Auspire to Host Workshop on Australian Democracy and Civic Participation in Perth

Auspire – Australia Day Council (WA) will host its “Australia’s Democracy and You” community workshop on September 24 at the Constitutional Centre of Western Australia in Perth.

The workshop is designed to strengthen understanding of Australia’s democratic system, including citizens’ rights and responsibilities and the ways people can participate in civic life.

The program will cover the Australian Constitution, the roles and responsibilities of Australia’s three levels of government, the parliamentary system, features of a strong democracy, voter enrolment and the country’s preferential voting system.

According to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), preferential voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting only one candidate. In elections for Australia’s House of Representatives, if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is excluded and those ballots are redistributed according to voters’ next preferences. The process continues until a candidate secures an absolute majority.

The AEC contrasts this with the first-past-the-post system used in countries including the United States and India, where the candidate receiving the most votes can win without securing a majority of all votes cast.

The workshop will also introduce participants to how Australia’s system of government operates across federal, state and local levels and how citizens can engage with democratic institutions beyond elections. According to Auspire, the program is intended to build participants’ understanding of Australia’s democratic system and the practical ways individuals can participate in civic life.

Presented in partnership with the Western Australian Electoral Commission and supported by the Office of Multicultural Interests, the workshop will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Constitutional Centre of Western Australia, 40 Havelock Street, West Perth. Participation is open to the community at no cost.

The session forms part of Auspire’s broader work to encourage active citizenship and community participation in Western Australia.

Auspire is the Australia Day Council of Western Australia, an independent nonprofit organization established in 1977. Its work includes programs focused on active citizenship, social and cultural inclusion, community participation and recognition of people contributing to communities across Western Australia.

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