Is Australian politics alive and well?
This was the pressing question that brought some of Australia’s leading thinkers to the nation’s capital for the 2026 Great Debate.
Proudly hosted by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the National Library of Australia as part of Social Sciences Week, the Great Debate presented an evening of thought-provoking discussion about the state of Australian politics.
Arguing for Team Affirmative were Thomas Mayo, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander author, orator and justice advocate, and assistant National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, Professor Anika Gauja, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research at the University of Technology Sydney, and Professor Graeme Orr, Professor of Law, University of Queensland.
Arguing for Team Negative were Professor Kim Rubenstein, Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra, University of Technology Sydney and Honorary Professor at The Australian National University, Professor Andrea Carson, Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne, and Professor Lyria Bennett-Moses, Academic Director, Research at UNSW.
The expert judges for the evening were Professor The Hon. Bill Shorten, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra, and former Leader of the Opposition, Professor Richard Holden, Chief Societal Economist at UNSW, Director of the Manos Institute for Cognitive Economics, and President Emeritus of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and Michelle Grattan AO, Professorial Fellow at the University of Canberra and Associate Editor (Politics) and Chief Political Correspondent at The Conversation.
As to the result, it appears finding two strangers who agree on any aspect of politics is a difficult ask in the present climate and so it was with the debate’s outcome. The audience was convinced by the wit and wisdom of Team Affirmative, with the vote shifting from just 47% in favour before the debate to 62% after the debate. The judges, however, were unswayed, awarding the night to Team Negative.
Team Negative’s winning argument rested on the case that Australian politics may be alive, but it is not well. From declining trust in public institutions and political actors, stagnant levels of civic participation, and algorithmic echo chambers, there are threats aplenty to the health of Australian politics and democracy. But all is not lost! Debaters and judges alike reminded us how far Australia has come and that the foundational institutions of Australian politics are resilient, challenging the audience to explore new perspectives and opportunities to contribute to the civic health of Australia.
Pictured (Left to right): Front row: Team Affirmative speakers Professor Graeme Orr, Professor Anika Gauja, Thomas Mayo, Team Negative speakers Professor Andrea Carson, Professor Kim Rubenstein, Professor Lyria Bennett Moses.
Back row: Academy Education Manager Cindy Bin Tahal, Academy CEO Dr Jodie Trembath, Academy President Professor Kate Darian-Smith, Debate judges Michelle Grattan AO, Professor Richard Holden, Professor The Hon. Bill Shorten.