By Denis Hay
Description
Teal Independents are restoring democracy and integrity in Australia. Learn how they’re transforming parliament and what it means for your community.
Introduction: The Day Politics Changed in Kooyong
It was May 2022. In the affluent Melbourne suburb of Kooyong, locals gathered at polling booths with quiet determination. They would vote out a sitting Treasurer for the first time in decades.
That day, Monique Ryan, a paediatric neurologist turned community-backed independent, defeated Josh Frydenberg, signalling a political earthquake. But this wasn’t about Kooyong. It was a new movement powered by local voices, climate urgency, and a hunger for integrity.
This movement became known as the Teal Independents.
As the 2025 federal election approaches, they are back – stronger, more experienced, and more united than ever. But what exactly makes these independents so different? How are they reshaping Australia’s political system from the ground up?
The Problem: A Broken Political System
For decades, Australians have felt their voices drowned out by party politics, donor influence, and backroom deals. Our major parties often seem more focused on keeping power than serving people. Communities are left behind, climate change is ignored, and political trust is low.
Parliament House feels distant from voters’ everyday realities. Politicians rarely engage directly with constituents outside of election cycles. The policy is shaped in corporate boardrooms, not in neighbourhood halls. Many Australians feel politics is something done to them – not with them.
When Politics Hurts the People
In 2024, Olivia, a single mother from North Sydney, attended a local town hall hosted by her MP, Kylea Tink. She stood up and asked, “Why has it taken a crossbench MP to listen to us about local childcare issues?” The room went quiet. And then, people applauded.
This wasn’t a one-off. Across the country, constituents feel neglected. Communities feel unprotected and unheard, from climate disasters in the Northern Rivers to hospital closures in regional Victoria.
They ask: Why can’t Parliament work for us?
The answer? It can. And in electorates where Teal independents were elected, it already is.
Teal Independents and Community Democracy
Monique Ryan: Science, Service, and Standing Up for Kooyong
Dr Monique Ryan didn’t enter politics for power. She ran because her community asked her to. After decades in paediatric medicine, she understood public health challenges intimately. She also saw how political inaction on climate and integrity affected real lives.
Achievements in Parliament:
• Introduced bills targeting political donation reform.
• Advocated for stronger emissions targets aligned with science.
• Held regular community forums to shape her legislative priorities.
• Supported whistleblower protections and judicial integrity.
She famously told Parliament: “We need leaders who listen. Not donors who dictate.”
The Other Teals: Profiles in Integrity
Zali Steggall (Warringah)
• Former Olympian and barrister
• Introduced Australia’s first Climate Change Bill
• Fierce advocate for gender equality and respectful politics
Allegra Spender (Wentworth)
• Business leader with strong economic credentials
• Pushes for renewable energy transition and future-focused education.
Kylea Tink (North Sydney)
• Health sector leader
• Promotes active transport, healthcare reform, and transparency.
Sophie Scamps (Mackellar)
• General practitioner and public health campaigner
• Champions mental health, sustainable communities, and climate resilience
Kate Chaney (Curtin)
• Former corporate strategist
• Advocate for Indigenous Voice, campaign finance reform, and democratic participation
Each Teal MP brings lived experience, professional expertise, and a relentless focus on what matters to their communities.
New Candidates in 2025 Hoping to Join the Other Teal Independents
A new wave of Teal independents is stepping forward in seats like Higgins, Bradfield, and Sturt. Backed by local groups and Climate 200, these candidates include teachers, scientists, nurses, and community leaders.
One of the most significant developments for 2025 is the entry of a Teal candidate in the Queensland seat of Dickson, held by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. The candidate, whose professional background combines community health advocacy and environmental science, contrasts Dutton’s confrontational style and conservative policies.
• Strengthening local healthcare access, particularly in under-resourced suburbs
• Supporting renewable energy jobs for Queenslanders
• Promoting respectful politics and transparent government
• Listening to residents through local forums and policy panels
She stands for a bold alternative for voters disillusioned by party politics, offering evidence-based policies rooted in compassion, justice, and sustainability.
What unites these Teals?
• Refusal to take corporate donations.
• Commitment to community-led policy.
• Strong climate action and public accountability.
Rebuilding Democracy: The Teal Blueprint
Local First, Not Party First.
Teals answer to communities – not party rooms. They hold citizen assemblies, use independent polling, and engage voters in policy development.
Integrity Over Influence
They fight for:
• Real-time political donation transparency
• Caps on campaign spending
• An empowered National Integrity Commission
Teal Independents Work Collaboratively
Teals work across party lines to get results. They don’t oppose for opposition’s sake. They negotiate in good faith – a rare quality in today’s politics.
