We thank the Electoral Matters Committee for the invitation to make a submission.
Around the world, confidence in representative democracy is under siege. Citizens are moving beyond cynicism to disengagement, and the potential for further decline is clear. Viewed more positively, it is clear that a jurisdiction that successfully finds a way to counter this trend through innovation and reform will earn global attention.
Within that global context, Australia is relatively unscathed: we live in a good place and the sky is not falling. However, our electoral models have flaws which contribute to the cynicism which are the ones we should prioritise reforming.
The overall ambition of this submission is to encourage trials of innovations in democracy. Small format trials are a low-cost, low-risk way to see what earns public trust.
