Middle Ground

Team Name

GovGoblin

Team Members

Project Description

Middle Ground is a mobile-first web application designed to strengthen social cohesion by enabling respectful, data-informed debate between Australians from diverse backgrounds. Inspired by the community-building elements of Facebook and the structured, topic-focused discussions of Reddit, Middle Ground creates a safe space for users to explore both aligned and opposing viewpoints on real societal issues.

As users debate civic topics, they will be able to access resources gathered from datasets using an openAI tool. This will help encourage more evidence-based debates reduce the spread of misinformation which may harm new Australian citizens. This application will foster stronger community connections and build trust between people and institutions.

Additional note:
Future iterations can use any publicly available dataset to be provided as a resource to fuel evidence-based debates on civic topics, and reduce misinformation

Data Story

Ted had never thought of himself as political. He worked long shifts in the mines out in Central Queensland, and politics always felt like something that happened far away, in the cities. But when debates about coal and renewables hit the news, he paid attention. After all, coal was his livelihood. Every time a politician mentioned the “transition to renewable energy,” Ted couldn’t help but think about his future. Not just his career, but his ability to support his family too.
When Ted tried to express his concerns online, it never went well. No one seemed interested in having a real conversation. Instead, the moment he spoke up, the insults started. People mocked his job, called him a climate killer, and dismissed his hard work as nothing more than destroying the environment. Ted felt silenced. He wasn’t against change, but he wanted to be heard.
One evening, curious, he downloaded a new app called Middle Ground. At first, he just scrolled, wanting to see what city people were saying about coal. Then he saw a debate room titled Australia’s Energy Future – Time to Go Solar with a live “agree to disagree” ratio. Hesitant but determined, Ted decided to join.
At first, his instincts kicked in—he was ready to cut someone off, challenge their data, and defend his point. But he quickly realised that wasn’t how conversations worked on Middle Ground. People weren’t just yelling opinions they were citing official Australian reports, sharing their own stories, and actually listening.
For the first time, Ted felt like he wasn’t in a fight, but part of a discussion. When he joined a debate room and discussed about his life in the mines, the others didn’t attack him. Instead, they acknowledged how critical coal has been to Australia’s economy, and they openly talked about what phasing it out would mean for workers like him. Some even suggested programs to help coal miners retrain for renewable jobs, giving them the skills to stay in the industry as it changed.
By the end of the night, Ted realised something important: maybe coal mining itself wouldn’t last forever—but that didn’t mean he wasn’t needed. He could still play a vital role in Australia’s energy future.