Booking
Prices from $19
Date & Time
Tuesday, 16 June - Tuesday, 16 June 2026
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm AEST
Location
CIS, Level 1, 131 Macquarie Street, Sydney, 2000, NSW
Join us for the 23rd Acton Lecture at the Centre for Independent Studies on Tuesday 16 June 2026, 6:00pm–7:30pm, 131 Macquarie Street, Sydney.
“A sixteen year old boy can attack Democracy much better than he can defend it,” said George Orwell in 1941. The same could be said today as young Australians register very poor levels of support for our Democracy. The demise in respect for and belief in Democracy is a serious problem which I believe is owed to the prioritisation of minority interests that have weakened if not usurped the very notion of collective commitment to Australian Democracy, what I have called a covenantal relationship between its citizens and the state.
From de Tocqueville to Lord Acton and beyond, the idea of Democracy has developed, not always ideally, and signs of its demise are evident in Australia, making its defence a priority.
Rachael Kohn AO FRSN is an author, commentator, and award-winning producer and broadcaster, best known for her long tenure at the ABC. She has written three books, edited a fourth, and holds a PhD in religious studies from a Canadian university.
Peter Kurti is Director of the Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society programme at the Centre for Independent Studies, and Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Law and Business at the University of Notre Dame Australia.