Turnbull says party of independents could fill 'vacuum' in politics

Lead

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has said teal and independent candidates have an opportunity to fill a "vacuum" left by the Liberals, as several independent MPs confirmed they are in discussions about forming a party of independents. The talks come in response to the rising popularity of One Nation and the far right.

Independent MPs Zali Steggall, Allegra Spender, and Senator David Pocock have confirmed they are in conversations about a potential party of independents, as reported by ABC Australia. The discussions have been described as ongoing, with Senator Pocock telling the ABC's Insiders program that "plenty of conversations" were taking place.

Mr Turnbull, who denied being involved in "actually setting something up," said he had spoken publicly with teal MPs "going back some years" about an alternative. "The teals are the most obvious people to do that, or be part of that," he said, according to ABC. "People feel the Liberal Party has moved away from the centre, which is why the teals were elected. The more the Liberal Party tries to chase and emulate and copy One Nation, the more it builds up the vote for One Nation."

Coverage Comparison

ABC Australia reported that Mr Turnbull made the comments, and that independent MPs Zali Steggall, Allegra Spender, and David Pocock confirmed they were in conversations about a potential party. The Guardian also reported the discussions, noting that Ms Steggall had confirmed long-running rumours about a new centrist party. The Guardian emphasised that funding rules that disadvantage independents and looming changes to donations laws are factors in favour of forming a party.

The Guardian reported that discussions about an alliance of independent politicians are not new and have been happening for months. It also noted that a small group of former Liberal members participated in a Zoom call with independents earlier this year. The discussion did not lead anywhere, but the ex-Liberals on the call said they were still interested in exploring alternatives, according to The Guardian.

Mr Turnbull told ABC he was not aware of a push to poach moderate Liberals, as reported by the Nine Newspapers, but said he "wouldn't be surprised." "People talk about this stuff all the time," he said.

Key Claims

• Malcolm Turnbull said teal and independent candidates have an opportunity to fill a "vacuum" left by the Liberals, but denied he is setting up an alternative party, as reported by ABC Australia.
• Independent MPs Zali Steggall, Allegra Spender, and David Pocock have confirmed they are in conversations about a potential party of independents, according to ABC Australia.
• A Redbridge poll suggested One Nation could win as many as 59 seats in the lower house if an election were held today, becoming the main opposition party. This was reported by both ABC Australia and The Guardian.
• Senator David Pocock said the growing influence of One Nation and the far right had helped drive discussions about a potential party of independents, as reported by ABC Australia.
• Zali Steggall said funding rules that disadvantage independents and looming changes to donations laws are factors in favour of forming a party, according to The Guardian.
• Discussions about forming an alliance of independent politicians are not new and have been happening for months, as reported by The Guardian.
• A small group of former Liberal members participated in a Zoom call with independents earlier this year, according to The Guardian.
• The Guardian also reported that the "community independent" movement has seen a clutch of new crossbenchers join parliament in recent elections.

Perspectives

Malcolm Turnbull

Mr Turnbull said the teals are the "most obvious" choice for a centrist alternative to the Liberals, arguing that the Liberal Party's move away from the centre is why the teals were elected. He denied being involved in setting up a party but acknowledged past discussions with crossbenchers about a party structure.

Zali Steggall

Ms Steggall said she was "open" to the idea of an alternative political party, citing the rise of One Nation and changes to campaign spending rules as key factors. She told Radio National that new laws favour major party structures, and described the public as "incredibly cynical" about the changes.

Senator David Pocock

Senator Pocock said there was "a lot of frustration and anger" in the community over the political system, and that the rise of One Nation and right-wing politics reflected public dissatisfaction with major parties. He said he was focused on his work in the Senate while remaining open to conversations about the future.

Independent MPs opposed to forming a party

Some independent MPs have ruled out joining a new party. The Guardian reported that Kooyong MP Monique Ryan issued a statement noting her commitment to remain independent, and that rural independent Helen Haines had ruled out joining. Curtin MP Kate Chaney said she was interested in collaborating on policy but did not think that required joining a political party.