released its first discussion paper. This Commission is charged with identifying challenges facing Medicare, outlining potential solutions, and engaging the public and healthcare providers in a discussion of new ideas. Or so the pamphlet says. But in the home of government-monopoly health care, are ideas which challenge the status quo really up for discussion I guess we'll find out.

In the end, public consultations can be building blocks or stumbling blocks. If the process if fair and open, public consensus can be built. But if consultation isn't fair and useful, the public won't buy the outcome, even if it's the best thing since sliced bread.