Former West Australian Labor premier Carmen Lawrence says the Albanese government must listen to voters and more directly engage with what they want or face its own rout led by community-minded independents at the next election.
Speaking in Perth alongside fellow former WA premier Colin Barnett, Dr Lawrence said the major parties had lost their democratic spirit and relied too heavily on “top-down” politics. They should overhaul how candidates are chosen and how the parties are led, after missing out on almost 40 per cent of the vote.