Introduction
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The story of the community independent movements is given on the Community Independent Project (CIP) site, so there is no point in me repeating it here.
This page will add a personal perspective to the CIP work. I have written about how I was motivated to write this page below.
I wrote a couple of Internet pages that tended in the same direction as the CIP movement years ago:
- Vote Smart was written in 2005 and was intended to encourage people to think more and look for political candidates outside of the big, old, tired and corrupted political parties.
- My page titled A confederation of independent politicians and candidates was written back in 2006. It was aimed at encouraging independent politicians to work together in their efforts to replace politicians of the old parties.
Community independents concentrate on what matters
Kate (and most, if not all community independents) produce at least an informative monthly update email. Don't expect to see the sniping that is so common from big party politicians. |
If you vote for a politician who is a member of one of the major parties - Liberal, National or Labor - you are voting for a party machine.
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Tree die-off in SA where I used to live
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These trees were defoliated by an exceptionally long, hot, dry summer. Many of them died. See here for more information on this event. In April 2024 the jarrah forests in WA were suffering from climate change too. |
A list of the present community independents...
In alphabetical order the present community independents in the (federal) House of Representatives, and their electorates, are:- Kate Chaney (Curtin),
- Zoe Daniel (Goldstein),
- Helen Haines (Indi),
- Dr Monique Ryan (Kooyong),
- Dr Sophie Scamps (Mackellar),
- Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo),
- Allegra Spender (Wentworth) and
- Zali Steggall (Warringah),
- Kylea Tink (North Sydney).
And then, while apparently not classed as community independents, there are Andrew Wilkie, independent member for Clark in Tasmania, and Jacqui Lambie who is an independent senator, also for Tasmania.
and a little about them...
The community independents have already made parliament a better place and they have started making their communities, Australia and the world a better place too. They have been very active in putting forward bills, positively amending bills, and spreading the word and hope of a better future for Australia's environment and all Australians.
Bellow is a short summary of what the individual community independents have said about themselves on their Web sites...
Some notes on the individual independents
Kate Chaney, Curtin, WA
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Kate states on her Web page:
"As an independent community representative, I am here to represent the values and priorities of Curtin in Canberra, listen to my constituents and drive positive change. I will honour the trust you have placed in me and represent my community with strength and integrity."As the only community independent in my state, WA, and the person who took Curtin away from its previous climate change denying incumbent, Celia Hammond, Kate has particular relevance to my interests. Before Kate took Curtin it was considered to be a safe Liberal seat.
I have heard Kate speak in person twice and was very impressed with what she said and how well she expressed herself. She is plainly, like me, very concerned about climate change and wants to do as much as she can to reduce emissions.
Zoe Daniel, Goldstein, Victoria
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In her inaugural speech to parliament Zoe made several key points:
- Acknowledgment of First Peoples: respect for Indigenous peoples and support of a First Nations voice in the Constitution for self-determination.
- Urgent Climate Action: highlights the pressing need for climate action and a just transition to renewable energy. She calls for ambitious climate policies, enshrining carbon emission targets in law, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.
- Integrity and Trust: emphasises the importance of rebuilding trust in leadership, addressing the fragmentation of truth, and promoting good governance and transparency.
- Personal Experiences: shared her experiences as a journalist covering climate-related disasters globally, which have underscored the urgency of taking action to save the planet.
- Community and Diversity: acknowledges the challenges faced by the Goldstein community, including housing stress, small businesses, and mental health issues, but also highlights the community’s strength and resilience.
- Independent Representation: recognises the role of independent representatives in the parliament and their ability to work collaboratively to bring about positive change.
- Empowerment of Women and Girls: calls for the safety, empowerment, and economic inclusion of women and girls, emphasising the need for affordable childcare and valuing the care economy.
- Seizing the Opportunity to Lead: encourages Australia to lead in innovation and emphasises the responsibility of the parliament to provide policy, stability, and hope for the future.
