In New Zealand we are proud of our Forth Estate - the professionals who deliver the news. On Saturday I went on the March on Queen Street. At 2pm about five thousand people marched up Queen Street to the Aotea Centre were we heard several people speak about why they had committed so much time and resources into making the march happen. They were speeches that should have been reported.

When I got home I recorded both TV1 and TV3 News. Both reported on the March, and I know that there were cameras there recording the events, but there wasn't a single second of footage from any of the speeches reported on the news. Apparently what was more important was reporting the fact that one person in the March was arrested for being disrupted.

In other words instead of reporting what the march was all about the news organisations tried to show the march as disorganised and potentially violent. In fact the march was a happy event; the people of New Zealand showing how we don't like to have our opinions ignored and dishonoured by those we elect.

Unfortunately I didn't get the full speeches on Video, but I did get a fair bit of footage of the main march itself. What was obvious was that it was an outpouring of genuine patriotic belief that the New Zealand Government should respect the will of those that elect them. It was further made clear that neither Labour or National have delivered in that regard.

I see this as further evidence that people's expectations of Government are changing. Open Government isn't just about the Government providing more information about what it is doing. Open Government is about becoming less dogmatic and ideological and embracing a more inclusive and cooperative means of Government.

I must admit that I have heard more than a little apathy in regard to moving the political system away from divisive zero sum games between ideological positions. Many believe it's too hard to change. I don't believe that. I believe that the Internet is an agent of change that can allow us to have meaningful dialogue between those that disagree. In fact, a move to Open Government is more about putting our future back in our own hands, rather than expecting a hand from on high to fix things for us.

And to those in the news reporting organisations, if you are given a speech on a platter, try reporting it. Verbatim. Why not simply take the speeches at the march and print them verbatim making it clear that it is verbatim? Is this unbalanced? Sure it is; but the way to deal with that issue is to give those who disagree an opportunity to respond.