Albanese wants to ‘change the way we do politics’ in Australia. Here are four ways to do it **

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to ‘change the way’ we do politics in Australia by avoiding soundbites and ‘actually answering questions’. This is part of his plan for ‘rebuilding respect’ for politics itself. Even before the uninspiring, adversarial election campaign, we knew Australians had little affection for politicians and politics. Levels of distrust in government ‘soared’ in 2021, according to pollster Roy Morgan. But this does not mean Australians are disengaged. The record number of new independent MPs, coupled with the large numbers of volunteers who helped those campaigns, are serious indicators people will get involved if they feel like they can make a difference. Now, with a new government, there is a rare opportunity to re-engage citizens in policymaking and politics. I research how people participate in politics. Here, I discuss four innovative democratic processes Albanese’s government could adopt to actually change the way we do politics – not just talk about it.