Independent candidates partly funded by Climate 200 reset representational democracy

Climate 200 is a ​​community crowdfunded initiative established in 2019 to support pro-climate, pro-integrity, and pro-gender equity candidates.

Climate 200 is not a party. It does not start campaigns, select candidates, speak for candidates, dictate policies, or have members.

Climate did not prelect any of the above candidates, control them, or dictate any policy matters.

They simply give strong community campaigns a leg up with funding and support.

The following candidates were partly funded by Climate 200 during the 2022 Australian Federal election:

 Alex Dyson, Independent candidate for Wannon

• VIC, Liberal incumbent

Allegra Spender, Independent candidate for Wentworth - ELECTED

• NSW, Liberal incumbent

Andrew Wilkie. Independent MP for Clark  - ELECTED

• TAS, Independent seeking re-election

Caz Heise, Independent candidate for Cowper

• NSW, National incumbent

Claire Ferres Miles, Independent candidate for Casey

• VIC, Liberal incumbent

David Pocock. Independent candidate for ACT Senate  - ELECTED

• ACT Senate

Despi O’Connor, Independent candidate for Flinders

• VIC, Liberal incumbent

Dr Monique Ryan, Independent candidate for Kooyong  - ELECTED

• VIC, Liberal incumbent

Dr Sophie Scamps, Independent candidate for Mackellar  - ELECTED

• NSW, Liberal incumbent

Georgia Steele, Independent candidate for Hughes

• NSW, UAP incumbent

Dr Hanabeth Luke, Independent candidate for Page

• NSW, National incumbent

Helen Haines, Independent member for Indi  - ELECTED

• VIC, Independent seeking re-election

Jo Dyer, Independent candidate for Boothby

• SA, Liberal incumbent

Kate Chaney, Independent candidate for Curtin  - ELECTED

• WA, Liberal incumbent

Kate Hook, Independent candidate for Calare

• NSW, National incumbent

Kim Rubenstein, Independent candidate for ACT Senate

• ACT Senate

Kylea Tink, Independent candidate for North Sydney  - ELECTED

• NSW, Liberal incumbent

Leanne Minshulll, Independent candidate for TAS Senate

• TAS, Senate

Nicolette Boele, Independent candidate for Bradfield

• NSW, Liberal incumbent

Rebekha Sharkie, Independent member for Mayo  - ELECTED

• SA, Independent seeking re-election

Zali Steggall, Independent MP for Warringah  - ELECTED

• NSW, Independent seeking re-election

Zoe Daniel, Independent candidate for Goldstein  - ELECTED

• VIC, Liberal incumbent

See also 

• Climate 200 - Wikipedia 

Dr Monique Ryan will be a strong independent voice for Kooyong if she is elected

I got involved in politics are working on campaigns to protect Victoria's native forests.  Elections presented an opportunity to get change for the better.  However, we were not able to "make Australia woodchip free in 1993"...

I joined the Greens and was the Greens candidate for Kooyong in 2001, 2004 and 2007 running against Petro Georgiou, a decent and friendly man who showed great compassion to refugees.

I resigned from the Greens in 2011. All political parties carry baggage and pollute democracy. MPs  mostly represent their party as their first priority rather than their constituents.

I ran as an independent (unsuccessfully) for the state seat of Burwood in the 2014 Victorian election.

People mostly join political parties because the believe in something and want to effect change. I was focussed on protecting forests, the environment, climate change and transitioning to renewable energy. 

However, I found myself diverted into lengthy often toxic state and national council meetings. My energy was diverted into internal battles over policy, priorities and pre-selection. All political parties also engage in branch stacking.

When I send emails to Josh Frydenberg asking him to represent my views in the federal parliament he refuses to do so.  Instead I get a spiel from him on what "their policy" is. He has also blocked me on Twitter without any explanation. He's just not a good representative for me and many others.

I am volunteering for Monique Ryan's campaign for Kooyong because I  believe she will be the best person to represent Kooyong in the federal parliament.

Vote 1 Monique Ryan. Remember to number EVERY square.

We want a Federal representative who takes the time to listen, and act and represent us on the important issues - including climate change, an anti-corruption commission, decent treatment of refugees and protection of our environment.

The campaigns such as Monique Ryan in Kooyong, Zoe Daniel in Goldstein, Allegra Spender in Wentworth and other "teal" seats are fantastic and inspiring. 

Thousands of people are engaged and active.

Democracy has been restored to citizens, breaking the shackles of party politics.

