Why a party of Independents will likely be just another party

Managing editor Michelle Pini discusses the possibility of Teal Independents forming a new political force and what this could mean for our democracy.

THIS WEEK saw the first rumblings of the Teal Independents forming a new party.

There is no doubt that the collapse of the Liberal Party, which once included Centre-Right views as well as the RWNJ position it now occupies, has left a void in terms of the party’s broad representation.

This issue has been gratefully addressed so far by the Labor Party, which has moved to the Right, and of course with the success of the Teal Independents.

But will the formation of an organized party of so-called “centrist” Independents represent the interests of those Independents’ voters, or offer anything other than business as usual?

IA. They find the two-party system unnecessarily restrictive because elected politicians must represent their communities, but when they affiliate with a party they almost always vote along party lines.

We have long supported independence in politics and believe that:

‘…True democracy is impossible in Australia under the current party system, which imposes strict party discipline to maintain power and subvert the will of the people.’

From the electorate’s perspective, the political playing field is largely an impenetrable labyrinth, dominated by backroom party politics designed to maintain party control over elected representatives while confusing outsiders.

As Dave Donovan explained in 2011:

‘…Since MPs owe their careers to the party and risk being expelled from the party by voting against the party line, it is clear that party MPs put the needs of their careers and their party ahead of the needs of their constituents; This fundamentally undermines the goal of representative democracy (politicians representing their voters).’

Apparently a third of Australian voters agree.

While minor parties and Independents accounted for only four per cent of the primary vote in 1975, this augmented This means the vote share of minor parties and Independent candidates outpaces the Liberal-National Coalition vote, which is only 31.8 per cent in 2025. This is also just one percentage point shy of Labour’s vote.

Political parties are mainly:

‘…a shortcut to power and influence for vested interests and lobby groups, as political parties also put the needs of major campaign donors before the needs of the general public to ensure that significant donations continue to flow.’

We have always supported independent MPs because they are not limited by party backlot power plays or “one size fits all” policies. These people elected to represent their voters can of course form important alliances, but they can also vote in accordance with their conscience and the values for which they were elected. Of course, it’s not always because of what they do, but more importantly, they to be.

In Australia, both major parties reached a secret agreement:

‘…to enact laws and regulations which ensure that it is difficult, if not impossible, for minor parties or Independents, or at least significant numbers of them, to be elected.’

as described Speechproblems largely organizational:

The difference between an established small party and a large party is a big one. By contrast, the gap between Independent Australia and a party of any size is structural.

Disadvantages have always existed for Independent candidates, but ‘Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Bill 2025 … is designed to strengthen them’:

‘Under the new rules, a single donor can donate up to $50,000 a year to a candidate for Independent Australia. But the same donor could give $50,000 to each branch of a major party; That would mean donations of up to $450,000 to major parties in state and federal districts.’

Which brings us to Teals and the possibility of a new party.

Warringah Independent MP this week Zali Steggall in question Changes to federal donation laws are designed to advantage major parties and “The major parties are trying to rig the game for their own benefit.”

There is no doubt that the political landscape has changed significantly in recent times. The Liberal Party, as we have often stated, was destroyed by the power games of the far right in the background; so that now only a shell of the old party remains; Moreover, it is a weak shell.

One Nation (the official FRNJ party), with the support of the complicit Murdoch-led mainstream media, is enjoying a boom of sorts to happily settle into the collective brainspace of the Coalition parties and enable them to continue their disastrous attempt, at least so far, to move towards the Right.

This is also put forward by Steggal as the main motivation for the establishment of a new centrist party.

Steggall, along with other Independents Allegra Spender And David PocockThey confirmed they were in talks about a potential Independents party to fill the sizeable gap left by the Liberals’ shift to the Right. Like some Teals Monique Ryan And Kate ChaneyHe rejected their participation in the formation of such a party.

But David Pocock said insider Sunday, “lots of chat” It was done for this purpose.

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull put it:

“The more the Liberal Party tries to follow, imitate and copy One Nation, the more it increases the votes for One Nation.”

Turnbull also said Teals had the opportunity to fill the “vacuum” left by the Liberals, but denied his involvement. “I’m actually arranging something.”.

But his involvement, whether academic or applied, offers some glimpses of what this party of Independents might look like.

And this makes sense. Independents have largely filled the void at the site of the former Liberal Party headquarters, leaving behind a handful of Far-Right Liberal MPs who have more in common with One Nation than with the old Liberal Party.

The traditional two-party system is now fragmented, and Independents have a big part in that. It certainly helps that the power brokers in the Liberal party room and their decision to favor One Nation in the last Farrer by-election, which enabled the Libs to cut their lunch, also helped.

If a group of Independent MPs can benefit from the latest changes Election Law This can only be a good thing while maintaining their individual independence.

But maintaining independence can only become more difficult with the establishment of a party. But it can now be made darker with the help of the bigger donors it can attract and the interests they will represent.

It is also a fact that the use of the word “independent” for the registration of a political party is not allowed. AEC legislationSo any new party cannot be even nominally independent.

This new party could see the end of a short-lived era for the Teal Independents, as their independence is their main difference from the major parties.

This editorial was first published as part of the Independent Australia weekly newsletter. Subscribe to IA to access all of our work for as little as $1.15 a week and help power our journalism through 2026.

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