The Internet Party has launched a collaborative platform to give its members a direct role in leading policy discussions.

Using software developed by Wellington-based tech startup Loomio, the forum platform allows party members to propose, discuss and promote ideas for Internet Party policy.

“It’s important that we allow Internet Party members to draw on their experience, interest and expertise to come up with new policy ideas,” says Laila Harré, leader, Internet Party leader.

“It doesn’t make sense to limit policy development internally, so what we are doing is tapping into our members’ strengths and their interest in participating.”

The Internet Party has been running its policy discussion forum for some time but according to Harré, Loomio allows for new and different ideas to be brought into the mix.

“That process has been more narrowly constrained to taking draft policy to a final stage,” Harré says.

“The Loomio platform – our policy incubator – is complementary to that.

"It allows any member to start a discussion in a member-to-member environment and lead that through to a point where policy ideas are either advanced or shelved by consensus.

"Loomio is an effective and proven tool in promoting our core value of digital democracy, to generate ideas in a way that works without hierarchy or centralised control.”