#VoteClimate Let's get these Independants In!
Does having independents in parliament make a difference?
I’m going to refer to information from the Climate 200 website that has a good summary of the impact independents in parliament have had in recent times (1):
“In Parliament, Helen introduced an Integrity Act to create a federal anti-corruption commission. Zali introduced a Climate Act that was endorsed by climate scientists and the business community. Both are just a few votes short of becoming law.
It was the strong crossbench of Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott, Andrew Wilkie, and Adam Bandt who helped deliver a price on carbon during the Gillard Government. They also gave us the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which have made strong contributions to accelerating climate action in Australia ever since.”
Climate 200 is a fundraising group that supports independents that advocate for climate action. So they naturally highlight the benefits of having independents in parliament.
But they are not wrong about the role of the crossbench back in 2010. They were instrumental in getting the Labour government to introduce a carbon price. In a previous blog post, there is a graph that shows how carbon pricing led to a real decrease in the amount of carbon produced in the country (during 2011 – 2013).
The time that this mechanism was in place was one of those rare periods in Australia’s history where emissions have truly reduced.
However, soon after the Abbott government won the 2013 election and the carbon pricing mechanism was abolished.
Who says it doesn’t matter who’s in parliament?
Is it possible to get independents into parliament?
Already we have several independents and minor party members in parliament that supports strong action on climate change:
- Zali Steggall (Warringah, NSW)
- Helen Haines (Indi, VIC)
- Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Tasmania)
- Rebekha Sharkie (Centre Alliance, Mayo, SA)
- Adam Bandt (Greens, Melbourne, VIC)
Zali Steggall’s campaign in Warringah in the 2019 elections shows how the impossible – unseating Liberal candidate (Tony Abbott) from a “safe” seat – is possible.
A strong campaign was key – but honestly, it seems like money and exposure played a key factor in this election. . Zali was able to secure around $1 million in election funds. Many of her backers were those advocating for strong action on climate change (3). I have some information on that which I’ll share in another post, but ultimately I have no problem with an independent accepting political donations if they are up against a strong candidate doing the same. At least her supporters have values that align with my own.
Independents are worth backing – money or no money – as long as they are a candidate that represents your values. The importance of putting these independents as your first preference was covered in my blog post Understanding how your vote counts.
So which independents are worth supporting in the 2022 Federal election?
Of course, I’d like to see many independents as possible in parliament that support stronger action on climate.
As noted before, Climate 200 is a fundraising group that has the same aim. On their website, they have a summary of candidates backed by the group (4). These independents are noted as key people to support through other sources (5)(6). They have a real chance at winning thier seats.
The list of independents backed by Climate 200 is summarised below (4). Climate 200 just recently put in a search tool where you can enter your postcode to see if these independants are running in your electorate (in case you don’t know what your electorate is). You can access this nifty tool here https://www.climate200.com.au/candidate-search:
| Name | Website | Seat | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegra Spender | https://www.allegraspender.com.au/ | Wentworth, NSW | Dave Sharma, Liberal |
| Kylea Tink | https://www.kyleatink.com.au/ | North Sydney, NSW | Trent Zimmerman, Liberal |
| Dr Sophie Scamps | https://www.sophiescamps.com.au/ | Mackellar, NSW | Jason Falinski, Liberal |
| Georgia Steele | https://georgiasteele.com.au/ | Hughes, NSW | Craig Kelly, United Austrlia |
| Hanabeth Luke | https://www.hanabethluke.com.au/ | Page, NSW | Kevin Hogan, Nationals |
| Kate Chaney | https://www.katechaney.com.au/ | Curtin, WA | Celia Hammond, Liberals |
| Kate Hook | https://voteforkate.com.au/ | Calare, NSW | Andrew Gee, Nationals |
| Nicolette Boele | https://www.nicoletteboele.com.au/ | Bradfield, NSW | Paul Fletcher, Liberals |
| Zoe Daniel | https://www.zoedaniel.com.au/ | Goldstein, VIC | Tim Wilson, Liberal |
| Rebekha Sharkie | https://www.rebekhasharkie.com.au/ | Mayo, SA | |
| Andrew Wilkie | https://andrewwilkie.org/ | Clark, TAS | |
| Despi O’Connor | https://teamdespi.com.au/ | Flinders, VIC | Zoe McKenzie, Liberals |
| Dr Monique Ryan | https://www.moniqueryan.com.au/ | Kooyong, VIC | Josh Frydenberg, Liberal |
| Alex Dyson | https://www.dyson4wannon.com/ | Wannon, VIC | Dan Tehan, Liberal |
| Caz Heise | https://caz4cowper.com.au/ | Cowper, NSW | Pat Conaghan, Nationals |
| Claire Ferres Miles | https://claireferresmiles.com.au/ | Casey, VIC | Aaron Violi, Liberal |
| Jo Dyer | https://www.dyerforboothby.com/ | Boothby, SA | Rachel Swift, Liberal |
Other independents that also support stronger action on climate, who might have a bit of an uphill battle but are still important to consider are:
- Penny Ackery (Hume – currently Liberal Angus Taylor) https://pennyackery.com.au/
- Deb Leonard (Monash – currently Liberals Russel Broadbent) https://www.debleonard4monash.com.au/
- Suzie Holt (Groom – currently Liberal Garth Hamilton) https://www.suzieholt4groom.com/
- Rob Priestly (Nicholls – currently Nationals Sam Birell) https://www.robpriestly.com/
And don’t forget current independents in parliament that are running for re-election:
- Zali Steggall (Warringah, NSW)
- Helen Haines (Indi, VIC)
I imagine it’s quite difficult for independents to get seen (in fact I didn’t know there was an independent running in my electorate until I checked online). So often we are left thinking that there are only 2 options (Labour and Liberal), with Nationals an option for those in the regions and other minor parties are an option for the Senate (never really for the House of Representatives).
But after the 2010 election, Australians are more comfortable with voting for an independent – I think people are less skittish about it. And the idea of a hung parliament is not a foreign concept.
If you are in one of the electorates listed above, it’s worth looking up the candidates in your electorate to get an idea of how you want to rank these candidates on your voting card. Key tip: never follow the numbering on the “how to vote” cards – come up with your own preferences!
For more information on how to vote, see my previous post on Understanding how your vote counts.
Let’s get these independents into parliament!
xx Tahsin
References:
(8) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divisions_of_the_Australian_House_of_Representatives
