Group think is always a problem with human beings. I suspect that in a highly partisan venue such as the Ontario legislature or House of Commons that group think wouldn't appear to be as much of a problem although it is. All the people in one party (Liberal/Conservative/NDP etc.) tend to think the same or at least vote the same if they want to remain in the party. Group think is also more common in juries, committees and Boards however the latter two may be because members are picked specifically for that purpose. If for example you have a committee ostensibly to provide input on an environmental cleanup but that committee are appointed by long biased municipal council members who really want to maintain the status quo then they will never appoint real activists only fake ones. Hence group think.
Thus going around groups (i.e. "end runs") that are intentionally designed to run interference and to actually block progress becomes necessary. RAC and TAG are two such groups and is exactly why back in 2016 Woolwich Council got into such public trouble for attempting to block Dr. Dan Holt and myself from addressing them directly regarding Lanxess Canada (Uniroyal) here in Elmira. Not only was addressing those two groups generally a waste of time but they were simply insulating the then Woolwich Council from criticism and controversy over the environmental "cleanup" underway.
One must identify who are honest and who have open minds and approach them. Over time the makeup of Boards, committees and Councils can change. Then it's always worth another go at them to see if they are indeed the real deal and interested in promoting the public interest versus the usual private interests.
It is always the meetings (quick little telephone calls) BEFORE the meeting that seals the deal! It is easy to spot the most corrupt structures as those are the ones where there is little discussion/debate of any real substance in public or on the record at public meetings.
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