In 2020 and 2021, IDEA brought its Deliberative Town Hall (DTH) model to the Parliament of Australia, working with two members of Parliament (MPs), Andrew Leigh and Alicia Payne. IDEA adapted its DTH toolkit to fit Australia's parliamentary system in partnership with the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. The project linked representative samples of constituents with their MP for productive conversations about issues before Parliament. It aimed to involve more Australians in the democratic process and to expand MPs' knowledge of the potential benefits and uses of deliberative democracy.

The project builds on IDEA's research through its Connecting to Congress project.

DTH on mitochondrial donation with Andrew Leigh MP

In September 2020, IDEA and the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance held two DTHs with Andrew Leigh, the MP for Fenner. The DTHs focused on mitochondrial donation, a medical procedure that was illegal in Australia at the time and was headed for a conscience vote in Parliament. A conscience vote is a relatively rare type of vote, occurring roughly once per term, in which MPs do not have to vote along party lines, so Andrew was free to vote entirely at his own discretion.

Andrew partnered with IDEA to deliberate directly with his electorate. Constituents from Fenner were randomly selected to weigh the issues surrounding mitochondrial donation in two DTHs, one online and one face-to-face. Before the events, Andrew agreed that his vote would be guided by the conclusions of the DTHs.

How the DTHs guided Andrew Leigh's vote

After the DTHs, participants in both events overwhelmingly believed mitochondrial donation should be made legal in Australia. Andrew reported that result in a speech on the Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve's Law) Bill in late 2021.

“The overwhelming sentiment among those who attended the forum was to support mitochondrial donation, and I will be voting in favor of this bill,” Andrew said.

The House of Representatives passed the bill on December 1, 2021, with Andrew voting in favor. The Senate passed it on March 30, 2022, and mitochondrial donation became legal in Australia when the law took effect on October 1, 2022.

DTH on young people and Australian politics with Alicia Payne MP

In August 2021, IDEA and the Centre partnered again on a DTH with Alicia Payne, the MP for Canberra, on increasing youth participation in politics. The team chose the topic because of a growing generational gap between those in power and the country's young people. In 2021, the average age of an Australian MP was 52. Because lawmakers' decisions have effects that last for decades, giving young people a larger role in the political process gives them more say over the decisions that will shape their futures.

Sixty-one constituents in Alicia's electorate completed a pre-survey on their views of Alicia and of youth involvement in Australian politics before taking part in the DTH. The DTH covered five key issues: education, employment, cost of living, equity and inclusion, and climate change. Participants also discussed four policies to help ensure policymakers hear young people's concerns: funding youth advocacy organizations, consulting young people directly, lowering the voting age, and encouraging young people to join existing formal political institutions.

What the youth participation research found

After the DTH, 88 percent of participants stressed the need for greater participation and consultation of young people in decision-making. Most policy proposals received broad support, especially integrating voter enrollment into civics education, which had 95 percent approval. Opinions varied on lowering the voting age to 16, but there was significant backing for multiple engagement strategies, including digital and in-person events. Participants called for sustained, institutionalized ways to include youth perspectives, such as annual citizens' assemblies.

The DTH also opened a valuable dialogue between generations. Older and younger participants appreciated the chance to share different viewpoints and engage directly with their MP. Overall, Alicia and the participants saw the event as a constructive step toward greater youth involvement in politics.

Reports and further reading

• Advancing Deliberative Reform in a Parliamentary System: Prospects for Recursive Representation, by Nardine Alnemr, Selen A. Ercan, Nick Vlahos, John S. Dryzek, Andrew Leigh and Michael Neblo | Read paper

• Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) Bill 2021, the Parliament of Australia’s Bills Digest on the bill.

• More on IDEA’s Deliberative Town Hall model.