Democracy is about more than scoring a sausage sandwich on voting day. Photo:@CanteenWatchAus.
Some time ago, I wrote about losing my politics as I lost faith in the parties. Seems many others have lost faith as well.
Membership of political parties has tanked.
I have also written about the fiscal problems we have – this is another sign of political parties no longer kept in line by a diverse membership.
Political parties once drew people in through community, shared purpose and a sense of belonging.
Branch meetings were filled with teachers, tradies, nurses, small-business owners, farmers, union delegates and retirees who believed shaping public life was part of being a citizen.
But as more Australians have stepped away from political engagement – disillusioned, time-poor or simply exhausted with the hypocrisy – the parties themselves have hollowed out.
What remains is increasingly a mix of hardened ideologues at the extremes and ambitious operators motivated more by self-interest than public service.
And our sovereign debt rises as self-interest and ideology sweep responsibility out the door.
Political parties were, once, mass organisations. They relied on thousands of ordinary members to run stalls, knock on doors, debate policy and keep leaders tethered to community expectations.
Unions, too, were engines of civic participation, giving workers a collective voice and a training ground for future leaders.
Unions and parties no longer need members – unions have a lot of money, and parties are voted for because there is often no other option.
When these institutions were strong, they acted as a buffer against extremism and self-interest. They forced accountability. They demanded competence. They rewarded those who could collaborate and build consensus.
As membership has dwindled, the internal culture of parties has shifted. When only a small number of people remain, the loudest voices dominate. The moderating effect of ordinary members disappears. The party room becomes an echo chamber.
And the public, sensing the disconnect, withdraws even further, and as they do so, the parties become even more extreme and self-serving.
Fewer members mean fewer internal watchdogs. Without that internal pressure, decisions are made by smaller groups, often behind closed doors. The culture shifts from persuasion to control, from public service to organisational survival.
Competence suffers for similar reasons. A healthy political ecosystem attracts people with lived experience – those who understand the consequences of policy not as notions but as realities shaping daily life.
When they stop joining, the talent pool narrows.
Politics has become dominated by those who have only ever worked within the political system – staffers, factional operatives and career aspirants.
The result is a decline in capability, judgement and practical expertise.
The extremes thrive in this environment. The far right and far left, though ideologically different, share a similar discipline. They are organised, motivated and willing to invest time in internal processes.
When the centre disengages, these groups fill the vacuum. But they don’t reflect the broader community.
Meanwhile, those motivated primarily by personal advancement find the system easier to navigate.
With fewer members watching, fewer voices questioning, and fewer competitors from outside the political class, advancement depends less on competence or integrity and more on factional alliances and loyalty.
Once in positions of influence, many govern in the same way they rose – through secrecy, transactional relationships and internal power management rather than public accountability.
This is not a problem confined to one party or one ideology. It is structural and accelerating.
The irony is that many Australians who have stepped away from politics, not just from the parties, have done so because they believe the system is broken. But their absence is part of what breaks it further.
Democracy is not self-sustaining. It requires participation – not just at the ballot box, but in the slow, sometimes frustrating work of collective decision-making.
If we want transparency, professionalism and competence restored, the hollowing out of party membership must be countered by greater community participation in everyday decisions.
Political parties cannot function as healthy democratic institutions when they no longer resemble the communities they claim to represent.
The uncomfortable truth? Democracy weakens not only when bad actors take control, but when ordinary citizens quietly step away.
So, what can we do?
The first and obvious point is independent politicians. That is still developing as a means – there are other mechanisms.
It is also true that for most of us, our day-to-day lives are good, so our motivation may not be that high – yet according to many, the future economy doesn’t look that good, and we know our debt is a disaster.
Watch this space, as the day will come when we have to stand up. I think it is now or very, very soon.
