Australians are rightly happy their democracy has avoided the radical, anti-democratic movements sweeping through the United States and Europe.
But Australian democracy is not safe from threats. One of the most dangerous is the rise of “cartel parties” here in Australia. First identified in Europe, these types of parties seek to monopolise power and keep out new voices from politics.
They represent a fundamental shift in party politics from a system where parties give voice to citizens to one where parties focus on managing and monopolising power. Over time, this managerial system of cartel parties is likely to foster the very kind of anti-system and anti-democratic political movements and parties that Australia has so far avoided.
