Re-imagining our democracy

Over-reliance upon the High Court has, in recent times, made the community and political leaders unresponsive to the need for change. It is too easy to ignore good arguments for change, even when it is clear that a problem is beyond High Court interpretation and requires constitutional amendment or new legislation.

I am not suggesting that political leaders have totally neglected this aspect of political life. There are many examples of prime ministers striving for - and unfortunately too often failing to achieve - improvements.

Lasting reform can often only be won by democratic engagement and political leadership. Nation-building must transcend the judiciary.

The reform agenda must take a radically different approach. Political leaders must take charge and be prepared to devolve real power to the people. Australians need more than a veto at the ballot box; they must be given a genuine say in shaping reform itself. Change must be led from the ground up, rather than being imposed from above.

Australia needs a new agenda for reforming how it is governed. It needs to be bold in what it tackles, but also pragmatic and realistic, avoiding wherever possible the need to hold referendums until people become more comfortable with change. The strategy should focus on incremental reform, small achievements that generate the momentum needed for more significant improvements. History shows that there are no quick paths to success, only quick paths to failure. This means we need a forward-looking agenda that educates people and encourages them to be involved. We need to trust people so that they have a genuine say in shaping the future of Australian democracy.