The ‘Voices of’ movement – what is it? Should you join one near you?

VIDEO VOICES OF for Corangamite electorate 4:17 well worth it!

History

Source: Wikipedia

Australia has had a number of independents who have successfully won a seat in parliament, although most of them had the advantage of previously being an MP for a major party, or held a high profile position in the community.

Voices groups are locally organised groups channeling growing dissatisfaction with traditional political parties that are not representative of their electorates.[2][3] The first “Voices” group was founded in the electorate of Indi in 2012 around an identified need for greater democratic engagement at the community level.[4] As of 3 December 2021 there are 38 active Voices groups across 35 electorates in Australia.

Some of the groups are seeking and endorsing a candidate. Most avoid directing their preferences through the use of a how-to-vote card. Some groups are focused on participatory democracy, so are strictly non-partisan and are not seeking or endorsing a candidate. There is also a group seeking to register as a political party, the Independent Voices for the Senate, in order to endorse ‘Voices’ candidates so they will be ‘above the line’ on the Senate ballot papers.[5] No senator has been elected from ‘below the line’ on the ballot paper since the current ‘line’ was introduced.

Is there a “Voice of” Group near you?

Group Electorate State Candidate endorsed at thenext election
YES Voices Aston Vic
ProACT ACT (Senate) ACT David Pocock
Voices of Bennelong Bennelong NSW
Voices of the Upper North Shore Berowra NSW
Voices of Boothby Boothby SA Jo Dyer[54]
Voices of Bradfield
NSW
Nicolette Boele[56][57]
Voices of the Upper North Shore
Voices 4 Calare Calare NSW
Voices of Casey
Vic
Claire Ferres Miles[60]
YES Voices
Voices of Chisholm Chisholm Vic
Voices for Cooper Cooper Vic
Voices 4 Cowper Cowper NSW Carolyn Heise[64]
Curtin Independent Curtin WA Kate Chaney[67]
YES Voices Deakin Vic
Voices of Durack Durack WA
We are Fadden Fadden Qld
Voices of Fairfax Fairfax Qld
Voices of Mornington Peninsula Flinders Vic Sarah Russell[72]
Voices for Forrest Forrest WA
Voices of Goldstein Goldstein Vic Zoe Daniel[75]
Voices of Groom Groom Qld Suzie Holt [78]
Voices of Hinkler Hinkler Qld
Hughes Deserves Better Hughes NSW Georgia Steele[82][83]
We Are Hughes Hughes NSW Linda Seymour [85][86]
Voices of Hume
NSW
Penny Ackery[88][89]
Vote Angus Out
Voices for Indi Indi Vic Helen Haines
Voices of Kooyong
Vic
Monique Ryan[93]
Kooyong Independents
Voices 4 Lyne Lyne NSW
Mackellar Rising Mackellar NSW Sophie Scamps[97]
Voices of Mackellar Mackellar NSW -Nil-
Voices for Mallee Mallee Vic
Voices for Monash Monash Vic Deb Leonard[102]
Voices4GC Moncrieff Qld
Moore Deserves More Moore WA
What Matters? New England Electorate New England NSW
Voices for Nicholls Nicholls Vic Rob Priestly[111]
Voices of North Sydney
NSW
North Sydney’s Independent
Voices of Pearce Pearce WA
Voices4Riverina Riverina NSW Pennie Scott[116]
Voices of Ryan Ryan QLD
Voices of Tasmania Tasmania Tas
Independent Voices for the Senate National (Senate) National Susan Benedyka (Vic)
Voices of Wannon Wannon Vic Alex Dyson
Voices of Warringah Warringah NSW Zali Steggall
Wentworth Independents
NSW
Voices of Wentworth
Voices of Wide Bay Wide Bay Qld

Source: Wikipedia

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