Zali Steggall says donation rules favour teals forming own party but other independents rule out idea | Independents

Zali Steggall says funding rules that disadvantage independents and changes to donations laws are factors in favor of “orange” independents forming their own party, but some MPs have already ruled out the idea.

Sources close to the Cross MPs say discussions about forming an alliance of independent politicians are not new and have been going on for months, but there is no general agreement – even among closer inner-city members called the teals – about such a plan.

Guardian Australia understands Steggall has been one of the most active in discussions about the party structure, while others are less convinced.

Kooyong MP Monique Ryan made a more vague statement on Monday, saying she had made a “commitment” to remain independent in the 2022 and 2025 elections, while rural independent Helen Haines refused to join such a party.

Curtin MP Kate Chaney also confirmed she would continue as an independent.

“I’m interested in working more collaboratively with other competitors on policy – ​​many of our communities have similar values ​​– but right now I don’t think that requires me to be affiliated with a political party,” he said.

Steggall said on Monday there had been “conversations” among cross-raters about how to work “in a collaborative way to be more effective” and cited the rise of One Nation and looming changes to political donations laws as key factors.

“It also forced me to look at the setup and the disadvantages of being independent of the community versus a major party,” Steggall told Radio National about donation laws.

“Spending caps, donor caps. There are a lot of things that favor the major party structures, and again the public was incredibly cynical about this move; the major parties were again trying to rig the game for their own benefit.”

There are also rumors that such a party might try to persuade former Liberal members unhappy with the party’s shift to the right. Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who has taken a friendly stance towards the independent movement, said he had spoken to cross-benchers about the party structure in the past but was not involved in any of the current plans.

“I think there’s a gap for an alternative center party. It’s clear that teal people will be part of it or will do it. But it’s up to them whether they actually decide to do that,” he told Radio National.

The “community-independent” movement saw a group of new crossover candidates join parliament in recent elections; Many share similar traits, such as a focus on the environment and integrity issues while running in seats held by Liberal members, drawing support from the Climate 200 fundraising movement. Steggall came to parliament in 2019 after sacking former prime minister Tony Abbott, while subsequent elections elected ACT senator David Pocock alongside Ryan, Sophie Scamps, Allegra Spender, Kate Chaney and Nicolette Boele.

The grouping is often referred to as teal, but it is not an official party, although the group often advocates similar policies and similar patterns of voting.

Climate 200 had complained that Labour’s new political donations laws, due to come into force in January 2027, would make it harder for the community-agnostic model to continue working, putting limits on how much can be spent in a single seat or a single donor can contribute. Former Climate 200-backed independent Zoe Daniel and former senator Rex Patrick challenged the laws in the high court last year, claiming the changes would harm independent campaigns against incumbent MPs.

It has been discussed for a while that it would be beneficial for independents to establish some kind of party structure in the new model. There may also be benefits in terms of additional taxpayer-funded staff, which Labor, the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens have access to as established parties.

On Sunday, Pocock said he was open to hosting a party, telling ABC’s Insiders there were “always a lot of conversations.”

Ryan said he was working “closely and collaboratively” with his fellow crossbenchers and would continue to be “independent of the community”, but did not rule out supporting a party movement in the future.

Haines, whose nickname Teal is less common, excluded himself from such an alliance.

“Let a thousand flowers bloom; if people want to talk about forming more formal affiliations, do what you can… that’s not for me,” he said.

Liberal MP Tim Wilson, who lost his seat to Daniel in 2022 and won it again in 2025, mocked the party idea.

“I don’t think anyone takes this party seriously. It’s about ensuring their own survival, not the good of the nation,” he told Channel Nine.

Maria Kovacic, a moderate Liberal senator, said no such attempt had been made to her and also downplayed the debate.

“I think it makes it harder for the independents. They’ve resisted the branding of being teal and now they’re coming together as a party on the basis of that reporting, which is going to be challenging for them in their own communities,” he told Sky News.