JA Lens

Based on a paper by Alex Zakaras, reproduced with the author's permission .

As referenced here, today each citizen’s valid vote is worth $4.78 in public funding provided to major political parties ($2.39 for each of the Lower and Upper House primary votes cast).

In May 2012 the City of Canada Bay Council commenced a process to devolve decision making to a random selection of 36 citizens drawn from the local government area. They are being asked the question 'What services should we deliver in the City of Canada Bay, and how should we pay for them?'.

(selective excerpts from 'A Citizen Legislature' by E. Callenbach and M Phillips reproduced with the authors' permission.)

In December 2012, the Queensland Government announced a comprehensive review of the electoral process (attached below for ease of reference). The submission was made on March 1st and the Review is ongoing.

(Selective excerpts from writings by Brian Martin, University of Wollongong, reproduced with the author's permission.)

TEDxSydney 2012 took place on Saturday 26 May 2012 at Carriageworks. Tens of thousands of people enjoyed the day: 800 in the theatre, over 1,000 via big screen simulcast in The Forum, many thousands online via YouTube and ABC Big Ideas ... and up to 80,000 tuning in to ABC Radio National.

Now law in Oregon, this concept was originated by Ned Crosby and Pat Benn. This would see random samples of several hundred voters drawn by the Electoral Commission to explore individual elements of policy proposed by all parties and independents.

This was Australia’s largest deliberative event, convened on the topic of democratic reform – asking the question how Australia’s political system could be strengthened to serve us better. It brought together a representative sample of Australia drawn from each of our 150 electorates.

This graffiti was probably the first I'd ever come across. That was forty five years ago, in the 60's. Block letters daubed in white on the face of the sewerage pumping station at Clontarf, my birthplace. I was probably only 10 at the time.

In July 2012, as part of the Inquiry into the Economics of Energy Generation the NSW Parliament will commission a jury style process to make a structured contribution to the public inquiry process.

In July 2011 the NSW Government began a comprehensive review of the state's planning system. The Minister sought submission and comments from the community and the Foundation has made two submissions which you can download here. The need for a planning system to be representative, trusted and consensual is a challenge at the core of the Foundation’s research aims, and while we hold no specific issue position about planning objectives, we have focused on designing a process that should earn public trust by being very difficult to manipulate by any particular interest.

As originally suggested in Rethinking the Vote (see Further Reading below) and then expanded by other authors, this seemingly minor change is suggested as improving the deliberative and comparative component of voting.

Why the Many Are Smarter than the Few and Why It Matters

Luca is Executive Director of Transfield Holdings and many of its subsidiary companies, as well as a Director of Sydney Harbour Tunnel Ltd and Perisher Blue Ltd.

Kathy Jones, principal of communications consultancy KJA, is an expert in issues management.

Premier of Western Australia 2001-2006.

With a background in commercial law and investment banking, Ms Turnbull is a Director of Turnbull & Partners Pty. Ltd, a private investment company. Ms Turnbull is the Chairman of ASX listed Prima Biomed Limited.

Professor Emeritus at the University of Melbourne, Patron of the Australian Conservation Foundation, and Chair of the Australian Collaboration, a collaboration of peak national community bodies.

Dr Kath Fisher is a professional facilitator and trainer with over 30 years experience as a consultant facilitator to government and non-government organisations.

Max is Director of Twyfords specialising in designing, delivering and evaluating community engagement processes, and has been licensed trainer for International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) since 2002.

Martin is Professor of Law at the University of NSW, co-director of the European Law Centre, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. He has studied philosophy, politics, and law and his doctorate is in the history of ideas.

Iain Walker holds a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from UTS.

Tim Soutphommasane is a political philosopher and holds positions at Monash University's National Centre for Australian Studies and Per Capita, a public policy think tank. He writes a weekly column, Ask the Philosopher, for The Weekend Australian.