Tom Emerson looks kind of like David Pocock with a beard.
The new “Independents for Canberra” MLA for the ACT’s Kurrajong division also happens to be a former advisor to the independent senator. He ran on similar values to Pocock, calling for an “honest, responsive, constructive approach to politics”.
But unlike Pocock, who in 2022 defeated a Liberal for one of two Senate spots, Emerson on Saturday dislodged a Green for one of Kurrajong’s five (the Territory uses Hare-Clark, with five divisions electing five members each). Independent Fiona Carrick, who was not associated with Emerson’s group, defeated a Green in Murrumbidgee, running on local issues, meaning two of the ACT’s 25 seats are now held by indies — the first ACT-level independents since 1998.
Three hundred kilometres away in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, independent Jacqui Scruby — a former staffer to federal MPs Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall — won Pittwater, making her NSW Parliament’s “first teal”. The fact Saturday’s by-election was prompted by the resignation of a Liberal charged with child sex offences (charges he denies) may have played a role. But losing yet another blue ribbon seat, this time with Labor in power at a state and federal level, spells bad news for the Liberal Party, which looks unlikely to win back its old heartland any time soon.
The weekend was bad news all around for the major parties. While the three new independents were elected on different platforms, all three show that the movement is still going strong, particularly in affluent areas. And it’s siphoning votes from both left and right, increasingly becoming the go-to for those sick of the status quo — or who just want to be heard.
It’s noteworthy that Pittwater turned teal, not at the end of an unpopular Coalition government as with many of its counterparts, but under a new-ish Labor one.
Scruby, who also ran in 2023, is quick to point out that the race was close last time; a majority of Pittwater “voted for change”, though optional preferences meant those votes were split (Labor and the Greens helpfully sat out on Saturday’s by-election).
But there also seems to be a growing recognition that a crossbencher could have more influence in a minority Labor government, increasing the chance of Pittwater’s concerns being heard.
“This by-election, it was a very similar campaign run by both of us,” says Scruby, noting she and Liberal candidate Georgia Ryburn ran on similar infrastructure issues. “What that really meant was it came down to an effectiveness argument … [Independents] can work collaboratively with the government of the day, hold the government of the day to account, work across party lines and actually deliver for their electorate.”
The MP-elect — “a local mum who has been a small business owner and lawyer” — says claims that “only the Liberals can deliver for Pittwater” don’t stand up to scrutiny.
“The reality was at the time of the election we’d had 70 years of Liberal representation, and after 70 years we’ve got two major arterial roads that don’t work,” she adds. “The previous member was very vocal on the issue of funding being cut for Mona Vale Road, but would also lament he couldn’t even get a meeting with the minister — whereas I will pick up the phone and have a discussion with the minister this week.”
Scruby thinks the teal brand has value; it’s something she leaned into. But she cites former Indi MP Cathy McGowan as the true model for community-backed independents — for “mobilising community and involving people in their democracy and doing politics differently”.
Northern Beaches voters have been lucky enough to see the effectiveness of such independents firsthand, says Scruby, pointing to Scamps, Steggall and state independent Michael Regan.
“What we also saw was voters really having the confidence and recognising that this movement is not a flash in the pan,” she adds. “People see the value of independents to work across party lines and to deliver for their communities. And that was a huge stamp of approval from voters.”
Down in the ACT, Emerson also credits existing indies for his success. While “Independents for Canberra” only won one seat, it received 8.5% of the vote, coming close in Yerrabi too.
“People have seen, because of what’s happened federally over the last two elections, that independents can be a really positive force,” he says. “It’s activating our democracy in a really exciting way.”
Despite being the son of a former Labor minister, the movement studio owner says he wasn’t interested in politics growing up. But he was inspired by Pocock’s run, and by seeing “how many new voices were coming into politics”, whether as candidates or campaigners.
Emerson decided to run while working on ACT-specific issues in Pocock’s office, where he often heard from constituents who found the long-standing Labor-Greens government unresponsive and complacent. It was a sentiment he heard echoed throughout the campaign, but voters didn’t see the ACT Liberals as a “viable alternative”.
“People felt kind of wedged in between a complacent government that they were tired of and an alternative they didn’t find compelling, and so were relieved to be able to vote independent instead.”
Of course, independents didn’t win the balance of power on Saturday. Labor secured a record seventh term, retaining all 10 seats, despite a 3.4% swing against it. The Greens lost out, with a 1.2% swing costing them two seats under the “vagaries of Hare-Clark”, though held onto the balance. Emerson says he wasn’t specifically looking to dislodge Greens MPs, who may have ended up victims of a move away from the majors. But there’s no doubt a message has been sent.
I question whether a party of independents is an oxymoron; “INDforCBR” candidates ran under similar branding, sharing one website.
Emerson says there were advantages to running as a “loose coalition”, including the ability to be grouped on the ballot (ungrouped indies struggle to get elected). Candidates were “endorsed” by a committee if they agreed to certain expectations and principles, but had the freedom to set their own policies.
“The goal was to have a constructive, collaborative crossbench. Not a chaotic force, but a crossbench comprised of people who wanted to work together while retaining their freedom to disagree,” he adds. “We were trying to replicate the teal approach essentially, but with more of a cohesive coordination across the Territory.”
Emerson’s idea calls to mind my chat with US strategist (and teal enthusiast) Zack Exley, who believes Australia’s independents should be more centralised. News Corp remains convinced that a “teal party” would be kryptonite to their small-l foes. But it’s clear community independents have more in common than not, as they continue to support and learn from one another — “paying it forward”, as the Pocock protégé puts it.
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