On their visit to Canberra for Year 6 camp last term, our students were able to explore Parliament House in order to gain a hands-on understanding of the workings of our democracy. 

Parliament was not in session but they were able to learn about the various layers of government and the safeguards that are in place to ensure fairness and accountability in decision-making. I have heard positive feedback that as a consequence of their visit, many of our Year 6s were avidly following the election. 

Every year, our Year 9s are treated to a unique experience as part of their Nitzan unit on Tikkun Olam and advocacy. They are able to meet with a panel of local state and federal politicians who present to them about their motivations for political involvement and the issues that they see as key to the future of Australia. This always proves to be instructive and it is so admirable that our politicians are prepared to make themselves available for such important events. 

Over the past week, I, like many, have frequently been visiting the Australian Electoral Commission website to obtain updates on various seats since last weekend’s elections. It goes without saying that we have absolute faith in these results. It would not occur to any of us that any of these results have been tainted or corrupted. 

Yet in all the commentary about the election results, one thing seems to have been overlooked and that is just how extraordinarily fortunate we are to live in a nation that provides for free and fair elections. 

There were undoubtedly some very distressing and disappointing moments throughout the election campaign – most notably antisemitic pamphleteering in Goldstein and stunts by Neo-Nazis at a pre-polling booth in Brighton. Nonetheless, the truth is that, by and large, Australians are able to vote in privacy without undue pressure, intimidation or corruption. Some even do so with a ‘democracy sausage’. 

This is something that we should feel incredibly grateful for. It is said that only 15% of the world’s population live in nations that allow for free and fair elections. How fortunate we are to be able to trust in our democratic institutions and processes!

In an Atlantic article entitled ‘Democracy depends on the consent of the losers’, Uri Friedman quotes political scientist, Shaun Bowler, who states that “graceful concessions by losing candidates constitute a sort of glue that holds the polity together, providing a cohesion that is lacking in less-well-established democracies.” This occurred to me as I viewed the election coverage – despite immense disappointment in defeat, most losing candidates seemed to be able to summon the dignity and grace to acknowledge the winner. 

This is not just about winning and losing well, it is vital to reinforcing the veracity of the results and the functioning of our democracy.

Regardless of how you feel about the election outcomes, I believe that we should celebrate the fact that we were able to participate in safety and freedom and with confidence that our vote matters.

I am reminded that we are extraordinarily lucky to live at a time and place in history where we can take this for granted!

Shabbat Shalom,
Marc Light