Democracy by the people, for the people — not politics as usual
The Problem We Can’t Ignore
Australian democracy faces a crisis of legitimacy. Trust in politicians sits at historic lows. Permanent campaigning rewards short-term thinking. Major parties remain captured by vested interests. And everyday Australians—the people who live with the consequences—are sidelined from decisions about their future.
The “Teal” and Community Independents movement proved that Australians hunger for something better: integrity, evidence-based policy, genuine independence, and community voice. But electing independent representatives is only the first step.
What if we could go further?
The Solution: Bi-Representative Democracy
The Deliberative Senate Project combines two forms of representation:
- Elected Deliberative Senators — chosen by voters for their integrity, independence, and commitment to evidence-based policy
- A Standing Citizens’ Assembly — everyday Australians selected by sortition (civic lottery) to deliberate on major policy questions
Here’s how it works:
- A Standing Citizens’ Assembly of ~50 randomly selected Australians (demographically representative, rotated periodically) meets 6-8 times per year
- The Assembly deliberates on major policy issues: climate action, integrity reforms, housing, industrial relations, budget measures, electoral changes
- Participants hear from experts, stakeholders, and affected communities in facilitated processes
- The Assembly produces Citizens’ Briefs with clear, evidence-based recommendations
- Deliberative Senators commit to vote in line with these recommendations on major legislative matters
This is bi-representative democracy: combining the accountability of elections with the deliberative wisdom of everyday citizens freed from political incentives.
Why the Senate? Why 2028?
The Senate is the perfect testing ground:
- Proportional entry — achievable quota (~14% in most states) for well-organized independents
- Balance of power — Senate crossbench shapes major legislation; 3-4 Deliberative senators would have genuine influence
- House of review — the Senate’s constitutional role is deliberation and scrutiny—exactly what this model provides
- Longer terms — 6-year terms create space for thoughtful, long-term policy work
2028 is the opportunity. The Teal/CI movement has momentum, organizational capacity, and proven electoral success. This is the next evolution.
This Is Tested and Proven
This isn’t theoretical. Deliberative democracy works:
- Ireland transformed its politics through Citizens’ Assemblies, delivering marriage equality, abortion rights, and constitutional reforms that politicians couldn’t touch
- newDemocracy Foundation has facilitated over 1,200 deliberative processes globally, demonstrating that everyday people, given good information and structured deliberation, make high-quality policy decisions
- Academic consensus is strong: deliberative democracy addresses the twin crises of legitimacy (people trust the process) and efficiency (better policy outcomes)
Political philosopher David Van Reybrouck argues in Against Elections that sortition-based deliberation is the antidote to democratic decay. The Deliberative Senate Project puts this into practice.
The Funding Model: Democracy Infrastructure
Delibertative Senators would take a modest stipend (comparable to median full-time salary) and redirect the majority of their parliamentary salary to fund the Assembly infrastructure.
For 3 Senators, this creates ~$600,000 annually for:
- Juror remuneration (paying citizens for their time and expertise)
- Professional facilitation (neutral, expert-led deliberative processes)
- Expert hearings and evidence synthesis
- Accessibility support (childcare, translation, travel, accommodations)
- Secretariat and Citizens’ Brief production
This isn’t charity—it’s investing senators’ salaries into democracy itself. The Assembly becomes self-funding infrastructure, not a cost burden.
Why This Is the Next Step for Teals/CI
The Community Independents movement showed that Australians want:
- Integrity over party deals
- Evidence over ideology
- Community voice over big money
- Long-term thinking over political cycles
The Deliberative Senate Project delivers all of this—and makes the community voice structural, not consultative.
This is citizens over consumers. It’s about:
- Agency — everyday Australians shaping decisions, not just reacting to them
- Belonging — being part of the democratic process in a meaningful way
- Cooperation — deliberation over division, evidence over tribalism
It’s pro-community, pro-cooperation, and radically democratic.
Let’s Start the Conversation
This is a concept to test, refine, and build together. The Deliberative Senate Project could be the next evolution of Australian democracy—if we’re bold enough to try.
Questions to explore:
- Could this work in your state in 2028?
- What would candidates need to commit to this model?
- How do we message this to voters who are tired of politics as usual?
- What infrastructure would we need to build together?
The time is now. The Senate is the place. Let’s make democracy work for the people again.
Contact: @craiglambie or email Learn more: Van Reybrouck, D. (2016). Against Elections: The Case for Democracy. | newDemocracy.org.au | Ireland Citizens’ Assembly reports
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