In the Media

Nicholas Ross Smith & Zbigniew Dumienski A report by Bernard Orsman published in the New Zealand Herald on the state of Auckland City Council found that 88 of the 99 positions in the council’s boardrooms and executive teams were filled by “white men from wealthy suburbs.” While nobody is suggesting that any of these individuals...Continue reading

Presented by Jonathan Green. Sunday 5 July 2015. Winston Churchill once said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others”. 70 years on, with a world facing unprecedented challenges including climate change and growing inequality, could our democratic system use a bit of tweaking? In the UK last week, a major...

Nicholas ReeceCitizen juries are one of the most promising innovations to emerge in the conversation about democratic renewal. Melbourne’s radical experiment in democracy has reached a momentous conclusion, with the City Council announcing on Friday it will accept nearly all the recommendations of a 10-year financial plan developed by a citizens’ jury. That a group...Continue reading

How would you like to actively participate shaping government policies, not just indirectly through your vote? Citizen juries allow just that. State and local governments have started to use citizen juries to address issues like infrastructure, budgeting or reforming the electoral system. These participatory democracy projects could radically alter the way all tiers of Australian...Continue reading

InDaily, Adelaide Independent NewsJay Weatherill 25 May 2015 It is true that the power of our ideas will help to drive and sustain South Australia’s future. But when we think about “the next big things” it is important to ask who gets to decide what these are – and who gets included in the discussion. As...Continue reading

Luca Belgiorno-Nettis wasn’t exactly born with a silver shovel in his mouth, but you suspect a well-worn hard hat was resting somewhere in the nursery. In 1954, his Italian parents Franco and Amina had yet to amass what would become a vast fortune off the back of the nation’s post-war regeneration. Here was a pioneering...Continue reading

Luca Belgiorno-Nettis, Comment | Sydney Morning Herald10 May 2015 On display in Canberra’s Parliament House is a 13th century copy of a famous agreement. In 1215, King John acceded to the demands of his rebellious barons and signed the ‘Articles’ at Runnymede, near Windsor. This year marks the 800th anniversary of that event and there are celebrations...Continue reading

Sunday 28 September 2014. Presented by Anthony Funnell There’s a growing public disenchantment with democracy and the modern political process. So, here’s a solution: citizens’ juries—ordinary people who are given the information and training to make decisions on civic issues. It’s all part of an approach known as deliberative democracy, aiming to build stronger and...Continue reading

RESIDENTS HAVE SAY ON COUNCIL SPENDING On Preston Leader, Melbourne by Julia Irwin ADDRESSING disadvantage was a priority for Dare- bin’s first citizens’ jury when it delivered its verdict on how to spend $2 million from the city’s budget. Darebin is believed to be the first council in Victoria to introduce participatory budgeting, which gives resi-...Continue reading