A Blueprint for Australian Democracy: This Moment and the Renewal of Parliament, Government and Elections

Saturday’s political earthquake demonstrates Australians do not like the way their political system is working. This is a critical message. Community distrust and cynicism are bad for the major parties and bad for public policy. Australia faces many big challenges – a three speed economy, a second round of the resources boom, skills shortages, infrastructure deficits, climate change, refugees, indigenous recognition, to name only a few. But the past election campaign did nothing to crystallise choices or to build an informed public opinion on any of these issues.