Integrity first for new community independents party, policies to come

Another push for a team of independents to contest the ACT election in October is underway, with strong links to Senator David Pocock.

The Independents for Canberra Party will be launched on 11 February at a public town hall event at the RUC Club in Turner, backed by Senator Pocock, independent West Australian federal MP Kate Chaney and former independent ACT MLA Michael Moore.

The pair behind the new party is an adviser to Senator Pocock and founder of gym alternative Praksis, Thomas Emerson, and Clare Carnell, a barrister, ANU lecturer and daughter of former Liberal Chief Minister Kate Carnell.

Ms Carnell is also married to John Lane, son of former ACT Liberal leader Bill Stefaniak.

Mr Emerson says he will stand as a candidate, while Ms Carnell says she wants to support competent candidates who are ready to deliver for the ACT.

They say the success of community independents such as Senator Pocock and the Teals at the last federal election inspired them to form a new political force to find and support candidates outside the main parties.

The pair says they are responding to community members who are dissatisfied with the current Labor-Greens Government but don’t see the Canberra Liberals as a viable alternative.

After listening to community calls for change, Mr Emerson said he was putting his hand up as a candidate.

“I’ve been speaking with community leaders representing diverse groups of people across the ACT and there’s a big appetite for a community-led independent movement at this year’s election,” Mr Emerson said.

He said the government had stopped listening to people, the Greens were now a party of government, and many MLAs were not visible in their communities.

“This government has been in power for 22 years. More community involvement in how decisions are made is well overdue.

“Things like making every voice heard, not acting for vested interests but in the interest of the community, genuine accessibility so we have MLAs that are actually available to their community, who take action on the basis of what they’ve heard from those communities, and then are answerable for those decisions.

“Canberrans want change and we deserve better representation. It’s time to shift the balance of power in the ACT.”

However, the new party still did not have public positions on key issues such as light rail.

Nor could it say which major party it would support in government.

“We’ll have more to say about policy closer to the election,” Mr Emerson said. “We haven’t had time to have conversations with people across the community and to collect the evidence to develop solid views on those issues.”

When it came to preferences, voters would be asked to put independents first and then have a free choice.

Ms Carnell, who publicly backed the Yes campaign in the Voice referendum, is a Liberal but has since left the party, said Independents for Canberra wanted fresh perspectives, not career politicians.

She said the party was not a flash-in-the-pan operation or something the pair had dreamed up overnight.

“We’ve got a smart, sophisticated, and I think well thought out strategy for success,” Ms Carnell said.

Ideally, it would like to win a seat in each of the five electorates, but that would depend on the number and calibre of the candidates chosen according to strict criteria, with integrity at the core.

Ms Carnell said the party would occupy the sensible centre, saying the left-right paradigm was not useful.

“We want candidates who have never considered entering politics – that’s a good thing,” she said.

“There are talented people all across the ACT who see Canberra’s potential and would make fantastic MLAs.”

But Chief Minister Andrew Barr said independents needed to say what they stood for and who they would support in government well before polling day.

“The question really will be on what platform, what values are they seeking election,” he said.

“The people who fudge on that, the independents who don’t give a straight answer to that question are likely running on someone else’s agenda.”

Independents for Canberra is calling for supporters, volunteers, candidate nominations and RSVPs for its first town hall through the party’s website, www.independentsforcanberra.com.

Senator Pocock, Ms Chaney and Mr Moore will all speak at the 11 February meeting.

This is the third independents initiative to be announced this month.

Small business advocate Peter Strong and public servant, medical scientist and diplomat Ann Bray declared their candidacies just after New Year.

Two weeks later, former Woden Valley Community Council president Fiona Carrick, who ran a credible campaign in 2020, announced that she also wanted to put a team of viable candidates into the field, probably including herself.

The common thread is a belief that while change is needed, the Canberra Liberals are not the answer.

Independents for Canberra say they are already reaching out to other independents to maximise votes in October.