The Queensland government is yet to deliver the form of democratic government which guarantees equal representation for all Queensland people.
The Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA) criticised the major political parties for avoiding the most important issue for the government of Queensland, an issue which was promised as part of the Fitzgerald reforms.
Like Aboriginal people, many sections of the Queensland community are not given fair hearing and consideration during the three year terms of government.
They only receive vague half promises, of handout offers, during the election campaigns, and only if the major parties consider their vote to be necessary to win government.
Otherwise the interests of the various groups of the community are ignored.
Groups such as youth, aged persons, ethnic communities, women and Aboriginals are at best ignored and at worst oppressed and vilified, during any term of government.
The parliamentary process in Queensland is in contempt of democracy.
The upper house of parliament, a fundamental part of the Westminster democratic system, has been abolished in Queensland.
There is no parliamentary mechanism to review government decisions in the critical stages.
The party in government uses the Cabinet room to make laws and determine government priorities and expenditures.
Rather than use the parliament as the venue for political debate and decision making, the institution is treated only as an unavoidable step in the process.
Debate in the parliament is gagged or one sided and the public interest and participation is discouraged.
The quality of political representatives in Queensland is inferior because of they are not expected to be individually articulate, or able to account for policies and laws of the parliament.
The Queensland Government continues to regard citizen participation in policy formulation, law making and decision making as unnecessary and cumbersome.
Although the Aboriginal population is over 100,000 people in the State, and our Aboriginal title over land is now recognised and guaranteed in law, the Queensland government steadfastly refuses to even talk to Aboriginal people.
The parliament is used as a medium for attacks on Aboriginal people and there is no one in the parliament to respond on our behalf or to see that our legitimate rights are protected.
There is no concept of participative government, negotiations or settlement with the Aboriginal people.
This ignorant approach to governance is not democracy, it is in fact a form of totalitarianism.
The culture of government in Queensland denies the rights of all citizens, and emphasises the colonial attitude of the absolute power of the Anglophile male landowner.
The majority of members of the last and previous parliaments are characterised by this trait and the culture of government members portray this belief of the right to rule.
All other citizens are lesser people with no right to govern, in the eyes of the Queensland government.
As a result minority groups are treated as social outcasts or pariahs, and a burden to the State, rather than as a foundation of a diverse democratic society.
The Foundation calls for the major political parties to reveal their proposals to improve the institution of government, through the implementation of the Fitzgerald reforms.
The Foundation wants the public service to be apolitical and to become more representative of the citizens.
For example the Office of Aboriginal Affairs should be replaced by a Commission of Aboriginal Affairs, run by Aboriginal people.
The Freedom of Information laws should be strengthened to make government decisions more visible and more accountable.
Particularly the cloak of secrecy over Cabinet decisions should be removed where secrecy is not critical.
And the process of government used by Ministers and all parliamentarians should emphasise the use of public enquiries to resolve matters of great importance to the public or target groups.
The Foundation calls on voters to consider the long term interests of Queensland when voting for a government.
A stronger, reformed democratic government is the most important issue in this election - expected to be the last Queensland election before the Year 2000.
