Where does the land of the democracy sausage sit?

The global future of democracy and Australia’s place in it will be discussed by a panel of experts at an event hosted by The University of Western Australia this month.

Is Democracy Done? Australian Perspectives on the Future of Democracy will examine whether our electoral systems as good as we think, and if our political system is equipped to deal with threats such as disinformation, foreign interference and more intense domestic tension in an age of geopolitical conflict.

The discussion will be moderated by Professor Martin Drum, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Science, Law and Business at the University of Notre Dame Australia, who has expertise in public policy, elections, and governance.

“It has become commonplace to talk of our time as one of democratic decay, rising authoritarianism and rampant populism,” Professor Drum said.

“While Australia has not been immune to these pressures, its political system has also displayed robustness.

“We look forward to exploring these tensions and potential means of addressing them.”

The panel includes: Hon Ken Wyatt AM, former minister for Indigenous Australians and the first Indigenous Australian elected to the House of Representatives and Chair of UWA Public Policy Institute International Advisory Board; Carmen Lawrence AO, former premier of WA and federal minister, and an Emeritus Professor at UWA; Professor John Phillimore, Executive Director of the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy; and Professor Carolyn Hendriks, from the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy.

The panel will explore how well our three levels of government are equipped to cope with the challenges of the present and future,  and if our major institutions are sufficiently representative and inclusive to be a genuine reflection of the nation’s diversity.

The event is a collaboration between Congress of the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Australian Politics Studies Association, Business Events Perth and UWA Public Policy Institute.

Register here for the event to be held on Tuesday 26 November from 5.45pm to 7pm at UWA’s Social Sciences Lecture Theatre followed by a sundowner from 7pm to 8pm at the University Club of Western Australia.