Norfolk Online News’ Post

A message from the Elected Representatives of the Norfolk Island Governance Committee (NIGC) AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SET TO DECIDE ON NORFOLK ISLAND’S FUTURE GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK 9 November 2024 During Senate Estimates on 4 November, Senator David Pocock questioned the Department on why the NIGC and the community have not been informed on the recommended overarching framework for Norfolk Island’s new governance model currently under consideration by the Australian Government. In its response, the Department stated that the Minister had been fully briefed on the outcomes of the NIGC’s June workshop but indicated that its recommendations to government were based around the following: • A model of local governance established within a local government framework. • Responsibilities beyond those of local government would remain the responsibility of the Commonwealth. The Department’s statements do not align with the consensus decisions of the NIGC, which has been working diligently to develop a bespoke governance model in cooperation with the Australian Government, in accordance with its Terms of Reference. The NIGC is required to work with the Norfolk Island community to develop a plan to modernise Norfolk Island’s governance, consistent with the needs and aspirations of its people. The NIGC is also obligated to recommend a new governance model that is clear, fair and effective, and ensures a secure and genuinely democratic future for Norfolk Island and its people. The community has overwhelmingly opposed the local government framework as it perpetuates the current state-level democratic deficit and remote administration of Norfolk Island, and would retain the current complex and operationally inefficient legislative and service delivery framework. Despite statements made during Senate Estimates, the NIGC has not agreed to any recommendations for a governance model established within the local government framework. We await the Australian Government’s decision on the new governance model in anticipation that it takes advantage of this unique opportunity to establish a new relationship that respects the wishes of our community and the needs, interests, and obligations of both Norfolk Island and Australia. Chris Magri, Alma Davidson, and Chelsea Evans ________________________________________ ‘I just want to convey the frustration of the people of Norfolk Island. Time and time again they have trusted in the Australian Government and have been disappointed. I am just hoping that this process is not setting them up for another disappointment’. David Pocock – Senate Estimates – 4 November, 2024

Transforming Governance: Lessons from Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde For about two years now and counting, I've received and read consistent bi-weekly newsletters from Governor Seyi Makinde, sharing his activities and the progress of his government in my email. Taking a cursory look at the political terrain across states in the federation, I'm yet to see a state in Nigeria that practices a better approach to governance through the lens of the system theory model than Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde. David Easton, who popularized System Theory as a behavioral approach in political science, views society as an open system where decisions in the political system are influenced by inputs from the environment, leading to the authoritative allocation of values through policymaking and feedback loops. From the aforementioned bi-weekly newsletters, which afford readers the opportunity to respond, to the highly active Oyo State Government Feedback on popular social media platforms, the government is putting the people at the forefront of governance. By seeking their inputs (demand and support), Governor Seyi Makinde ensures that his government's deliverables reflect the needs of the people, to the extent that he has been accused of making populist decisions by some quarters. It's no surprise that when other states were distributing palliatives in response to the fuel removal fallout, Oyo State developed the Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) program, providing short, medium, and long-term solutions. The Oyo State government has also created a governance survey to allow the people of the state to review the performance of Omititun 2.0 over the last year of Governor Seyi Makinde's second term in office. This will enable the government to evaluate or rate itself based on Key Performance Indicators (KPI), which will be relevant in determining the next steps to consolidate the Oyo State Roadmap for Sustainable Development 2023-2027. This approach is undoubtedly one of the major factors contributing to progress and development in Oyo State. In his State of the State Address during the Plenary Sitting and Marking the one-year anniversary of the 10th Assembly in the House of Assembly, Governor Seyi Makinde disclosed that from an average of about N4.2 billion monthly in 2023, Oyo State has moved to an average of N4.95 billion for the first quarter of 2024. The administration has also completed a total of 152.92 km of road projects in the first year of Omititun 2.0. Continue reading👉 https://lnkd.in/eQf4BbTB (C) Tolulope Adeyefa

