Australians cannot take the future strength and resilience of our democracy for granted, according to a new Grattan Institute report.
The report, For the people: Future-proofing Australia's democracy, shows that democracy is backsliding globally, and the world order in which Australia has flourished is being seriously tested.
These are more turbulent times not just for our economy or standard of living, but for liberal democracies themselves.
Australia has a history of democratic innovation to be proud of, and Australians consistently value democracy.
But the report finds that satisfaction with how our democracy is working is fragile.
'Over human history, liberal democracy is relatively recent, hard won, and precious,' says report lead author and Grattan Institute CEO Aruna Sathanapally.
'Our investigation exposes warning signs for Australia, and underscores that it will take work to ensure Australia's democracy is fit for these turbulent times.'
The report identifies five priorities for Australia to build a better and more resilient democracy:
- First, federal parliament sits at the centre of our democracy. We should make it more representative and better functioning, to engender greater trust and improve long-term decision-making and the administration of government.
- We must build engagement to ensure that Australians have a voice and feel a sense of belonging, particularly those who find themselves on the margins of the economy and society.
- We must protect our public sphere - where Australians inform themselves and engage in the contest of ideas - by ensuring the sustainability of our news media and investing in institutions that produce trusted information.
- In a democracy, process matters, but so do outcomes. Australians need confidence that our system of government can work for them and is capable of making difficult policy reforms in the public interest, not vested interests.
- Crises are the moments that build or erode trust - and we face a future of rolling shocks. Our governments need to be better prepared, by reducing our vulnerability to known risks, building fiscal buffers, and calibrating expectations about what governments can do to cushion the blow.
'Reforms that show that those in power are willing to tackle our big challenges (such as the housing crisis, the climate emergency, and the imperative for serious tax reform) will not only deliver a better economy and society, they will build trust in our democratic system to deliver for the people,' says Dr Sathanapally.
'Australians expect a lot of their governments, but in a democracy we govern ourselves. So this is a task for all of us.'
