Are you asking (daily? hourly?), what the faark has become of Australian politics??! And beyond?
It’s fair. As I explain in the video, things have got bad. We are in a gridlock. But there is an incredibly cool path we can take this election.
I debated whether to announce this at the moment. I’m sensitive to the pain and overwhelm going down. But I also think we need hope and momentum and engagement at times like this…
I was asked a year ago to run for government in my electorate. I decided it was not the best use of my time, resources and temperament (I’m too firey for politicking). And that I’d be better off setting out to motivate and inspire those of us who #giveashit about the really important stuff that defines a people, a nation, our humanity and who feel disenfranchised and left behind by politics in this country. And to map out a path that can get us results.
I explain things in the video pretty fully. But I’ll do a version below for the written word crew among us. And put in some factlets and links.
First, some little bits to know
I’m not being paid to do this. This is what I feel I can contribute.
That said, you can support my efforts by…well…subscribing to this newsletter would help me sustain a livelihood broadly.
If you want to get involved, follow me on Instagram and Facebook and tell your friends that I’ll be doing the project for anyone wanting a One Stop Shop for how to contribute to real change in this country. Please forward, share, tag in my posts and share this newsletter today.
Oh, and while I’m being opportunistic…subscribe to my Wild with Sarah Wilson podcast. I’ll be doing wild election chats in coming weeks. The episode that has just landed is with Guardian’s political reporter Amy Remeikis in time for International Women’s Day tomorrow.
If you’re an artist, a videographer, DJ, TikToker…etc… and you’d like to contribute, sing out in the comments below. I’ve got ideas for doing some shared stuff.
I’ll be doing interviews, explainers, fun things on my podcast, socials, traditional media, and here.
I’ll try not to be too noisy. But totally get it if you want to mute me for a few weeks. You do this by pressing “follow” on my IG home page and there’s an option to “mute”.
Right, the factlets from the video, in writing
When is the election?
It must be held on or before May 21. The PM will call it when it suits him based on a range of factors. The election itself must then be held five weeks (give or take, pending a bunch of factors) after the writ is issued. May 14 or 21 are likely dates.
Things are bad in Australia (you’re not imagining it)
I’ll flesh these points out down the track…but the central policy issues that define a nation’s sense of identity and wellbeing have been, well, neglected. We are at the BOTTOM on a bunch of global indexes when it comes to:
Climate. Australia ranks last in the world on climate policy. We rate a “zero”.
Integrity.
Gender gap and sexual violence. Australia sits at the bottom of the OECD on women's issues, for example.
Indigenous rights.
I call these the Four Pillars of Care.
So what to do? We need to vote in climate-focused Independents.
In late July 2021 the Grattan Institute released a report that highlighted that Australia is in a grim policy gridlock where important reforms - namely the Pillars of Care - just ain’t happening because politicians from both major parties basically block them. We are a nation going nowhere. The CEO John Daley wrote:
“The most politically realistic path to institutional change is for independent members of parliament to champion institutional changes, particularly when they hold the balance of power.” Whichever party wins the election – Scott Morrison’s LNP, or Labor – is likely to hold a minority government. Which means they will - a lot of the time - need to negotiate with this cross bench of “give a shit” Indies to get legislation through. Which then means these Indies will be in a grand position to bargain with the key Give A Shit issues to get them legislated – things like better climate commitments and a federal anti-corruption commission….all the stuff that has been left behind in this grim deadlock for the past decade or so.
Here’s a short summary of the report. And here’s two articles that explain it in layperson terms.
Make sense so far? Post questions as they occur to you below as we go…
As things stand,
We would only need three additional climate-focused independents
…to hold the balance of power on the issues that matter to us...
As it happens, 30 of these independents have emerged across Australia
It’s a grass-roots, organic uprising that has spawned across Australia in dozens of electorates: Business woman Allegra Spender in my seat here in Wentworth; the incredible single mum of three teens who started the Mcgrath Foundation Kylea Tink in North Sydney; former war correspondent Zoe Daniels in Goldstein running against Tim Wilson; local doctor Sophie Scamps running in Mackellar. Monique Ryan in Melbourne, a pediatric neurologist and the head of a busy hospital department!
***All of that said! ***
I won’t only focus on independents. My aim is to get stuff we care about back on the agenda fast. The independents movement and the fact we can get a shift with only three of them voted in is the best bet on the table so far. I’ll also include information about other candidates from all parties etc who are also running on similar Hope on a Stick platforms.
But isn’t a vote for an independent a waste of a vote?
Previously this has been the assumption in Australian politics – your parents might have said as such. But it’s not the case this election, as per the Grattan report and many other assessments. The landscape is unique this election.
This election, in many of the electorates being targeted, and with the way preferencing works in Australian elections, these independents will only need about 25-30% of the primary vote to win. I’ll explain this later…
Also, remember what happened when Dr Kerryn Phelps won the Wentworth by-election? The cross bench did hold the balance of power (very briefly) and the parliament passed her deeply humane Medivac legislation which gave asylum seekers humane medical treatment. It would never have happened without this set-up.
So is it all legit?
Does it help you to know that there is a shit-ton of momentum behind this movement? This article explains how it’s fast become a threat to the two major parties - they are freaking. This one goes into interesting detail.
There’s the Climate 200 group backed by Simon Holmes à Court which is raising money (close to $6million so far) for the candidates.
There’s also the Australian version of the Truth and Integrity project set up a few weeks ago by former Liberal leader John Hewson and Labor veteran Barry Jones (you read right!), which is getting behind this group of women. John Hewson wrote this great rundown in the Saturday Paper explaining why women are key here. Former PM Malcolm Turnbull and ABC economist Alan Kohler have come out in support.
I cringe to say it, but listing men supporting women seems to cut through.
Why are all the candidates women?
Because, simply, it’s women who happen to be mobilising in these electorates. When it comes to climate action, this is the norm.
I’ll detail further on this down the track. But as my 72-year-old white father says, “It’s time for women, Sass.”
I’ll also detail David Pocock’s campaign to run for the Senate in Canberra at some stage. You can catchup on what a stellar human he is here:
An example of what it looks like?
Yep, exhibit A: Zali Steggall.
Last election a Voices Of group in Warringah mobilised to take down Tony Abbott who had blatantly and destructively blocked all climate policy for years, landing us in the woeful position we are in today. They put forward the former Olympian, lawyer and mum who won the seat (and Tony limped off into history) and she has since been the most powerful voice pushing for climate policy, aside from the Greens.
This article explains things nicely.
Ok, let’s wrap this up.
I’ll be mobilising in and out of Instagram and Facebook and on my podcast.
I’ll be doing a bunch of other fun things, but will loop you in down the track.
I’ll be giving a shit with my dear friends Nicky, Jeanine, Josh, Caroline, Kieran and others who have put their hands up to support this important movement in a vital time in history.
I’m excited. I’d also love you to continue to share this newsletter with anyone you feel would benefit from it. And I (very gently) invite you to hit the “paid subscription” option in the prompt.
Love you all,
Sarah xx
Yo, my Federal election project!