Democracy Developers

We are a team of Australians who care about the future of Australian democracy. We are also a not-for-profit charity and public company registered with ACNC.

We are frustrated by how hard it can be to get the right questions raised and answered in Australia’s parliaments. We want our MP’s to represent us better, instead of the various interest groups that consume their time. We also want to inform the parliament’s powerful processes, such as the Senate estimates, to make sure the most effective questions are raised and answered.

Ask Parliament is an app we’ve built to make parliamentary democracy and participation easier for everyone. We aim to open a clear channel of communication between parliamentarians and the electorate so they can more effectively represent the people.

We want to strengthen accountability of public authorities and elected representatives to the public.

OUR VISION

A free and open democracy for the benefit of all Australians.

OUR MISSION

To support all Australians to engage and participate in democratic processes.

Democracy Developers Ltd

Established in January 2022 in Melbourne, Victoria.

Registered with the ACNC with Tax Concessions.

Fundraising registration in Victoria.
ACN: 656 928 415 | ABN: 80 656 928 415

Photo: Dan Breckwoldt

Our Approach

Research & development

We build privacy-respecting open-source software as a free resource and encourage the public to develop, adapt and reuse secure software. We also conduct research and provide technical analysis for government and the public on electronic forms of democratic participation including risks, potential benefits, security and effectiveness.

Education

We believe all Australians have a right to be heard and contribute to our democracy. We provide resources to help inform the public about the functions of Australian parliamentary democracy and how they can actively participate in democratic processes.

Advocacy

We speak up about what we care about - privacy and a strong democracy. We encourage every Australian to be actively involved in our democracy to ensure the strength of our political system. We are enabling easy, secure and effective communication between people and their political representatives.

OUR VALUES

Our goal is to make political participation accessible to everyone. We are driven by our values of engagement, openness, privacy, and inclusiveness.

Freedom of speech

We support freedom of expression, ideals of citizenry, and civility of discourse as fundamental to societal growth. Encouraging respectful discourse is a process that requires continuous active commitment to promote a healthy democracy.

Non-partisan

We support all forms of improved democratic participation that are inclusive of all Australians regardless of political alignment. We are politically unaffiliated and non-partisan, and do not accept donations that would compromise our values or independence.

Open & transparent

We are concerned about the vast amounts of data collected on all of us. We use cryptographic protocols in software to protect privacy and aim to empower everyone to make choices about their own data. All of our software is open source and freely available.

Human rights

We believe in democracy as a form of government is a universal benchmark for human rights protection. We are concerned that weakening the questioning of government, the lack of democratic participation and the lobbying power of interest groups will have negative impact on people’s rights to be heard.

Diversity & inclusion

We foster a culture of open mindedness, compassion, and inclusiveness among individuals and groups in all that we do. We are building an online community that welcomes members with diverse backgrounds including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, national origin, and religion.

About us

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