Background
We have kept strictly to live, in-person discussions until now, mainly because we see the move to online discourse, at least the social media part of it, as being a major cause of polarisation. This is an experiment to explore what is involved in carrying on high-quality, hybrid, across-the-aisle discussions, and whether that is feasible or desirable for The Brisbane Dialogues.
Big Dialogues (“BD’s”) are intended to be a demonstration of civil discourse, in public, on big policy topics, in order to encourage others to carry on the conversations and to arrange other non-partisan discussion events, big or small. This forum is an extension of that intention.
Code of Conduct
All views are welcome - as long as they are expressed respectfully, using good faith comments, arguments, facts, evidence, references or questions. Assume everyone is here in goodwill with genuine concern for the public interest. If they are not, that will probably become clear, leading to their removal.
Avoid ad hominem comments or questioning others’ motives. Try to adopt the Principle of Charity - placing the best, most rational interpretation on others’ statements.
And as at our live events, The Brisbane Rule applies: All participants agree to listen carefully, speak civilly, and concentrate on the content of discussions, not on characters – before, during and after, online and offline.
Operation
Initially at least, only attendees of A Big Dialogue: Net Zero Without Nuclear? held on Tue 8 Aug 2023 at The Tivoli, Brisbane, ie speakers and ticket holders, can participate in this forum, although anyone with the URL can view.
Admins will make posts to create separate threads for contributions by participants through commenting on the various posts and suggesting new ones.
Thank-you for being part of our modest social enterprise and of this experiment in particular.
Enjoy the discussion!
Murray Hancock
The Brisbane Dialogues
The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress. Joseph Joubert
You won’t get good public policy out of a bad, or a truncated, or a silenced discussion. Hon John Anderson AC, FTSE