Embracing Australia’s Dollar Sovereignty
Rather than obsess over budget surpluses, Teals support targeted investment in public services, infrastructure, and clean energy – backed by Australia’s capacity as a sovereign currency issuer.
Real Representation: Stories From the Ground
• In Curtin, a local disability advocate had direct input on NDIS reform through Kate Chaney’s community engagement program.
• In Warringah, school students drafted a climate submission read in Parliament by Zali Steggall.
• In Mackellar, Sophie Scamps organised citizen climate panels that shaped her position on renewable energy grants.
This is participatory democracy in action.
Summary: A Parliament for the People
The Teal independents stand for more than seats won. They stand for a shift in culture – from power-hoarding to people-hearing. Their stories are about courage, community, and a fierce belief that politics can serve the common good.
As 2025 approaches, they aren’t just defending their seats. They’re leading a democratic revival.
Q&A Section
Q: Are Teals left-wing or right-wing?
A: Neither. They’re community-first, focusing on integrity, climate action, and inclusion.
Q: Who funds Teal campaigns?
A: Mostly local donations and support from Climate 200 – a transparent, crowd-funded initiative.
Q: Can Teals make a difference without a major party?
A: Absolutely. They’ve already influenced climate, integrity, and transparency debates, proving the value of an empowered crossbench.
Question for Readers
Do you think our democracy would be stronger with more community-backed independents?
Call to Action
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an excellent overview
i count myself fortunate to have a community independent member who works tirelessly with and for her community after 50 years in the same safe Liberal seat where we were simply take for granted. and so many people are now actively engaged in the process of formulating policies and campaigning -and having fun too!
Im in Kooyong, and my judgement is that Monique Ryan is a dud, an opportunist. She lacks a willingness to engage with anyone outside her echo chamber.
I’ve emailed her about a number of important policy issues, she doesn’t answer.
They’re not trick questions, they’re reasonable and about issues that the next parliament may have to deal with.
Her professed commitment to transparency and open dialogue is a facade
°°°°°°°°
The Teals more generally would be worth considering if they were a political party. As it is, they lack any coherent policy framework, they have no leadership.
A parliament with 20+ of them all pushing their pet issues, would be unworkable.
Choose a political party.
A commentator,which political party do you suggest?There is little apparent difference between the dregs of either of the fading duopoly.
I agree with A Commentator. While the Teals have been useful in putting Climate Change to the fore, I do not trust them on many issues such as workplace relations or International Relations. As a group of independents they do not have a shared set of policies on which they can be assessed, and if there were more of them in the House of REPS, they would probably cancel each other out on some issues. We have only seen them so far with Labor in power, and whatever you think about Labor, it is a Party of people who are used to negotiating and compromising, and working to achieve the outcome that is fair. I suspect that a Coalition government might give individual independent Teals very little leeway
AC, re. the lack of response to your emails, does it occur to you that she’s just too damn busy? Priorities and all that? I’ve emailed quite a few pollies over the years and have also never had a response. I don’t take it personally, given I’m a nobody in the larger scheme of things. Perhaps you could pay a visit to her electoral office and discuss with her staff?
Thanks for a good article. Save for the use of the term ‘teals’. It’s a nonsense term created by Murdoch and the Coal-ition and eagerly adopted by the MSM and the Shit-lite lot. Community Independents arise from their community and are more responsive to their community and its needs, at all levels. Murdoch and the duopoly is seriously threatened by them and happy to pretend they’re secretly a party and funded by a billionaire. Fact is, Simon Holmes a Court set up Climate 200 to receive funds from those in our community who are excited and hopeful about this development and wish to contribute financially to it, knowing the cashed-up parties we’re up against. Community Independents inspire and give hope to their communities, broadening and securing democracy. It helps to educate and engage people who have become disillusioned and cynical of the corrupted politics as usual. I believe we’re going to see increasing numbers of them in state and federal parliaments. And, as people become more engaged and informed, we’ll begin to restore integrity in the political system and addressing the real issues we should be confronting, rather than the petty play-fighting between the two sides of the duopoly.
Harry Lime, I might get ridiculed for this, but I’ll put up with that.
A few years ago, I read a report that the Australian Democrats were going to be deregistered due to insufficient members.
So I joined, and pressed a number of friends and relatives to do likewise.
I think parliament was more rational with their presence.
They’re a responsible, community based party.
I don’t agree with everything they’ve advocated, but they deserve support.
Canguro- Monique Ryan is on the record as saying she would reply to questions from the electorate. I first contacted her office early in her term
And again later.
There was one particular issue (of interest to me, and where I have a sound level of expertise) where I requested to participate in her community consultation. She didn’t reply.
In 3 years she hasn’t found time?
So in my specific experience, she doesn’t answer questions and doesn’t show interest in gaining input from those outside her echo chamber.