Helen Haines, Indi, Victoria
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Helen has shown that independents can deliver for their electorates. Quoting from her Web page:
"Since I was elected in 2019, Indi has won 40 per cent of all new mobile phone towers in Victoria under the federal Mobile Black Spot Program. That makes us the most successful in the state.More than $80 million in bushfire recovery funding flowed to Indi, including $5.5 million for D&R Henderson and Ryan and McNulty timber mills in Benalla and $10,000 recovery grants for more than 1300 local small businesses.
I helped secure more than $6.8 million for local renewable energy projects.
More than $10 million has flowed to Indi for projects crucial to our economy, including $5.1 million for the Rutherglen Wine, Walk, Cycle Trail and $3.8 million for Mansfield Autism Statewide Services."
Dr Monique Ryan, Kooyong, Victoria
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- Addressing the cost of living crisis;
- Action on climate change;
- A strong and sustainable economy;
- Integrity and honesty in politics;
- Equality, respect, and safety for women;
- Diversity and inclusion and
- Health care.
- Reduce emissions by at least 60% by 2030, and 75% by 2035. I supported the Albanese government’s 2022 Climate Change Act- but it’s not enough. We need to move further, quickly, in order to prevent further global warming, environmental disasters and species extinction.
- Accelerate electrification and decarbonise our electricity supply.
- Speed up the uptake of electric vehicles, introduce fuel efficiency standards and strengthen emissions standards for transport and other sectors.
- Empower households to make the shift to clean energy."
Dr Sophie Scamps, Mackellar, NSW
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She lists her policy priorities as:
- Climate, Energy and the Environment;
- Cost of Living and the Economy;
- Health and Aged Care;
- Integrity in Politics;
- Arts and Culture and
- Standing up for Mackellar.
Rebekha Sharkie, Mayo, SA
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Quoting from Rebekha's Web site:
"Just some of the issues Rebekha champions in the Parliament include aged care reform, climate action, regional housing, employment and infrastructure, political donation reform, gambling reform and of course honesty, integrity and accountability in politics."Rebekha's success in representing the electorate of Mayo is particularly pleasing to me because it includes the Adelaide Hills where I lived during my first 23 years.
Allegra Spender, Wentworth, NSW
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She lists her policies as:
- Future Focused Economy: Support reform and growth;
- Education: A stronger and fairer education system;
- Health: Prevention, Integrations and respect;
- Climate: Action on Climate and the Environment;
- Integrity: Building trust and ending corruption;
- Inclusive Society: Equal opportunities and respect;
- Environment: Protecting and investing in nature;
- Other Policies: Evidence-based and community-backed.
Zali Steggall, Warringah
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"It’s time for Australia to prosper from our natural advantages – from clean energy resources to ‘can do’ people and smart tech – with a policy platform that sets up our economy and local business for success."and
"I am passionate about climate solutions and innovation to future-proof our economy. I work hard to support equal and respectful communities and restore trust in government through integrity and accountability in politics. As an independent, your views and values are my only priority."
Andrew Wilkie
In the photo on the right Andrew Wilkie, another independent politician I greatly admire, is standing behind Zali. Mr Wilkie is apparently not usually classed as a community independent, I don't know why. Certainly he has done a lot to restore integrity to politics.Kylea Tink, North Sydney, NSW
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Kylea says on her Web site "Based on community surveys, your feedback, and hundreds of conversations with people right across our electorate, I am pushing for progress on five key policy areas." She lists them as:
- climate action;
- a forward-focused economy;
- integrity in federal politics;
- equality and respect;
- and better support for our families and communities.
David Pocock, Senate
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He lists his commitment as:
- Put people ahead of vested interests;
- Restore integrity to politics;
- Take on the cost-of-living challenge and pursue policies that make housing more affordable;
- Ensure we get our fair share of infrastructure investment and other federal funding;
- Strengthen and benefit our local economy;
- Improve safety and respect for women and girls in their homes, schools and workplaces;
- Secure greater territory rights;
- Deliver climate and energy action while reducing household bills and safeguarding the future of the people and places we love;
- Back the Uluru Statement from the Heart to ensure First Nations people have a voice in shaping our nation;
- Be an outspoken voice for Canberrans.
