Suddenly there’s a whole lot of independent candidates running in Australia looking to copy the Kerryn Phelps success in taking the blue-ribbon conservative seat of Wentworth. They all say they are independent, but they are all sworn to climate action and GetUp supports most if not all of them. So if and when they say they’ll support a Liberal National Coalition government, ask yourself if GetUp is being fooled, or are Australian voters?
New party is born, Abbott says, as go-it-alone candidates join forces:
Brad Norington and Alice Workman, The Australian
“If they band together to promote their cause, they’ve effectively created a new political party,” Mr Abbott said.
“It’s a climate change party — it’s essentially a small-‘g’ green party. But because in seats like these the Greens would not get elected, they’re pretending to be something else in the hope of removing Coalition members of parliament.”
“It’s absolutely crystal clear in this electorate: vote Steggall, get Shorten. And around the country: vote independent, get Labor,” he said. “All of their protestations to the contrary are bunkum, absolutely bollocks, and the fact that GetUp is supporting nearly all of them, I think, further demonstrates the point.”
Mr Abbott said the group was “plainly targeting Liberal members of parliament” and wanted to see “Labor-Green governments”. Mr Wilkie and Mr Oakeshott had “form” in supporting the Gillard government.
The team who aren’t a party (so they keep saying) are helped by journalist Margo Kingston, who writes at NoFibs.
The 15 independents have banded together with a new advert. (Which you can see at Their ABC. Does our national broadcaster show the other parties ads too I wonder?).
Independents can turn elections. In 2010, Tony Abbott would have won the election instead of Julia Gillard and the Labor party if Rob Oakshott and Tony Windsor had chosen to vote with the predominant political choices of their electorates and the parties they used to represent.
Skeptical MP’s are being targeted. You may have no urge to support any political party, but you can make a difference to the few MPs who’ve been brave enough to stand up to the Renewables Religion. They need all the help they can get.