We already have a citizens assembly, it is called Federal Parliament. Isnt it risky putting our future in the hands of uninformed people picked off the street?
Federal Parliament creates laws and manages portfolios based on the political priorities of the major party in power, not the wider public. The adversarial nature of our Westminster system of government stifles the kind of bipartisan support needed to deal with complex and long-term constitutional issues. Added to this we have competing vested interests that highjack political debate on issues and exclude everyday Australians from contributing. These problems are made worse by a media process that focuses not on sensible discussion and deliberation, but on celebrity opinions and extreme viewpoints. On the other hand, citizens’ assemblies/juries are ideally suited for these difficult issues as they rely on careful deliberation and consensus reached by a broad range of ordinary people after an extensive informative process.