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- 7,758 Constituent emails sent;
- 90 Parliamentary speeches;
- 89 Ministerial meetings and
- 45 Amendments passed.
What motivated me to write this page?
If I had to put what motivates me in general into a few words I might say a love for truth and our shared environment.
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The specific trigger that caused me to write this page was the highly dishonest scare campaign that Andrew Hastie ran against the proposed Bunbury offshore wind farm zone near my home. Mr Hastie is the Liberal Member of the federal House of Representatives for the electorate that I live in, Canning. The proposed wind farm zone will border the southern part of the Canning electorate, and is about 40km from my home.
The burning of fossil fuels is widely recognised as the main cause of climate change, ocean acidification, sea level rise and ocean warming. The air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels kills millions of people world-wide each year. Action to reduce the burning of fossil fuels is urgently needed. People like Andrew Hastie are standing in the way.
Even longer than I have advocated for more independent parliamentarians I have pressed for the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy, especially wind power.
If the Bunbury wind farm zone goes ahead and is fully populated with the suggested 20GW of wind power it will result in a reduction of millions of tonnes of greenhouse carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere annually.
Whether or not you think the offshore wind farm zone is a good idea you should not stand for dishonesty in your local parliamentary representative. Parliamentarians have responsibilities. Mr Hastie is not living up to his.
I have tried to raise interest in finding a community independent in my electorate, Canning.
Well before writing this page I made various efforts to start a movement toward finding a community independent candidate for Canning. I was unsuccessful. But I'll keep trying to do what I can to support the community independent movement.One of the first things I did was to post on a Facebook page 'Mandurah Community'. Some comments were favourable, some not - to the point of being insulting.
Another early try was taping 40 small posters to rubbish bins (I didn't want to deface anything that might cause offence). I had absolutely no response and the posters didn't stay in place for more than a day or two.
I joined a group on a Web site called Signal. I think it was through this that I came across one other person at the far end of the electorate of Canning who was pushing for a Community Independent for Canning.
I've written letters to newspapers, the local one, Mandurah Coastal Times and the state paper, the West Australian. At least a couple of my letters were published, most weren't. I didn't receive any responses from anyone who may have read the letters.
Most recently I've dropped a note into 50 letterboxes as a trial - I received no responses. Had I received even one response I may have gone on to do letterbox drops in hundreds or thousands of boxes.
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What's in it for me?
What do I have to gain by supporting a nation-wide movement toward getting more honest,
progressive, climate-aware representatives into the parliaments of Australia?
I am 78 years old. In about the last 50 years I've tried to make this world that we all share a little bit better place. The list below is just to give readers an idea of my activities:
- Planted thousands of trees on roadsides around Crystal Brook, and on land my wife and I 'owned' in Clare, SA;
- Killed hundreds of feral trees (mainly pepper, Aleppo-pines and olives) so that the native vegetation could recover in the Crystal Brook and Clare areas;
- Donated blood or plasma over 150 times;
- Provided the facts about wind power, put the truth to delusions about wind power and exposed those who have lied about wind power (including Tony Abbott, Angus Taylor, Alan Jones, Connie Bonaros, Celia Hammond, Scott Morrison and many others);
- Taken part in a 325km walk from Port Augusta to Adelaide for solar thermal power at Port Augusta;
- Taken part in a 750km walk from Melbourne to Canberra to deliver a petition asking for action on climate change;
- Worked to improve a park outside of Crystal Brook;
- Played a big part in developing Gleeson Wetlands in Clare, SA;
- Spent many hours picking up rubbish from public places in SA and WA;
- Revegetated a piece of neglected land in Crystal Brook, SA, turning it into a park that the local people could be proud of, against the opposition of the authorities;
- Since moving to WA from SA two years ago, removing tens of thousands invasive weeds from parks, reserves and public paths within a few kilometres of my new home in Erskine, Mandurah.
If, in my last years, I could take part in a movement that will replace tired, dishonest, fossil-fuel obsessed, renewable energy opposing politicians with honest progressive community independents who will work to reduce Australia's greenhouse emissions it would nicely cap off my declining years.