Date: 23rd June 2026

Preliminary findings from the largest study ever conducted into the mental health and wellbeing of Australian politicians suggest the sector faces a governance challenge as much as a personal welfare one, with a significant proportion of elected representatives reporting that poor mental health is affecting their capacity to contribute fully in the chamber.

The Better Politics Study Australia, which surveyed 289 elected representatives across local, state and federal government, has found that 70 per cent of respondents say their role has hurt their mental wellbeing. More significantly for the functioning of democratic institutions, 40 per cent report they feel prevented from speaking out because of it.

Emma Broomfield, founder and lead facilitator of Locale Learning, spoke with Chris Eddy for the Local Government News Roundup, and says that second finding deserves particular attention.

“Whilst it’s a personal issue, it is becoming an issue which is impacting decision making in the chamber,” she said. “People are making decisions in an environment where they may not feel safe, may not be contributing openly to debate and the decisions that they’re making. And really that’s why we elect people — we elect people to do that job.”

The study, which will be released in full in November, included 123 responses from councillors. With approximately 5,500 councillors across Australia, that represents around two and a half per cent of the total cohort — a meaningful sample, though response rates at federal and state levels were proportionally higher.

Contrary to what many might expect, the study identifies social media harm — not incivility in the chamber — as the single greatest detractor from elected leaders’ wellbeing. Broomfield says the hostile online environment is where the most acute harm is occurring, and in some cases it is deterring people from standing for office or prompting earlier exits from public life than would otherwise occur.

Locale Learning will present early insights from the study at a Political Wellbeing Lab, running online on Thursday 2 July from 6:00pm to 8:00pm AEST. Designed specifically for Australian councillors, the two-hour session opens with a fireside chat featuring Cr Connie Boglis OAM of Darebin City Council (Victoria) and Cr David Meacheam of Central Highlands Council (Tasmania), both champions of the Better Politics Study, who will share their lived experience and the strategies they use to sustain themselves in public office.

Participants then move into two 30-minute facilitated breakout sessions, choosing from a range of focus areas including conflict and relationships, digital safety, time and capacity management, and physical and mental health. Each participant leaves with a tailored wellbeing action plan.

The lab also features a partnership with Areto and their Face Forward initiative — a fully funded social media moderation program for women and gender-diverse people in elected positions, developed in partnership with the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at the Australian National University and available to local government across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

The lab will be co-facilitated by Broomfield alongside Anna Miley, Karen Foster (a sitting Moyne Shire councillor and former mayor) and Sandy Killick of Democracy Matters in New South Wales.

Tickets are priced at $250 + GST, with an end-of-financial-year discount of 50 per cent available until 30 June, bringing the price to $125 + GST. Group discounts are also available for councils registering multiple councillors. Further details and registration are available at the Locale Learning website.