Community Preselections

We will conduct Community Preselections in federal electorates across Australia in the lead up to the next federal election.

This is a big step in Australian democracy. But it is not new. It is a return to our roots. The painting below shows a community preselection meeting in Bendigo, Victoria, in 1854. [Anon. Bendigo Regional Gallery]

We have to return to our roots because Australian democracy is broken.

Our parliaments and governments are now made up of the wrong sort of people. Instead of people with track records as problem solvers, innovators, community builders, entrepreneurs, thinkers and system designers, we have people who have mostly only ever done one thing – play politics. So long as this continues, we have no hope of meeting the many challenges facing the country.

We need a once-in-a-generation replacement of the current crop of politicians with a new batch of representatives who have proven track records in bringing people together, solving problems, and leading.

To enable this change, we will conduct Community Preselections to allow community members to select a community leader to represent them in parliament.

This process allows the community to bypass the party preselection processes of Liberal, National, Labor and Green parties which function as gatekeepers and protectors of our broken political system.

The Mechanism

The Community Preselection process in each electorate will comprise three steps:

1. An invitation to community members to register as Community Preselectors in their electorate;

2. A call for nominations for Community Representatives (candidates); and

3. An online vote in each federal electorate by Community Preselectors for their preferred Community Representative.

Timeline

March 31 2024: Close of nominations for Community Representatives

April 14 2024: Close of registration for Community Preselectors

May 1 2024: – Online voting day to select Community Representatives

Eligibility

To be eligible to participate and vote in the Community Preselection, community members must:

a. register as a Community Preselector with a $10 registration payment (to cover administrative costs); and

b. declare that they are not a current or recent member of Labor, Liberal, National, or Green parties.

The Criteria for Community Representatives (Candidates)

Community members may nominate as a Community Representative who:

a. have a history of bringing people together for the common good and a history of voluntary contribution in their electorate;
b. have a track record as a community leader, problem solver, innovator, community builder, entrepreneur, thinker or system designer;
c. are capable of representing the issues and challenges facing their electorate;
d. are capable of building trust and confidence in local democracy;
e. are able to mobilise community members in winning a seat in parliament, and
f. are not current or recent members of Labor, Liberal, National, or Green parties.

Register your Interest

Our goal is to have as many community members as possible participate in the preselection ballot in each electorate.

To participate and vote as a Community Preselector, register using this form.

To nominate as a Community Representative (Candidate) , register using this form.

Oversight

The Community Preselections process is hosted and supervised by the Steering Committee of The Sensible Centre.