FAQs

The Federal Electorate of Cook

As of October 2024 the boundaries of the Federal Division of Cook have changed. You may be voting in Cook for the first time at the next Federal Election.

What is the value of electing community independents?

Community independent MPs are selected by, for and from the community. This allows them to respond, react and advocate for their community’s needs, with their voting based on community interests rather than party directives.

Although they have not had the balance of power in the House of Representatives in the current government, existing community independents’ voices have influenced debates and discussions in parliament, particularly on major issues such as climate change, parliamentary integrity, and women’s safety and equity. Their involvement has led to improved legislation, including:

●      reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 (championed by Independent Member for Warringah, Zali Steggall).

●      new vehicle efficiency standards for Australian vehicles.

●      creating the National Anti-Corruption Commission in 2022 (championed by Independent Member for Indi, Helen Haines).

●      lowering indexation of student HECS debt (championed by Independent Member for Kooyong, Dr Monique Ryan).

●      making important changes to the legislative process in the Senate (led by Independent Senator for the ACT, David Pocock).

Community independents are also addressing issues long ignored by the two major political blocs. For example:

●      Independent Member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender convened a panel of national experts to develop a tax reform green paper.

●      Independent Member for Curtin, Kate Chaney addressed community concerns by advocating for bans on online gambling advertising and convened Curtin Housing Forums to inform her advocacy on the housing and rental crisis.

●     Independent Senator for the ACT, David Pocock is lobbying for a ban on generative AI in politics before the next election.

The way community independents can engage to develop informed policy positions is significantly different to a typical major party backbench Member of Parliament. Independents have the opportunity and toolkit to inform their policy positions through consulting with subject matter experts, people with lived experience and constituents, through to subject specific forums and regular town halls. In contrast, backbenchers from major parties are directed how to vote by their party leadership. Without the overhead of internal party politics, independents can act with the best interests of their community, while getting things done for the country.

Is Voices of Cook seeking to install another ‘teal’ independent?

The use of the word ‘teal’ has been a useful shorthand used by the media to separate community independents from the red of Labor, the blue of Liberals and the Greens. It is a misnomer as not all   independents elected at the last election chose to use teal as their distinguishing colour. Mostly it was seen as a collective title for a group of capable and articulate women who were supported by their local communities to offer a sensible alternative to the vested interests of the major parties in an ethical and respectful way.

Opponents of community independents have tended to use the term to suggest the independents are members of a party with imposed top-down agendas and funded by bodies that determine their policies.

The reality is that Voices of Cook is seeking a community-based independent candidate to represent the interests of Cook residents at the next federal election. Voices of Cook is involved in a range of community engagement activities to identify what Cook residents see as the important local and national issues and their preference for a candidate who can represent those issues when elected. Issues that were important in the last federal election such as climate change, restoring integrity in politics and ensuring equity for women are common themes; however, a number of new issues are also coming through strongly, which people feel are currently inadequately addressed, such as cost of living and housing and rental affordability.

We have also heard significant disenchantment and dissatisfaction with the predominant two-party system which has failed to address important social and economic issues that have been brewing for decades. It is also due to the failure of major party candidates to seriously seek out or represent the views of Cook residents when they are elected to Parliament.

The desire for the election of a community-based independent in our local community has tapped into an important national mood to seek out candidates who represent their communities with integrity and approach their role in Parliament in a thoughtful way – gathering evidence, seeking out the views of experts and responding to the lived experience of their constituents.

Do community independents create the possibility of unstable minority governments?

This is an argument often levelled at independent candidates, usually by supporters of the two major political parties because of the threat that independent candidates pose to their objective of gaining majority government and the control of Parliament. This argument is often echoed by portions of the media who support these established political parties.

Minority governments have not been a dominant feature of the Australian political landscape. However, the possibility of there being more minority governments in Australia in the future arises from the fact that there has been a long-term decline in the allegiance of Australian voters to the established parties from at least 80% to two-thirds at the last federal election.

The reality is that minority governments are not inherently unstable – Australia currently has three minority governments in Tasmania, New South Wales and the ACT – and most Australians wouldn’t be aware of that fact. Minority governments are a common feature of political life in many democracies around the world – in parts of Europe, in Canada and previously in India. It is only that countries with whom we have had strong relationships, such as the US and UK, have had two party-dominated parliaments, that Australians have thought that this was the norm.  

In fact, minority governments can be far more balanced and productive by forcing the various participants to enter into meaningful negotiations to create carefully considered legislation which responds to the issues it seeks to address. This process can help resolve key issues in the House of Representatives before the legislation is brought to the Senate. The minority Gillard government was seen as one of the most legislatively productive governments as they were required to negotiate on every piece of legislation with the crossbench before presenting it to the Parliament.

Who is funding Voices of Cook?

So far Voices of Cook has depended on the convenors 'passing around the hat' and using the in-kind expertise of community volunteers.  

However, engaging with the community, sponsoring community events and building the digital and analytic expertise to encourage and support a potential local independent candidate to step forward to represent us, requires resources.

We are therefore now seeking donations from members of the public who support the work we are doing.  Just click donate if you wish to do this

While opponents of community independents have been critical of the funding provided to them, the amounts community independents have received have been very small by comparison to the two major parties. The Australian Electoral Commission’s Transparency Register shows that spending in the lead up to the 2022 federal election was $132 million by the Coalition, $123 million by Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, and $116 million by the Labor Party, compared to $21 million spent by independent and other individual candidates. Climate 200 donated $6 million to 19 candidates.