OPINION| Could a new political party change politics? By Luca Belgiorno-Nettis in On Line Opinion and Pearls and Irritations. Friday July 3, 2026 Since many voters hold little affection for political parties – and much of the popularity of the ‘independents’ was just that – the move by Allegra Spender and Zali Steggall to form...
One Nation: The Signal and the Noise It seems a new story emerges every day about the rapid rise in One Nation’s support. Our media naturally gravitate to the ‘sport’ of picking the winners and (numerous) losers, among which the Coalition rarely fails to be named. What is being missed (or at least lightly...Continue reading
The Victorian Parliament’s Upper House Environment and Planning Committee has completed its inquiry into how government consultation practices with community can be improved. newDemocracy Foundation Executive Director Iain Walker presented at the inquiry and we’re pleased to see our recommendation to ensure engagement models are truly reflective of the community, with processes such as lottery...Continue reading
OPINION | Real democratic change may not come from louder slogans, but from quietly handing ordinary citizens a formal voice inside the machinery of power. By Luca Belgiorno-Nettis in The Mandarin. Wednesday 18th February, 2026 Upon winning the leadership of the Liberal Party, Angus Taylor said bluntly, “Change or die, and I choose change.” It’s...Continue reading
Amid the chaos, broken trust and desperate lack of leadership, voters are abandoning the major parties in droves. Is a citizens’ assembly the only way to fix this mess now? By Dennis Shanahan in The Australian 7th February, 2026
The 2025 Australian Election Study produced by ANU and Griffith University is out. For the first time, it provides new evidence on what citizens think about proposals to strengthen Australia’s democracy. Amongst all the juicy data was this gem — when given a choice of democratic reform ideas, respondents rated Citizens’ Assemblies as the most-favoured...Continue reading
Deliberative democracy advocates regularly use the jury system as an analogy to explain why randomly selected citizens can be trusted to make complex public decisions. In this article by The Rule of Law Institute, the author makes the case for juries in the justice system. It argues that by bringing together ordinary citizens to assess...Continue reading
The Electoral Matters Committee (EMC) of the Victorian Parliament has released its final report on Upper House electoral reform. The EMC inquiry sought to explore possible reforms of the voting system and composition of the Legislative Council. Among its recommendations, the Committee proposes ending Group Voting Tickets to improve transparency and better reflect voter intent. On...Continue reading
A small corner of Belgium is recruiting ordinary citizens to help create policies. Participants say it’s renewed their faith in government. By Jenny Gross Reporting from Eupen, Belgium Nov. 23, 2025 Full article from The New York Times.
The Law Society Journal October, 2025 In a polarised world where many feel increasingly removed from government decision-making, does deliberative democracy offer a way to restore faith in democratic processes? By Vincent Barry. Read more.