Goldstein is a federal electorate in Melbourne that was held by the Liberal Party from its inception in 1984 until 2022. Frustration was growing with many constituents feeling as though their local MP was voting along party lines rather than representing community priorities - particularly on climate action, refugee rights, and energy policy.

I volunteered with Voices of Goldstein, a non-partisan, grassroots group that aimed to better reflect the views of the electorate and explore which issues the community cared most about. My role involved facilitating community conversations and managing the group’s social media account.

Goldstein had long been considered a safe Liberal seat, but many in the community felt their voices weren’t being heard -especially on issues like climate action, integrity in politics, and equality. Despite growing discontent, it was unclear whether this sentiment as widespread and whether it could translate into a movement for change.

The challenge was to step past the dominant political narrative and offer an insight into a future with better representation, and to deeply understand what mattered to people across the electorate.

This would require taking the time to have relational conversations and listening closely to people's experiences and concerns.

We adopted a community-first approach, using Kitchen Table Conversations as a tool to spark discussion and gather insights. Hosts brought together small groups of neighbours and friends to talk openly to structured questions about political representation, community values, and key issues.

• As a group, we facilitated over 30 kitchen table conversations to understand community concerns and priorities
• Personally facilitated 2 kitchen table conversations and contributed to the synthesis of insights
• Insights helped create a public-facing report that laid out the key issues the community sought better representation
• Helped lay the foundation for the successful campaign of an independent candidate - unseating the incumbent for the first time in Goldstein’s history

• Good facilitation requires listening more than talking.