“Please remember that the AAPG HoD is a representative form of governance.” “Misinformation here. The HoD is both a voice for the membership and also the representative societies.” “The HoD’s exact job is to kill poorly thought-out C&BL changes.” “The delegates of the House provide the checks and balances to allow for slow, deliberate change – not abrupt, dramatic changes to AAPG. They represent the sense and caution of the membership as a whole. If there is no House, then there is no stopping what a radical group of leaders can do to the organization!” If you’ve been following my posts over the past three weeks, you’ll know I’ve been challenging delegates of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) to let you, the members, voice your opinion on the “Reimagine” proposal. This proposal would alter how AAPG is structured, governed, and operated. Unfortunately, you won’t get to express your views unless AAPG’s House of Delegates (HoD) allows it. As seen in the comments above from my LinkedIn posts, some delegates are justifying why they plan to prevent this membership vote. It would be astonishing for the HoD to block this. A membership vote is supported by the Executive Committee, the HoD Constitution and Bylaws Committee (C&BL), 19 past presidents, and many public advocates (including me 😉) . It’s important to note that a vote doesn’t guarantee Reimagine’s adoption, so why is this small group of delegates working hard to prevent it? Interestingly, the same delegates defending the HoD’s democratic representation, professionalism and governance authority are ignoring that it’s been violating its own Rules and Procedures (R&P) for years. This year, only one of its nine committees has delegates assigned to it. The AAPG Staff has taken over the Credentials Committee. Officer nominations, meant to be handled by a committee, have been left to open call. House annual meetings are no longer freely accessible to members. Perhaps most Shocking, two years ago, the C&BL and R&P committees were combined, with the HoD Chair sitting on the committee—this represents a substantial conflict of interest! It’s amusing to read these delegates’ LinkedIn comments, especially their strong opinions on Reimagine’s structure and governance. It’s quite ironic for them to criticize a reimagined AAPG structure when they don’t adhere to their own governance protocols. This hypocrisy should be a wake-up call to all members about the need for transparency and accountability within our organization. Let’s ensure our voices are heard and advocate for the opportunity to vote on the Reimagine proposal. True representation means giving every member a chance to shape the future of our association. Contact your delegate today! Let them know that you want to participate in deciding the future of AAPG. You can identify your delegate based on your affiliated society or international region using this link: https://lnkd.in/g5NWGBhB #AAPG

Register now for our upcoming webinar: Radical Place Leadership: Getting the governance and accountability right Missions are all the rage! The new Government’s national missions inevitably challenge the normal siloed working of public services and the behaviours and governance processes, which have become embedded as a result of “New Public Management” ways of working. Mayoral Combined Authorities and Councils will play a central role in the delivery of these cross-cutting national missions. Local places are now also increasingly focused on place-based missions, goals and priorities which cut across organisations and service silos. Ed Hammond, from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny, has highlighted that this much “messier” and necessarily “more experimental” way of working is not what our current governance arrangements and approaches were designed to support. Our free webinar will examine the current regional devolution structures and legislative framework, the risks and challenges of the current system and what needs to change to adapt to a “messier” form of mission-based government. We will also consider what can be done right now, without waiting for further action from central government. The session will be Chaired by Mutual Ventures Chief Executive, Andrew Laird, who will be joined by two leading experts in the field: ➡ Ed Hammond is the Deputy Chief Executive of the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny. Ed has been considering the implications of a new missions-focused governance and accountability approach. ➡ Laura Hughes is a Partner at Browne Jacobson and head of the public law team. Laura advises local authorities and Mayoral Combined Authorities on governance and risk issues. Please register here: https://buff.ly/47KiYSE #RadicalPlaceLeadership #Governance

Hello AAPG friends and colleagues. There are a small number of Delegates (1/70th of the membership) who want to stop you, the members, from deciding if AAPG should change from a tripartite governance model, an Executive Commiittee, Advisory Council and a House of Delegates, to an inclusive, member elected Board model. We can debate the best model to use for a learned society like AAPG, but not allowing you the members to decide only takes 50 of our Delegates…that’s how this current system works to deny you your voice. Please make your feeling know to your Delegates, let’s let the members decide the fate of the reimagine AAPG process.

263 – System governance is the key to shifting the local government paradigm https://lnkd.in/gBzjeicm

263 – System governance is the key to shifting the local government paradigm https://lnkd.in/gBzjeicm

