Renewing democracy

Members who sign up as individuals are more likely to commit energy and enthusiasm to an organisation they have chosen. Eliminating branch stacking, a process that has already begun in the ALP, may also help divert the considerable energies currently dissipated in turf wars and internal machinations to policy development, community activism and political strategy. It may also produce greater diversity of real membership.

Reforms to increase participation

Popular dissatisfaction with present democratic structures is also fuelling calls for a more participatory democracy.

The opportunities for electoral input are scandalously low in most democracies, limited to the chance to cast a few votes during a multiyear electoral cycle. Furthermore, declining voter turnout in advanced industrial societies (including here in the recent election) suggests growing disenchantment with this form of democratic participation that has changed little since the nineteenth century.

While participation in elections may be declining, direct contact with government officials and politicians and work with community groups has been increasing. Participation in new social movements, such as the environmental movement, has also increased substantially over the past generation.

These new participation patterns are creating pressure on governments to develop forms of more direct, participatory democracy. Increased skills and resources in contemporary societies also make expanded participation a real possibility.

A recent review of the social movement literature describes other ways that institutional reforms can increase direct citizen participation in policy making. In Germany, for example, local citizen action groups have won changes in administrative law to allow for citizen participation in local administrative processes. Italian environmental legislation now grants individuals legal standing in the courts when they seek to protect the environment from the actions of municipalities or government administrative agencies.

Similar reforms need to be debated in Australia.

While the Parliament does seek the views of the community and of experts in various fields, most of this contribution occurs in committees whose deliberations and conclusions are ignored. A treasure trove of thoughtful and meticulously prepared submissions and reports languish in countless bottom drawers.

It is possible to do much better, to open up decision making, to involve more MPs and engage the wider community, to actually thrash out the issues in real debates. Australia was once considered the "democratic laboratory" of the world. It’s time to conduct a few new experiments to revive our body politic and embrace the principles of openness, accessibility and accountability.

As a start we could:

• Commission citizens’ juries or deliberative polls on contentious and complex issues;
• Invite expert and community representatives to address the chamber in session and engage in debate with members;
• Promote and sponsor the establishment of groups such as civic and youth forums to enable more regular and efficient consultation with the public;
• Ensure that legislation introduced by the Executive undergoes a substantial period of pre-legislative development and consultation through the relevant committees, interest groups and the general public;
• Give committees the power to initiate legislation arising from their inquiries, especially if the government has failed to respond to major recommendations;
• Provide for private bills which allow private citizens or groups (with sufficient backing) to bring certain matters before the Parliament (probably through sponsoring MPs);
• Require that all petitions be investigated, if necessary by special hearings, of a dedicated petitions’ committee.

As well as engaging the general public and their representatives more fully in the democratic process, I believe such initiatives, and others like them, could transform our political system to produce a more engaged and active democracy. The goals of greater participation, more civil and co-operative parliamentary conduct and an informed public debate are worth striving for.