 Hughes was at the first meeting of the Socialist Forum in 1984 and later served in its leadership until the forum dissolved in the early 1990s; the forum provided a space for people on the left to discuss issues outside of existing political parties.The forum was later discussed and misrepresented in Australian politics when Julia Gillard, another member, became prime minister.He supported Mark Latham's articulation of the Third Way in Australia which advocated community engagement and social regeneration rather than market based or top down State interventions.