e-Democracy in Australia: the Challenge of Evolving a Successful Model

Abstract: This paper examines the current status of e-democracy initiatives in Australia and considers the factors that might contribute to the evolution of a successful model of e-democracy in the Australian context. In particular, it examines whether any analogies can be drawn from the world of e-business which has transitioned from an over-hyped boom and then bust in the early years into a steadier and sustained growth in more recent times. The paper concludes that, despite some valiant efforts by e-democracy enthusiasts, we have yet to hit on an edemocracy model that truly engages the Australian populace. Nevertheless, the analogy from e-business suggests that, given the right model(s) and the right environment, it can still be possible to deliver real benefits via e-democracy