Change Isn’t Risky – It’s Empowering: How Traditional Voters Are Reclaiming Their Voice with Community Independents

Voting in your own best interests – choosing leaders who represent your values and priorities – is the most powerful thing you can do for your community and the country

By Sue Barrett

Despite the two major political parties and mainstream media’s best efforts to downplay and diminish the growing power of Community Independents, a quiet revolution is taking place across the country. Like cracks breaking through concrete, more Australians are turning toward a different kind of politics – one that values diversity, accountability, and community over stale party lines and vested interests.

We’ve all felt it – that moment in the voting booth, pencil in hand, staring at the ballot with a sinking sense of “Not this again.” For years, you’ve backed the same party, the same team. But now, they feel unrecognisable. Maybe they’re not even seriously contesting your seat anymore, or perhaps their priorities seem completely out of step with what you and your family need.

This election, it’s not about left, right, or centre – it’s about what’s best for each of us, our loved ones, and the community we all share. For too long, the major parties in Australia have relied on our loyalty and complacency, lulling us into a false sense of security while they quietly shifted their focus toward protecting power, donors, and vested interests. But this time, the cracks in the concrete are impossible to ignore, and more voters than ever are looking for something better.

It’s not about abandoning tradition – it’s about reclaiming your voice. Change isn’t risky – it’s empowering.

As Paul Keating famously said, “Always back self-interest; you know it’s trying.” For ordinary Australians, self-interest means looking after ourselves, our families, and our communities – expecting our leaders to prioritise the things that matter most to us. But when the major parties only act in their own self-interest – protecting power, donors, and vested interests – they fail to deliver what we truly need. Voting in your self-interest means choosing leaders who will care for your future, not just their own. It means digging deeper, looking past the slogans, and asking: Does this candidate or party genuinely represent my values, or are they just relying on my habit or loyalty to stay in power?

This election, we don’t have to fall into line with business-as-usual party politics. Many Australians – traditional voters – have already made the switch to Community Independents. What began in 2013 with Cathy McGowan’s historic election in Indi as the first Community Independent has grown into a national movement. By 2019, there were two Community Independents in Parliament, and in 2022, that number surged to eight. These Australians took the leap, voting for something different. And now, they have MPs working tirelessly for their communities with courage, accountability, and integrity. This growing momentum shows that when voters choose leaders who truly represent them, it leads to real change and better outcomes for everyone.

Change Isn’t Risky – It’s Empowering

Switching your vote might feel like a big step, but it’s not about abandoning your principles – it’s about standing by them. Many voters who had supported major parties for decades made the change in 2022 and haven’t looked back. They now have leaders who prioritise their communities over party agendas. These MPs – Community Independents – are delivering real results by championing policies that reflect local needs, not vested interests.

This movement is growing. For the 2025 federal election, there are 33 – and counting – Community Independents running in every state and territory across the country. The swell in numbers in 2022 wasn’t a one-off; it was the beginning of a transformation in Australian politics, one that is offering traditional voters a credible, effective alternative.

Zoe Daniel’s 2025 campaign core message is clear: Independence is the Difference. It’s about breaking free from the constraints of party politics and electing leaders who truly listen to and represent their communities. See Zoe’s 5 February 2025 NPC speech here.

Why Community Independents are the Difference

Biology teaches us that diverse ecosystems are the healthiest and most resilient, while monocultures wither under pressure, unable to adapt or thrive. Our political system is no different. For decades, the two-party system has functioned like a monoculture, promoting rigid groupthink and narrow agendas that fail to reflect the diversity of perspectives, needs, and opportunities across Australia. This narrow focus has held back progress, preventing bold, innovative policies that could lead us toward a brighter, better future. At a time when the human race is experiencing monumental change – technologically, socially, and environmentally – Australia cannot afford to remain stuck in outdated, inflexible systems that no longer serve its people.

Community Independents offer a better way of doing politics – one rooted in diversity, collaboration, and accountability. Unlike the major parties, they are not beholden to party donors, factions, or rigid platforms. Instead, they listen, act, and represent their communities, ensuring policies reflect the real values and needs of the people – not the interests of a select few.

