What does democracy mean to you?

As a uni student, I studied a course on ‘deliberative democracy’ with Professor Lyn Carson that made me think about how the processes we use determine our ability to meaningfully participate in democracy.

For many Australians, participating in democracy is simply casting their vote every election. This most certainly is participating, but how much does it really tell representatives about their community’s views?

As an elected representative over the last three years, I have done my utmost to listen, engage and be available to Canberrans.

My regular coffee catch-ups, mobile offices and community forums have put me in touch with so many of you – and I am thankful for this privilege.

But many of these interactions are with those who are politically engaged and passionate about a particular issue.

But what about those in our community who are less likely to seek me out and who are less likely to be heard?

It is important for representatives to seek these voices out.

Another issue is that most people are incredibly busy and don’t have a lot of time to engage. Our views often change when we have the chance to hear from experts and discuss issues with others with different perspectives.

Deliberative democracy processes are about ensuring citizens have the chance to participate more actively in democracy by drawing in a cross section of perspectives and creating a forum for discussion. Citizens juries are perhaps the best-known example.

As an MP, I am very excited to include deliberative processes in my ‘toolbox’ of community engagement.

Last year, I had the opportunity to work with the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at University of Canberra to host a deliberative town hall on youth engagement.

Now, in an Australian first, I have partnered with DemocracyCo to establish The Canberra Forum, an ongoing deliberative panel to allow Canberrans to participate more fully in the democratic process. I’m very thankful to DemocracyCo for volunteering their time and expertise to this project which they will be using to create a ‘handbook’ for other MPs who want to use the model.

The forum will begin as a trial, made up of up to 45 Canberrans, selected at random, to provide their views on key issues for Canberra.

My hope is that The Canberra Forum will open stronger communication channels between myself and constituents, helping me to better represent the views of our community within the Labor Party and in the Parliament.

It is concerning for Australian democracy that studies have repeatedly shown trust in government and politicians is in decline.

I believe all politicians have a responsibility to build trust and engagement in the community.

In a sense, our job is simple as listening and then advocating. Deliberative democracy processes allow us to listen more widely and give constituents the chance to engage with a range of perspectives on issues.

The Canberra Forum is my way of creating the opportunity for this deeper engagement here in the electorate of Canberra.

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