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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=640232614-17092009>Council should bear
in mind that there is sometimes an inherent conflict between transparency and
freedom to dialogue.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=640232614-17092009>For an individual,
or small business there is likely to be no such
conflict.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=640232614-17092009>For an employee of a
publicly quoted company or other organisation of reputation, there is a high
likelihood of this conflict.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=640232614-17092009>Typically an
employee of such a company in the knowledge their comments may be publically
archived in oral or written form will be constrained in what they are able to
say by internal guidelines or practise. These guidelines will typically be
established to protect the corporation from legal suit, to protect reputation
or to protect the share price.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=640232614-17092009>Given the choice of
continual checking with in-house legal counsel and silence, they may choose
silence.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=640232614-17092009>If therefore Council
has an ambition to have a frank exchange of views, separate from its central
role of policy development, it should bear in mind the conflict that some
Council members may be under through no fault of their own other than their
choice of employer.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=640232614-17092009>So expression of
outrage and calls of "Vive la transparence" may make good rhetoric but will lead
to poorer dialogue.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009>Philip</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
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class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
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class=640232614-17092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
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