Australia faces a “growing catastrophe” from poor understanding of the country’s constitutional foundation, Governor General Sam Mostyn has warned, as attacks on institutions and threats against elected officials undermine democratic participation.
Lack of civics knowledge among adults
Two years after her appointment as King Charles’s representative in Canberra, Mostyn said knowledge of how the country’s system of government operates was in steady decline and better civics education was needed.
“Where I see the most woeful lack of understanding … the basic understanding of the tenets of our democracy, is in the adult population,” Mostyn said.
She pointed to people who attack the system or misunderstand the governor general’s powers, saying: “We’ve got a growing catastrophe, I think, in a failure to understand and engage with and feel proud of the very civic underpinnings of our democracy.”
Threats to elected officials
Mostyn said schoolchildren and newly sworn Australian citizens had the best understanding of how government and institutions worked. Her comments come as parliaments, courts, the Australian Electoral Commission, and officeholders face mounting criticism and abuse, with social media identified as a hotbed of corrosive sentiment and rising threats against officials.
“It starts with understanding why we have a constitution, how it came to be,” Mostyn said of a potential solution. She noted the constitution is 125 years old and was built to bring states and territories together.
Risk of unraveling social cohesion
Mostyn said part of the problem was an absence of “a shared set of facts”, including in online discourse. “There is a big risk that if we don’t, this is the beginning of the unraveling of social cohesion.”
The former businesswoman, AFL commissioner, political adviser and community leader has prioritised civics engagement and education in the role, bringing a less formal and down-to-earth approach. Earlier this month, she hosted a roundtable on social cohesion and civics education with the Constitution Education Fund at Government House in Canberra.
Impact on political candidacy
Mostyn warned the types of people considering seeking political office in Australia is changing because of sustained abuse and threats. Local councillors and mayors told her public life was becoming difficult and unappealing.
“They [have] shared with me that lack of civility in their own communities, as directed to them as elected representatives, has become very very challenging, making it very difficult to seek office,” she said.
Apolitical role and criticism
Mostyn is the Crown’s representative, presides over the executive council, gives royal assent to legislation, appoints ministers, dissolves parliament, and is commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force. She has used social media to educate the public about her role.
Her appointment was controversial, with critics citing her high-profile positions on issues like the voice to parliament referendum. But columnist Chris Kenny, who initially criticised her appointment, later acknowledged he was wrong, saying Mostyn “has been diligent, dignified, hard-working and apolitical”.
Significance of her warning
Kerry Jones, chief executive of the Constitution Education Fund, said Mostyn’s involvement could not be overstated. “If we survive … the fact that the governor general is saying it is a crisis and we need to do something about it, could be seen as one of the most significant acts ever taken, I believe, by an Australian governor general for the good of Australia.”
Jones praised Mostyn’s energy and wisdom, adding: “She cares for every single Australian citizen in every community across Australia, and that radiates from everything she says.”
Mostyn said one of her guiding principles comes from the memoir of Sir Zelman Cowen, who served as governor general from 1977 to 1982. “He says that the governor general can’t just be a functionary, ribbon-cutting, artefact of something. It’s a living job,” she said.
