Connecting to Parliament is based at the University of Canberra's Centre for Deliberative Democracy. Learn more about the Centre here.
Adele Webb is Research Lead in Democracy and Citizen Engagement at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy. Her work examines democracy in theory and practice, with a focus on complex political attitudes and institutional reform. Adele's recent publications include "Does citizen deliberation inside representative institutions enhance legitimacy among non-participating publics?" (2026, European Journal of Political Research) and "The Trajectory of Democratic Innovations in Australia: Between democratic creativity and institutional stubbornness" (2026, European Political Science).
Selen Ercan is a Professor at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy, specialising in the ways deliberative democracy can respond to the crisis of democracy and inform democratic reform initiatives. She has published three books and more than fifty journal articles on deliberative theory and practice across a range of contexts. Her recent books include Mending Democracy. Democratic Repair in Disconnected Times (2020, Oxford University Press, with Carolyn Hendriks and John Boswell) and Deliberative Systems in Theory and Practice (2018, Routledge, lead editor).
Emanuela Savini is Practice Lead and Lecturer in Democracy and Citizen Engagement at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy. Both a researcher and practioner in delberative practice, Emanuela is committed to strengthening citizen-led action and exploring ways citizens can have more influence over public policy decision-making. Her research explores how to build capacity for democratic innovations in public management, including how government organisations adapt and operationalise deliberative engagement practices.
John S. Dryzek is the co-founder of the Centre for Deliberative Democracy. One of the instigators of the ‘deliberative turn’ in thinking about democracy, John is author of more than fifteen books on deliberative democracy and environmental politics. He held the prestigious Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship and he is a fellow at the Academy of Sciences in Australia.
Max Grömping is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University. He studies the dynamics of policy lobbying and advocacy under different political regimes, and how information disorder affects citizens’ trust in political institutions. Currently, Max co-leads two Australian Research Council-funded Discovery Projects on "Public Interest Advocacy in Australian Policymaking", and on "Mapping & Harnessing Public Mistrust".