Winston Churchill once described democracy as perhaps “the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried”.

Our next Catalyst Kōrero speaker, executive director of Australia’s newDemocracy Foundation Iain Walker, will join us to discuss how we might not just defend our democracy, but how we could renew and improve it.

This challenge has perhaps never been more relevant than in this era of declining public trust and polarised politics.

“Many people are frustrated with the status quo,” Walker says, “but real change requires showing, not just telling, how democracy can work better.”

Walker’s work focuses on moving beyond traditional voting to involve citizens directly in decision-making. By using representative selection, informed deliberation, and clear authority for citizen panels, his approach offers a practical alternative to adversarial politics.

Over the past 10 years, his foundation’s projects, from local councils to international collaborations, have demonstrated how this approach can be adapted across diverse contexts to empower communities.

Participatory democracy also increases trust in governance by strengthening transparency, inclusivity and public engagement, Walker says.

Our community’s opportunity to learn from this global expert follows sessions in Wellington with local and national government leaders. His programme has been supported by Julian and Lizanne Knights and the IDEA Institute.

Wednesday, May 13, The Rees Hotel Queenstown, 7 to 8:30 pm. Please register to ensure your seat. Please donate online or bring cash for your koha, which will be given to the IDEA Institute (Institute for Democratic and Economic Analysis).

Contact the host of Doing democracy better | May 13th 2026