Flux (political party)

Flux was founded in 2015 by Nathan Spataro and Max Kaye, two software developers from Melbourne, with the aim of addressing what they saw as a disconnect between voters and their representatives. The party's core principle is liquid democracy, a hybrid of direct and representative democracy where citizens can either vote directly on each piece of legislation or delegate their vote to a proxy—such as an expert, a community leader, or even another voter—who votes on their behalf on specific issues.¹ This delegation can be revoked at any time, and proxies can further delegate their accumulated votes, creating a transitive chain of trust. Flux argues that this system would eliminate the need for party discipline and allow for more nuanced, issue-by-issue representation.² The party's platform also emphasizes transparency, with all votes and delegations recorded on a public ledger, and efficiency, by reducing the cost and time of campaigning.

Flux first ran candidates in the 2016 federal election for the Senate in Victoria and New South Wales, but received less than 0.5% of the vote.³ It has since contested several state elections, including the 2018 Victorian state election and the 2020 ACT election, without success. The party's low vote share has been attributed to its novelty, limited resources, and the difficulty of explaining its complex voting model to the electorate.⁴ Political scientists have noted that while liquid democracy has theoretical appeal, its practical implementation faces challenges such as voter apathy, the risk of elite capture by well-organized proxies, and the technical complexity of secure online voting.⁵ Despite its electoral failures, Flux has contributed to public discourse on democratic reform in Australia, with its ideas discussed in academic and policy circles.

Flux's proposed system relies on a custom-built smartphone application, which the party has developed as a prototype. The app would allow users to view pending legislation, cast votes, or assign their vote to a proxy on a per-bill basis.² The party has also proposed a "policy market" where users could trade voting influence, though this idea has been criticized for potentially enabling vote buying.⁶ Flux has emphasized that its system would be implemented gradually, starting with advisory votes and non-binding recommendations, before full legislative authority. The party has also advocated for open-source development of its software to ensure transparency and security.⁷ However, experts have pointed out that the security of online voting remains a significant hurdle, with risks of hacking, coercion, and privacy breaches that are not yet fully resolved.

Flux has had a turbulent internal history, including a leadership dispute in 2017 when co-founder Max Kaye was expelled from the party, leading to a split and the formation of a rival group called "Flux Australia" (later renamed "The New Liberals"). The party has also experimented with novel campaigning tactics, such as allowing non-members to vote in its internal policy decisions via its app, a form of "open primaries."⁴ In 2019, Flux attempted to register in Western Australia but was rejected by the WA Electoral Commission due to an insufficient number of members. The party has also drawn inspiration from the German Pirate Party, which adopted liquid democracy in the early 2010s, though with mixed results.⁵ Flux's long-term goal is to create a "continuous election" where representatives are replaced in real time as public opinion shifts, a concept that remains largely untested in any jurisdiction.

Liquid democracy

A democratic system where voters can either vote directly on issues or delegate their vote to a proxy, with delegation being transitive and revocable.

Proxy

A person or entity chosen by a voter to cast votes on their behalf on specific issues.

Policy market

A proposed mechanism in Flux's platform where voting influence could be traded, though it has been controversial.