Common Endeavour

A Common Endeavour

Political renewal

Common Endeavour is a proposition for a new political party that shows leadership in governing and works to foster a flourishing democracy.

At heart Common Endeavour is about political renewal. It stems from the belief that political parties are important institutions in contemporary democracies but that our current governing parties are not doing their job very well.

If done well, a new party can provide leadership to support democratic institutions, to develop good public policy, and to govern well. Common Endeavour aspires to be this kind of alternative party of government, working to revitalise democracy by reconnecting Australian communities with each other, with politics, and with their government.

Inspired in the first instance by Simone Weil’s work On the Abolition of All Political Parties and Ted Mack’s career as an elected representative at each level of government in Australia (summarised beautifully in his powerful 2013 Parkes Oration), the commitment of Common Endeavour is to foster a renewed political purpose that will deliver a political party that people can be proud to vote for.

To get to know Common Endeavour better, read about the ideas behind Common Endeavour, email us at Common Endeavour or visit the Common Endeavour journal.

You can also know more about this project by following us on Bluesky, LinkedIn or Instagram.

Where to from here? Check out the Next Steps for Common Endeavour.

The ideas of Common Endeavour

Connecting and Connection

Connection is at the heart of Common Endeavour. Our connections are a vital part of who we are. Recognising how important connection is to our flourishing lets us harness the strengths of connection and face the challenges and pitfalls that can come with connection.

Connection simultaneously recognises our individual autonomy and our interdependence and provides a powerful foundation on which to build an organisation that fosters purposeful and productive self-governance.

Nation Building and the Common Good are two concrete expressions of connection in a political context. They are important ideas for the work, and workings, of Common Endeavour.

Connection in Practice

Nation Building

Political stagnation over the past 30 years has led to differences and divisions being amplified. This makes Nation Building — emphasising our common interests — fundamental to political renewal.

Important nation building activities include: Tax reform, Strengthening engagement and respect for Australia's First Nations peoples, Energy security, secure Housing, and tackling Intergenerational trauma. These activities guide Common Endeavour's policy focus.

the Common Good

the Common Good is what happens when we value and take seriously our relationships with each other. The result can be a physical object (a memorial pool), a service (aged care), or an institution (our legal system).

the Common Good is defined at the community level; your town or neighbourhood, your state, your nation, or anything in between. Recognising and fostering the Common Good is central to the purpose of Common Endeavour.

You can see what we’re writing about these ideas at the Common Endeavour journal. Read more about Connection and sign up for new posts there!

For an idea of where to from here, check out the Next Steps for Common Endeavour.

Common Endeavour

Next Steps

What our politics needs — engagement, care, equity, competence, integrity — is well understood. Embedding these values in a new party of government is a big task; it will require all our best efforts.

At Common Endeavour we are currently conducting a series of informal small group conversations where we explore how to be the party we aspire to be. Our first conversation topic is: Creating trusted space(s) for common sense in political discourse.

(If you’d like to join one of these conversations let us know! You would be very welcome.)

To learn more about what’s important to Common Endeavour, check out our Motivating Ideas page or head over to the Common Endeavour journal where we explore the ideas at the heart of Common Endeavour — Connection, Nation Building, and the Common Good — in more depth. While you’re there you can also sign up for new posts and our newsletter “Not Unrelated”.

You can also support Common Endeavour by telling others about it, joining the conversation at our socials channels below, and by sharing Common Endeavour writing with others.

Let’s start something incredible — something we can be proud of — political renewal that makes a difference.

• Email
• 
• LinkedIn
• 
• Instagram

Acknowledgement of Country

Common Endeavour acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the First Peoples of Australia.

We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.

We pay respect to Elders past and present.

Common Endeavour was inspired by life in Kambuwal, Yuggera and Ugarapul Country. The Common Endeavour project is currently based on that Country and in Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country.

We cherish the privilege of living in this extraordinary, beautiful land of mountains and plains; of forests and deserts; of waterways and lakes and seas; tended for so long with such care by Australia's First Nations people.

Photo Credits

All of the images in these pages are original pictures of Australian First Nations Country.