Flinders flounder. What went wrong for Ben Smith and Climate 200?

Although 45% more preference votes in 2025, the independents did not win extra seats in the 48th Parliament. One of the frustrations was Flinders (VIC). Local journo Mike Hast With the story.

During the National Press Club addressSimon Holmes à Court announced the role of Climate 200. “Climate 200 campaigns do not carry out. Climate 200 seats do not target or choose candidates. These responsibilities lie with the communities themselves. Climate 200, these campaigns, town halls and after the election of nominees after countless kitchen table speeches come relatively late in the game.”

This was not the case with Federal Flinders voters. Climate 200 was pulling ropes before the election campaign started. However, their preferred candidate Ben Smith received 21.2% of the primary vote, and the liberal party’s choice for Zoe McKenzie was insufficient.

But first, a little background.

Flinders voters, which cover most of the Mornington Peninsula, have been a mixed suburban and rural area with an hour’s driving distance to the south of Melbourne – a Tor Castle in most of 124 years.

However, until 2025, the ‘independent’ movement of the peninsula ‘movement, in 2019 and 2022, after the strong demonstrations of the independent elections in the federal elections, a steam president won.

When Julia Banks left the Liberal Party and stopped independently against Greg Hunt in 2019, he began to move and put on almost 14% of his first choice votes.

Mornington Peninsula Sounds

In 2021, the sounds of the Mornington Peninsula chose Claire Boardman. However, one of the unsuccessful candidates, the local Mayor Despi O’Connor, still decided to stop. Thus, the growing independent vote would not be divided – there was no way to get out of the task – and two camps emerged.

Then he took out a board to unite anger. At the last minute, Voices chose a new candidate-high profile peninsula, an independent movement defender Dr Sarah Russell.

On the Day of Police, the independent vote went backwards, but not much. Banks had gained approximately 14%, O’Connor and Russell came together a total of 12.5%.

But the most damaging reliability was the loss of reliability. Wasn’t the same kind of fight as the main parties and the independent showing the belly gaze? Two independent fraction licked their wounds and some smart heads began to bring everyone together – looked at the 2025 elections.

Russell, a leading public health researcher and an elderly care defender, formed the progress of the peninsula, trying to bring together independent, labor, greenery and animal justice supporters and thought that the chance of defeating liberals would require advantageous flow of preference.

Russell later formed a group called 4 Independent 4 Flinders or i4F. This group of community began to find a high -profile independent community candidate.

In August 2024, I4F was one of the 200 ‘climate -winning community groups’accelerator grant‘. Russell was pulled aside, believed that it would bring together two independent camps from 2022 and allow the independent movement of the community to make a new start.

Climate took over 200

Although the I4F President told potential candidates that Climate 200 was “mentoring” and that the Climate 200 was not included in the community groups, the C200’s participation was under radar.

But then, many I4F members were very much, 200 ‘strategist’ community group with sea blue colors again branded-Web site and changes in the flyers and ‘Tea’ T-shirts were designed.

Instead of continuing to establish a community, I4F immediately started the campaign under the climate of slogan. Housing. Integrity’.

These issues were not determined by asking the I4F members which problems were important for them.

It was even worse to come. The election process was changed without any explanation to I4F members. Two frontrunner appeared – Ben Smith and Bronwyn Currie. Smith received Guernsey, although I4F members unanimously said that they preferred a female candidate at a meeting in June.

Five people from outside the Flinders voters were employed to carry out Smith’s campaign, including 200 climatic employees.

I Enter Smith

Almost one night, Smith’s face appeared everywhere – in fences, roadside and highways. Large and small signs are not yellow and navy blue, sea blue. More than one brochure was mail in letter boxes, and the inhabitants were under water with internet advertising. It was clear that the campaign had a big budget.

Probably, the Smith campaign Brain Trust’s biggest situation was to hide the strong connection of the Mormon Church with a separatist arm. In fact, in the Christ community, in 2001, the last day, the saints of Jesus Christ’s reorganized Church was a minister. The church is the second largest of the last day of the saints movement.

Campaign Bosses claimed this Media Reports ($) Smith’s Christ membership community was “wrong information .. On the pre -entertainment and election day, campaign workers asked Smith’s Christ Connection community, voters, “in the past”, he said. Considering the latest Facebook posts, this does not look right Here And Here.

A few weeks before the start of the part, all the digital evidence of the Smith’s Christ and the ministry were deleted from the Christ Community website. This caused people to question Smith’s integrity.

While the focus of many community campaigns across the country was making politics different, the focus of Smith’s campaign was to defeat the Liberal Party at all costs, as to adopt the tactics from the liberal party’s game book. These include promises about Mornington Peninsula problems like banning jet boatsOnly raising the peninsula state hospitaland ‘savings’ from 300 meters Arthurs seat Granite Hill from a Journey of Eclipse.

None of these problems is the responsibility of a Federal MP.

During the five -month election campaign, Smith’s best people described the chances of success, but during this modern spin, an unreasonable tactic, but most of the allegations were great. For example, a WhatsApp message sent to volunteers said Smith was on the road to win in the first choice votes.

Big Update! The latest vote shows that we are at 49.2%. This is only 791 votes. 791 votes between us, history or not.

Flinders Result

It was Baloney. The full distribution of preferences showed that it needed more than 115,000 official votes to “make history”.

After McKenzie was announced on May 28, Smith campaign bosses and hardworking supporters entered an Org of Congratulations. “We almost won,” he had a crisis scream.

In washing, Smith’s climate 200 -guided campaign felt strong criticism. A base movement has become a campaign that repeated mistakes made by both large and small parties in the modern age.

What happened to the base campaign? Kitchen table conversations? Integrity? Financial transparency? From 35 candidates listed As donation collection beneficiaries by climate 200, 19 announced his donationsBetween Smith and those who do not.

The concept of Flinders, who won an independent candidate with community supported, did not die. Core groups and members will reform again. The next time they can say to Climate 200: “Of course, we value your financial support, but we want to carry out our own campaign.”

Editor’s note: MWM Climate 200 asked how much they spent on the Flinders campaign and was told to “wait for the AEC statement”.

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Mike Hast started his journalism career on the Mornington Peninsula in 1971, organized a three peninsula article, and now contributed to Radyo Port Phillip’s current Jobs Peninsula talks.