Independent MPs launch new Australian centrist party
Two independent Australian MPs have banded together to launch a new centrist political party which they say is a response to an increasingly divisive landscape.
The Community Strong Australia party - launched in Canberra on Thursday - will offer "unity over division and reason over rage", will have no leader and will allow members to vote freely, rather than along party lines.
Its two members - Sydney MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender - are from a group of independent MPs known as "teals" who share socially liberal values and want greater climate action.
The party will offer an "alternate political force" to the current two-party system in Australia, the pair said.
Australia's political landscape had traditionally been dominated by the two major parties - the centre-left Labor and the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, which leans conservative.
Labor won a landslide victory at last year's federal election, securing a second term in power, while the Coalition suffered its worst defeat ever, followed by months of in-fighting.
In recent months, right-wing party One Nation - led by Pauline Hanson - has seen a surge in support, including one poll that found she was the preferred prime minister.
Asked if the recent rise in support for One Nation and its anti-immigration rhetoric had spurred their decision to form a new party, Steggall and Spender said they had been guided by what their voters were telling them.
"We absolutely hear those grievances," Spender said. "People are frustrated and tired of the status quo," she said, adding that "if I wasn't in politics, I wouldn't know who to vote for".
Spender, who won her seat in 2022, said the party wants to "hear from communities beyond our own that want a voice that genuinely reflects them".
Steggall, a former barrister and Winter Olympian, has been a federal MP since 2019, after she unseated the former prime minister Tony Abbott in an electorate that had been held by the Liberal Party for more than a century.
"We don't want the in-fighting, we don't want the blame game. We want solutions that will make a difference to us," Steggall said.
The new party "offers unity over division and reason over rage," she said, and was an "invitation" to voters "to come and build the kind of Australia we want".
Key issues for the party will be housing affordability and cost of living pressures as well as climate change, childcare, education and healthcare.
The pair also told local media that Climate 200, a political organisation that has helped fund independents that have won several Liberal seats in recent elections, was not involved with the new party.
New electoral funding laws allow political parties a much bigger budget for campaigning, which some independents have said will disadvantage them.
Several other independents have ruled out joining, with another two "teal" independents considering their options.
The party has lodged an application with the Australian Electoral Commission with registration expected to be finalised in October.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Two independent federal MPs from Sydney—Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender—have launched Community Strong Australia, a new centrist political party, in Canberra. The party will operate without a designated leader and allow members to vote according to their conscience rather than party direction. Both MPs are part of a cohort of independents known as 'teals,' distinguished by socially liberal positions and support for stronger climate action. They describe the party as offering an alternative to Australia's established two-party structure, dominated historically by the centre-left Labor Party and the centre-right Liberal-Nationals Coalition. The timing follows Labor's decisive federal election victory last year and the Coalition's subsequent worst-ever defeat, accompanied by internal disputes. In recent months, the right-wing One Nation party, led by Pauline Hanson, has gained electoral ground. Steggall and Spender frame their initiative as a response to constituent concerns about political division and economic pressures. They intend to focus on housing affordability, cost of living, climate policy, childcare, education, and healthcare. The founders clarified that Climate 200, an organization that has funded independent candidates, played no role in forming this party. Some other independents have declined to join, while others are still deliberating. The party has applied to the Australian Electoral Commission for registration, expected in October.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Two independent Australian MPs have banded together to launch a new centrist political party which they say is a response to an increasingly divisive landscape.
The Community Strong Australia party - launched in Canberra on Thursday - will offer "unity over division and reason over rage", will have no leader and will allow members to vote freely, rather than along party lines.
Its two members - Sydney MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender - are from a group of independent MPs known as "teals" who share socially liberal values and want greater climate action.
The party will offer an "alternate political force" to the current two-party system in Australia, the pair said.
Australia's political landscape had traditionally been dominated by the two major parties - the centre-left Labor and the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, which leans conservative.
Labor won a landslide victory at last year's federal election, securing a second term in power, while the Coalition suffered its worst defeat ever, followed by months of in-fighting.
In recent months, right-wing party One Nation - led by Pauline Hanson - has seen a surge in support, including one poll that found she was the preferred prime minister.
Asked if the recent rise in support for One Nation and its anti-immigration rhetoric had spurred their decision to form a new party, Steggall and Spender said they had been guided by what their voters were telling them.
"We absolutely hear those grievances," Spender said. "People are frustrated and tired of the status quo," she said, adding that "if I wasn't in politics, I wouldn't know who to vote for".
Spender, who won her seat in 2022, said the party wants to "hear from communities beyond our own that want a voice that genuinely reflects them".
Steggall, a former barrister and Winter Olympian, has been a federal MP since 2019, after she unseated the former prime minister Tony Abbott in an electorate that had been held by the Liberal Party for more than a century.
"We don't want the in-fighting, we don't want the blame game. We want solutions that will make a difference to us," Steggall said.
The new party "offers unity over division and reason over rage," she said, and was an "invitation" to voters "to come and build the kind of Australia we want".
Key issues for the party will be housing affordability and cost of living pressures as well as climate change, childcare, education and healthcare.
The pair also told local media that Climate 200, a political organisation that has helped fund independents that have won several Liberal seats in recent elections, was not involved with the new party.
New electoral funding laws allow political parties a much bigger budget for campaigning, which some independents have said will disadvantage them.
Several other independents have ruled out joining, with another two "teal" independents considering their options.
The party has lodged an application with the Australian Electoral Commission with registration expected to be finalised in October.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Two independent Australian MPs, Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender, launched Community Strong Australia in Canberra on Thursday. The party will have no leader and will allow members to vote freely rather than along party lines. Both MPs are from a group of independent MPs known as 'teals' who share socially liberal values and want greater climate action. The party offers an 'alternate political force' to Australia's traditional two-party system. Labor won a landslide federal election victory last year; the Coalition suffered its worst-ever defeat. Right-wing party One Nation, led by Pauline Hanson, has seen a surge in support in recent months. The founders say they are responding to voter frustration with the status quo and political division. Key policy areas include housing affordability, cost of living, climate change, childcare, education, and healthcare. Climate 200 was not involved with forming the new party. The party has applied for registration with the Australian Electoral Commission, expected to be finalised in October.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
- Two independent Australian MPs—Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender—launched Community Strong Australia, a centrist political party with no leader and free voting for members.
- The party positions itself as an alternative to Australia's traditional two-party system (Labor and Liberal-Nationals Coalition) and aims to address housing, cost of living, climate change, and social services.
- The move follows months of Coalition in-fighting after its worst-ever election defeat, and a recent surge in support for right-wing One Nation party under Pauline Hanson.
- Steggall and Spender say they are responding to voter frustration with the status quo; other independents have ruled out joining while some remain undecided.
- Electoral registration is expected by October; the founders note new campaign funding laws may disadvantage independent candidates.