Politics with Michelle Grattan
News:Politics
With the 2022 election looming, local activists are mobilising in many government seats to sponsor independent candidates. The push – stronger and more organised since the 2019 election – is driven especially by concerns about climate change and integrity issues, as well as the general declining faith in the major parties,
There will be substantial money and campaigning help for the more viable independent candidates. Businessman Simon Holmes à Court, with his Climate 200, is putting together a war chest that currently has more than $1.5 million, while former independent member for Indi, Cathy McGowan, who pioneered the “Voices” movement, is assisting local groups with advice on how to mobilise support.
Asked why people have shifted towards campaigns such as ‘Voices of’, Holmes à Court says these groups “are being set up by people who feel really let down”. He says expected target seats include Wentworth, North Sydney and Mackellar in Sydney, and Flinders, Kooyong and Goldstein in Melbourne. Hume may be also on the list. “There is a very strong ‘vote Angus [Taylor] out’ group [that] makes that an interesting seat as well.”
Noting many of the “Voices” groups are in safe seats, McGowan says “there’s a sense that if you’re in a marginal seat, you get better service from either the government or the opposition. But if you’re in a safe seat for either of those teams, you get missed out on… [the locals] want better representation and then they want more, certainly on policy areas”.
She points out crossbenchers can be “really effective. […] And I think people like the calibre of the crossbench. And in many cases they’re much, much more effective than a backbench, either in the opposition or in the government.”
ACTU president Michele O'Neil on John Setka and the government’s anti-union legislation
Corrected version: Richard Eccleston on the electoral mood in Tasmania
Tim Colebatch on the battle in Victoria - and the Senate
William Bowe on the state of election play in WA
Andrew Hughes on political advertising - and Clive Palmer
Caroline Fisher on the spin machines of #AusVotes19
Jim Chalmers on Labor’s budget reaction
Peter Martin and Tim Colebatch on budget strategy and numbers
Jenny Macklin on inequality and Labor values
Ian McAllister on voters and issues in the coming election
Tony Abbott and Zali Steggall on Warringah votes
Kerryn Phelps on medical transfer numbers
Michael McCormack on banks and the bush, and the election battle
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tanya Plibersek on a united Labor
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anthony Albanese on Labor’s road ahead
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Josh Frydenberg on Liberal troubles
Lowy Institute’s Jonathan Pryke on APEC 2018
Andrew Giles on the growing issue of loneliness
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anne Summers on #MeToo and women in politics
Satirist Jonathan Biggins on sending up the pollies
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free