Good Governance - Not Just When It Suits

On this beautiful Easter weekend I believe there is a protest being held in a local park, with one of the organizers a City Council member. This causes me to reflect on a presentation made just a week ago at the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities conference here in Nanaimo. The presenter was Eli Mina, an acknowledged expert on governance and meeting rules. His handout spoke to "Duty to Accept Collective Decisions". It stated:

"When achieving unanimity is not possible, a formal vote may be need to bring closure to an issue. In such instances there will be a 'winning side' (a majority) and 'a losing side' (a minority). It should be clear that, once a decision is made, it is no longer a majority decision. It is a collective decision, and the minority should accept it as a legitimate group decision and move on. If there is a need to revisit the decision later, individuals should do this within established processes."