1. The system works against us

System is stacked against us /  Elections offers no answers / Media manipulates

• It locks in and legitimises the destructive status quo
• The system actually causes or contributes to all these crisis. It is knowingly causing these problems for us but is not actually accountable to us. 
• Percentage of votes doesn’t equal representation because of how electorates are carved up – unequal numbers, territories less representation / seats,  moving boundaries etc. 
• Slide to right /centre of labour in two party system – we have seen representative democracy continually fail us and to wait for answers within this system is ridiculous. 
• Two party system forces a choice between two evils, meaning no accountability to the interestes of voters… the more vicious the opposition, the more room for government to act against our interests.
• ‘our democracy’ is enmeshed in established neoliberal  ideology prioritising corporate interests
• Politicians are more loyal to political parties than local electorates, party endorsement is more critical to getting elected than representing interests of people. (They don’t work for us)
• 1 person can’t represent the complex interests of 115k (on average) people that they supposedly represent.
• Both major parties agree on policy that drives the climate crisis, keeps houses hoarded by the rich and the state, fuels wars, weapons industries, fossil fuel industry.  
• System is producing crisis
• “Debates” are limited to two major parties
• Structure of parliamentary system is antithetical to fair representation – cabinet is very exclusice (ministers that form cabinet are appointed by PM of elected party and they have ability to control policy going through. No records of discussion public. Unchecked power.) Ministerial discretion/ veto power (visa cancellation). Senate estimates being the only way of questioning spending and decisions. 
• Progressive perspective consistently get underrepresented in parliament
• To the greens: structured out of influence despite 10-12% of the vote. (1-2% of seats)

2. The problems of our time

Ecological, social and economic crises

• The rich getting richer whilst the rest of us are left to rot.
• fuck

3. Alternatives

We need to organise

• Organise – in resistance and to build alternative forms of organising /decision making within ourselves. 
• Organising and taking agency yourself – grassroots action networks, food not bombs, direct action campaigns, 
• Organising connected communities to respond and look after each other in disasters 
• Direct action against the system 
• Practicing other forms of direct democracy (like peoples assemblies) and introducing the idea to our communities to allow us more chance at organising ourselves in the future and having buy-in to this idea.
• Countless alternatives that are more democratic and representative than the current ones – indigenous governance systems, participatory democracy etc. 
• Average people are more likely to make decisions that benefit us – by having more direct say or accountability of decision makers.