Governor-General flags adults' democratic literacy as worse than students' and new citizens'

Governor-General Sam Mostyn says adults show the "most woeful lack of understanding" of Australia's democratic system — worse than schoolkids and newly sworn citizens. Speaking on a Guardian Australia podcast released July 31, 2026, Mostyn called the decline a "growing catastrophe" threatening democracy's foundations. The government's representative, not a politician, delivering that verdict — worth noting.