Australian democracy was the real winner of the election
- Jamie Clark
- May 3
- 2 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Australia has a lot of challenges ahead - cost of living, housing, health, infrastructure. There's a lot going on.
But in this article, I’m not going to reflect on whether the Liberals or Labor are more equipped to solve these issues.
Instead, having watched this election unfold, one thing stood out, something that had nothing to do with the promises made on stage or the slogans printed on red or blue t-shirts.
The real winner of this Australian election was, quite simply, democracy.
Peter Dutton (Liberal) and Anthony Albanese (Labor) are no strangers to the game. Both are long-time serving politicians, and both knew exactly what they were getting into. Campaigns were sharp, and the debates were fiercely competitive.
But in the midst of it all, there were small moments that united them. For example, during one debate, they were asked to say three nice things about each other. Unlike what we often see in the US, these two party leaders didn’t look uncomfortable - in fact, they were kind and genuine when offering a compliment to their opposition.
That energy carried through to election day, where people showed up with a ballot in one hand and a democracy sausage in the other. Given out at polling booths, democracy sausages are a light-hearted yet powerful symbol: no matter what party you support, we all love a barbie.
Labor won the election, decisively.
And following the result, there was no chaos. No accusations of voter fraud. No public meltdown.
Peter Dutton congratulated Anthony Albanese - publicly, with calm, collected dignity that now seems rare in politics.
And Albanese, in turn, was gracious in victory. Not smug. Not performative. Just steady.
In a well functioning society, these shouldn’t feel like grand gestures. But now, they do. We’ve grown so polarised that instead of engaging with opposing views, we retreat into our echo chambers - quick to condemn, slow to understand.
That’s one of the deeper issues we face: not just fixing daily life through policy, but fixing how we relate to one another, how we speak, how we listen, and have a social climate that embraces alternative viewpoints.
The notion that “I’m right, so you must be wrong” is far too abundant. And thus we lack empathy and nuance. We need to learn how to have hard conversations again. And it doesn’t mean we have to agree nor soften our values.
One can be critical and passionate while still honouring another's right to contribute meaningfully to the conversation.
As Voltaire put it -
“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Democracy is built on process, showing up, being heard, and then respecting the outcome, even when it’s not the one you hoped for. What matters most is safeguarding the space to speak openly, vote freely, and disagree without hostility. Progress is forged through decency, dialogue, and respect.
Now, the media needs to take note to help Australia's democracy continue to thrive.
On ya, Australia 💚💛