🌟Exciting News!🌟On May 3rd, the OECD - OCDE approved the revised version of its Guidelines for the Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises (‘SOEs’) (#3). Curious about the changes? Dive into the key take-aways on the Guidelines’ revised 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 as part of my 10 day sneek peak into the Guidelines' most notable changes.   🆕 The Guidelines now define “𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀”, “𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀”, “𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀” and “𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀”.   🆕 Definition of 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀. o   Emphasizes that SOEs can be owned or controlled by the state through corporate group structures such as parent SOEs or state-owned holding companies. o   Determination of control (see post #2) must be made 𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 and requires a detailed assessment. o   Importantly, in certain cases, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 of the Guidelines on “ownership entities” 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗢𝗘𝘀  and not directly to the state.   🆕 Definition of 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ("PSO") o   “obligations placed upon providers of public services in order to ensure the intended users’ appropriate access to essential economic or social services, which would not be provided by the market, or in a manner sufficient to fulfil the PSO, under commercial considerations” 💡 The Guidelines retain a (separate) definition of "public policy objectives", which was slightly modified during the review process.   🆕 The definition of “the governing bodies of SOEs” now includes a definition of 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 ("individuals free of any material interests (including remuneration directly or indirectly, from the enterprise or its group other than directorship fees); or free of relationships with the enterprise (non-executive board members), the state (neither civil servants, public officials, nor elected officials), its management, and other major shareholders, as well as with institutions and interest groups with a direct interest in the operations of the SOE that create a conflict of interest that could jeopardise their exercise of objective judgement. Independent board members should be selected based on merit, be in possession of an independent mindset and sufficient competencies to carry out the board duties")   #OECD #Goodgovernance #responsibility #CorporateGovernance #corpgov #PublicGovernance #SOE #StateOwnedEnterprises #governmentparticipation #accountability #corpgo #publicpolicy #accountability #generalinterest #publicinterest #sustainability #independentdirector #boardofdirectors #BoD #publicservice #publicpolicyobjectives #publicserviceobligations #overheidsbedrijven #entreprisespubliques #subsidiairies #groupstructures #government 

Walking the Talk: Oyebanji’s Unspoken Triumphs After Two Years in the Saddle By: Femi Esan In politics, promises are often abundant, but the real measure of leadership lies in the ability to deliver. Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, in just two years of his administration, has not only fulfilled his electoral promises but has also made significant strides in areas that often go unspoken. While his administration’s milestones may not always dominate public discourse, the underlying impact of his governance strategy is unmistakable. With a focus on infrastructure development, human capital enhancement, and economic diversification, Oyebanji has pursued a pragmatic approach to governance, ensuring that policy implementation translates into real and measurable improvements in the lives of the people. This results-oriented leadership has cemented his place as a governor who is more concerned with action than rhetoric, and in doing so, he has garnered the admiration of stakeholders across the state. One of the most significant, yet understated, achievements of the Oyebanji administration is the peace and stability that have defined Ekiti’s socio-political landscape over the past two years. This climate of tranquility is the product of a carefully crafted governance style rooted in inclusivity and stakeholder engagement. Governor Oyebanji has consistently prioritized dialogue, ensuring that all critical actors, ranging from traditional rulers, political elites, civil society organizations, to grassroots mobilizers are actively involved in decision-making processes. Cultivating a governance culture that values inclusiveness, the governor has mitigated potential flashpoints of conflict and created a conducive atmosphere for development initiatives to thrive. Central to this success is Governor Oyebanji’s ability to leverage the goodwill he built long before and upon assuming office. His administration has deftly managed relationships with both political allies and adversaries, ensuring that governance transcends partisan considerations. The governor’s dexterity in navigating the complex political terrain has helped to preserve the state’s internal cohesion, even in the face of occasional dissenting views. His capacity to maintain constructive engagement with opposition figures and other non-aligned stakeholders has proven essential in fostering the kind of collaborative governance that keeps the state on a steady path toward progress. Furthermore, the governor’s outreach to external stakeholders has been a hallmark of his administration’s success... Read More: https://lnkd.in/etiJvwmD

ASFI provided feedback to the ASX Corporate Governance Council on its proposed fifth edition of the Corporate Governance Council Principles and Recommendations last week. Our submission emphasised the importance of elevating First Nations perspectives within the governance framework and disclosure practices.   Three key takeaways from our submission: 1. First Nations perspectives need to be elevated in the ASX Corporate Governance Council. This could involve reforming the Council's membership to include First Nations people. 2. The ASX has an opportunity to broaden the scope of disclosures to include First Nations to support better outcomes. 3. First Nations are a critical and unique stakeholder group, and recommendations regarding stakeholder relationships and diversity policies should be expanded to include First Nations. For thousands of years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have asserted their collective rights regarding self-governance, culture, and country. Australia’s First Nations people are the world’s oldest political designers and governance architects, having produced sociopolitical order for thousands of years. ASFI recognises the insights that First Nations Australians share with governance experts today and thank them for the ongoing contributions they make to organisational governance models and our society more broadly.   You can find our submission here: https://lnkd.in/g_ZphM9n #FirstNations #sustainablefinance #governance