Professor AC Grayling and Kate Chaney MP, In Conversation

What can we do to safeguard democracy?

Significant elections are approaching across the globe, from the US to India.  Meanwhile, recent elections in the UK and France have thrown up interesting and sometimes surprising results. 

At such times, it is inevitable that political systems and democracy itself come under scrutiny. So, how robust is the democratic process and what steps can we take to safeguard our democratic future?

As we contemplate all of this, two eminent thinkers discuss the premise that democracy is under threat.

Professor A.C. Grayling CBE MA DPhil (Oxon) FRSA FRSL is a distinguished and celebrated philosopher and author.  He is Principal of the Northeastern University, London and a Supernumerary fellow of St. Anne’s College, Oxford.  An author of over 30 books, his recent publications include Democracy and its Crisis (2017), The Good State: On the Principles of Democracy (2020) and For the Good of the World (2022).

Kate Chaney MP, Federal Member for Curtin, in 2022 became the first woman from WA to be elected as an independent Federal MP.  Inspired by a community concerned about climate action, integrity, future-focused economic management, and building connected, inclusive communities, Kate is focused on 'doing politics differently' – understanding the limitations of the party system and working with the crossbench to bring a long-term focus to policy development and decision-making. Kate's work in Parliament has included two private members’ bills about electoral reform, designed to rebuild trust in our political system. 

A pop-up bar will be available to purchase drinks and snacks from 5:30pm - 7:30pm inside Hackett Hall during the event.  

Presenting partners

This event is presented by Kate Chaney MP, UWA Public Policy Institute and Forrest Research Foundation in collaboration with the Western Australian Museum.

Kate Chaney MP, is the first woman from WA to be elected as an independent Federal MP. She became the Member for Curtin in 2022, driven by a community concerned about climate action, integrity, future-focused economic management, and building connected, inclusive communities. Prior to her time in Parliament, Kate worked as a lawyer, a strategy consultant for The Boston Consulting Group, in the corporate sector and in the community services sector in a range of strategy, innovation and social impact roles. She has also been on a number of not for profit boards, including 10 years with Next 25, which is dedicated to understanding and improving how Australia makes its future.

The UWA Public Policy Institute (PPI) facilitates, socialises, and promotes UWA policy research and researchers and discussions on major contemporary policy issues. It brings together academic researchers and stakeholders from local, state and federal government, the private sector and the community/NGO sector with the aim of raising awareness and understanding of key policy issues and providing ideas and recommendations on the way forward. We focus on policy and research issues within Western Australia, Australia and the Indo-Pacific region. The UWA Public Policy Institute advocates for evidence-based policymaking as this leads to impactful policy outputs and outcomes.

The Forrest Research Foundation was established in 2014 following one of Australia’s largest ever philanthropic donations by Andrew and Nicola Forrest. The donation is used to drive research and innovation capacity in Western Australia by awarding Forrest PhD Scholarships, Postdoctoral Fellowships and Creative Fellowships to outstanding young intellects from around the world to conduct research at one of Western Australia’s five universities. The Foundation supports nearly 60 Scholars and Fellows who bring their talents and creativity from around the world to Western Australia to conduct ground-breaking research and creative practice. Our only research themes are excellence, curiosity and engagement. The Foundation is dedicated to fostering innovation and excellence in research, and to engaging the public in conversations about the future of our state with the vision of making Western Australia a global knowledge, research and creative hub.