The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has launched a new exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) at Old Parliament House aimed at helping educate Australians about the nation’s democratic history, voting system and how people can play a more active and informed role in it.
Announced by the Federal Minister for Finance, Senator Mathias Cormann with ACT Senator Zed Seselja and Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Ben Morton, the AEC received $6 million in the Budget to design and curate the new interactive public exhibition.
Senator Cormann said the funding would also go towards an upgrade of the National Electoral Education Centre (NEEC), which hosted 90,000 students annually.
“The AEC’s highly acclaimed education centre has successfully taught many thousands of students about Australia’s democracy and electoral system since 2001, but there has never been a space for public visitors to Old Parliament House to have the same educational experience,” Senator Cormann said.
“This funding will also deliver upgrades at the AEC’s education centre which will greatly improve the quality of group learning experiences, including by replacing of out of date touch screen technology allowing those facilities to be used by a wider range of groups than just students,” he said.
Senator Cormann said the exhibition would help boost understanding of how Australia’s system of democracy worked and would be suitable for all ages on a self-tour basis.
Senator Seselja welcomed the project saying it would further enrich the national capital visitor experience.
“There is no better place than Canberra to learn more about Australia’s electoral system and this investment will improve the knowledge base of visitors to Old Parliament House,” Senator Seselja said.
Mr Morton said it was fitting that the AEC’s new interactive exhibition be housed at Old Parliament House given its responsibility to educate, inspire and engage visitors.
“I am consistently impressed by the education program delivered by the AEC at their education centre, which generates both understanding of and enthusiasm for citizens’ roles in democracy through the electoral process,” Mr Morton said.
