Migration is one of the most controversial topics in our national debate, but too often the conversation is superficial and polarised. I'm working on constructive reforms so the system works better for Australians and for people who come here to live, work and study, and I want that work to be shaped by what our community thinks.
How I have engaged with the community
I’m interested in testing new ways of listening that reach further into the electorate and draw out views a community forum or survey alone might not capture. Migration was an important place to start, because the debate is so polarised and so many people feel unheard.
Over the past few months, I have asked the people of Curtin to share their views on migration in several ways. It started with an invitation for people to become Curtin Delegates. I received 800 expressions of interest and from these, I chose 80 Delegates to reflect the demographic spread of Curtin.
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Delegates online deliberation (14 October): the Delegates took part in an online deliberation using Pol.is. People voted on short statements about migration and added their own. Pol.is groups people with similar views and shows where there is support across those groups. Participants also used Quadratic Voting, spending a set number of credits to spend across migration priorities. This showed what people care about most, as well as where they agree.
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Open deliberation (October): Throughout October, I invited everyone who had expressed interest to share their views on migration using the Pol.is tools.
Altogether, 266 people took part online. They contributed more than 500 statements and cast more than 21,000 votes.
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In-person event (2 November): 150 community members discussed the findings and tested ideas face to face.
Thank you to everyone who has taken part so far.
What we have found
RadicalxChange, an independent organisation that specialises in democratic participation tools, has analysed the data. You can read their analysis here.
What’s next
Over the coming months, I’ll be working through the findings together with advice I have received from meetings with migration experts, economists and community organisations. I’ll pay closest attention to ideas that have support across different groups, and to the policy priorities people weighted most heavily.
This will inform a policy paper on practical reforms to our migration system, which I plan to publish in early 2027.