Some ask why Community Independents don’t form a party. The answer is simple—their independence is their strength. By staying free from party politics, they can collaborate, consult, debate, and negotiate to achieve better legislation and better outcomes. This isn’t just a different way of doing politics – it’s higher-order politics. It’s about finding common ground, building consensus, and then delivering real results for communities and the nation as a whole.

Better Outcomes for Everyone

The irony is that by rejecting the one-size-fits-all approach of party politics, Community Independents are achieving better outcomes – not just for their electorates but for the entire country. When decisions are made collaboratively, with input from diverse perspectives, the results are more inclusive, innovative, and effective.

Traditional voters often worry about change, but the truth is that this approach isn’t risky – it’s empowering. Community Independents deliver what traditional party politics has struggled to provide: leadership that truly listens, policies that adapt to local needs, and outcomes that benefit everyone.

Australia Leading the Way

Unlike many nations grappling with the rise of authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic freedoms, Australia is showing what’s possible when politics evolves. Our preferential voting system, independent electoral commission, and compulsory voting already set the foundation for a stronger democracy. The rise of Community Independents takes this further, demonstrating that politics doesn’t have to be about parties – it can be about people.

We’re leading the way in showing how diverse, community-focused politics can deliver for everyone. Let’s not fall into the authoritarian trap that so many other nations are contending with. Instead, let’s continue to build a democracy that thrives on diversity, collaboration, and inclusion.

Changing Your Vote Isn’t Betrayal – It’s Progress

If you’re frustrated with the current two-party systems, switching your vote to a Community Independent isn’t about abandoning your values – it’s about standing by them. It’s about choosing leaders who represent your community and your vision for the future.

It’s time to ask:

1. Do the major parties truly represent my values, or are they just maintaining the status quo and prioritising vested interests?
2. Who will work harder for my community – a party-backed candidate tied to donors and factions, or an Independent who answers only to the voters?
3. Am I voting for this candidate because they have clear, actionable plans and inspire confidence, or out of habit, loyalty, or fear of change?
4. Has this candidate or party delivered on their promises in the past, and do I trust them to deliver for my community’s future?
5. Am I voting for hope and progress, or am I being swayed by slogans, fear campaigns, or a reluctance to step away from the familiar?
6. Have I looked into each candidate’s track record, funding sources, and policies to make an informed decision that reflects what matters most to me?

By asking these questions, we can cut through the noise, focus on what truly matters, and vote for leaders who prioritise our values, our families, and our communities.

A Call to Action

This election, don’t be afraid of change. Many more Australians made the leap in 2022 and now have MPs working tirelessly for their communities. With 33 – and counting – Community Independents running in 2025, the opportunity to reshape our democracy is greater than ever.

As the saying goes, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result doesn’t lead to change – it just keeps us stuck in the same old warn out cycle. This time, we have the chance to break free from that cycle and choose leaders who prioritise our communities, our families, and our future. By stepping away from business-as-usual politics, we can create a democracy that truly works for all of us.

Let’s stop settling for what isn’t working.

Let’s choose leaders who fight for us, act for us, and work for us.

Voting in your own best interests – choosing leaders who represent your values and priorities – is the most powerful thing you can do for your community and the country.

Let’s make this election about creating a fairer, more accountable system – one that works for all of us. Because when we vote for what matters most, we’re not just voting for today.

We’re voting for a better future for everyone.

Onward we press

5 Feb 2025: A great link to Zoe Daniel’s National Press Club speech on YouTube. Feel free to give it a like and comment if that’s your style.

Vote Community Independents: Not shit candidates list

• The Smarter Choice: Why Community Independents are the change we need in Australian Politics
• The Movement we helped build: From Ian Macphee to Zoe Daniel

Ian Macphee Articles

Our Democracy is Damaged – only progressive independents can repair it – 4 Dec 2021

We need independents to check ‘Power Hungry’ political parties – 10 Aug 2021

This article was originally published on Sue Barrett

 

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