Add your voice to the conversation.

It’s election season and our senses are being bombarded by the collective ‘noise’ of politicians, and aspiring politicians, telling us why voting for them will make our life better.

At times I’ve wondered if democracy is the best way to govern a nation. So often we seem to be bogged down by a combative process – one where scoring points against a perceived opposition is the main game; a  process where no-one seems interested in effective and informed discussion. It becomes more about politics and less about developing good policy.

I used to travel to China regularly. You couldn’t help but be impressed how a focused government had lifted so many of its people from poverty. Cities of five to 10-million people were modern, bustling centres. People lived a relatively free life and, just like us, focused on building a better life for themselves and their children. Was this a way to govern? A system that gets things done.

Lately I’ve gone a bit cold on the idea of autocracies and we’re now seeing the downside. First there was China’s crackdown in Hong Kong, followed by heavy-handed economic coercion aimed at a number of trading partners and now Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. In the end, the singular power corrupts. Best we stick with democracy.

So how do we make it better? Should it be so difficult to have a national conversation about the issues important to our future? 

In 2017 we had an effective national discussion about marriage equality. It was a highly controversial issue with interest groups in full flight – arguing their view. So we had a postal vote. Everyone had their say, we made a clear informed decision and we moved on.

Is this the way to get the focus back onto policy, not politics? We can’t have a postal vote on every issue, but we could for the big stuff. Climate change, housing affordability, manufacturing capability – all significant national issues that need decisive action. Yes, discussion about these issues are part of the political debate but, again, the noise of partisan politics and narrow-interest groups can drown out discussion aimed at developing good policy.

One thing is clear: The need for everyday people to be a bigger part of the conversation. 

Voting once every three or four years isn’t enough. Feeding our thoughts into conversations with friends, family and colleagues, into the organisations we’re members of and the people we meet does matter.

In Australia, governments will listen to the voice of the people. How lucky we are.