Simon Holmes a Court has provided funding for many of these campaigns via the Climate 200 with no strings attached. This has enabled local independent campaigns to compete against well-funded political party campaigns.

One of the great things about Dr Monique Ryan's campaign is meeting new people from all walks of life and getting out and about door knocking, riding bikes and visiting cafes.

Over 2,000 volunteers are united in a common goal - to get Dr Ryan elected in Kooyong.

This is the first time in Kooyong's history that there has been a real contest for the seat. 

This might be the only chance we get, let's make it happen!

See also

• Independent candidates funded by Climate 200 reset representational democracy 
• Monique Ryan will be a great member of parliament for Kooyong. Ignore Liberal dirty tricks! 

Monique Ryan will be a great member of parliament for Kooyong. Ignore Liberal dirty tricks!

With the long 6 week election campaign drawing to a close there is a buzz in the air in Kooyong.

Monique Ryan, the genuine independent for Kooyong, now has a team of over 2000 volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life.  

Josh Frydenberg covets the seat of Kooyong and is desperate to cling to office.

While Frydenberg still has his nose in front (don't believe the polls) he has ramped up familiar dirty tricks.

If the Liberals polling tells them this isn't working they go dirty

• The Liberal Dirt Unit trawls for something they think discredits the other candidate.
• Ramp up attacks via media
• Distribute attack leaflets to all letterboxes (at taxpayers expense!)
• Other Liberal MPs amplify attacks

If they feel REALLY threatened they escalate

• Deface or pull down opponent corflute posters (several hundred of Monique Ryan's have been stolen or damaged)
• Put up anonymous "attack corflutes" attempting to discredit all independents (new!)
• Ramp up personal attacks via friendly media and social media (ads)
• Prime Minister Morrison and ministers amplify attacks
• Attempt get corflute poster banned on residents property (Tim Wilson in Goldstein, )
• Attempt to restrict number of volunteers at polling booths (Kooyong, unsuccessful)
• Lean on the local council to restrict permits for A frames while distributing flyers

They might even get REALLY dirty

• Try to insert someone into opponent's campaign (or try to bribe someone to defect)
• Abuse other candidates and their supporters in public
• Attempt to provoke a confrontation to discredit their opponent and amplify it via media
• Paint over of Monique Ryan's murals! 

Dr Ryan's campaign is positive

Dr Monique Ryan and all her supporters are committed to an honest and positive campaign that includes:

• Community engagement via forums, street walks, bike rides etc
• Door knocking - the entire electorate of Kooyong has now been visited!
• Transparent declared funding 
• Over 2,000 local volunteers
• No dirty tricks

Volunteers pizza night

Door knocking team

Monique Ryan also debated Frydenberg and proved she will be a great representative for Kooyong if she is elected. Here is the debate in full.

Build bike paths in Kooyong not car parks

The recent announcement by Josh Frydenberg (Age 3/3/22) to abandon his ill-considered $65 million funding for railway station car parks in Kooyong is welcome. 

These very expensive "car parks for votes" would have increased traffic congestion and pollution in local streets.

This allocation of funds, which has become known as Carpark Rorts, has been criticised by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) for not being effective or merit-based,

Many local residents oppose these car parks for the following reasons:

• Increased traffic congestion to and around the carparks - up to 800 additional cars per day - with increased pollution from carbon emissions
• Reduced safety due to increased traffic in suburban streets
• Limited parking spaces for locals - most spaces would be occupied all day
• No provision in draft plans for bicycle parking - one car parking space can provide parking for ten bicycles
• Use of council land some distance from the railway stations, instead of using existing railway station carparks

To date, no federal funds have been allocated for building safe cycling infrastructure.

The $65 million would be much better spent building the Hawthorn to Box Hill Trail strategic cycling corridor to provide safe, healthy, car-free, climate-friendly pedestrian and bike transport through the Kooyong electorate. 

Every trip on a bike is one less car on the roads.

Liddiard St car park (proposed)

Wattle Valley Road car park (proposed)

Protest signs in Liddiard St

Protest sign in Liddiard St

Protest flyer

Site of proposed car park in Liddiard St

Protest sign in Wattle Valley Road

Existing car park off Wattle Valley Road

Existing Canterbury Station car park

Location of proposed Liddiard St car park

Location of  proposed Wattle Valley Rd car park

Australian federal election 2022 - consider who you vote for

The next federal election in Australia is approaching. The date is not set - it will be called at the discretion of Scott Morrison, the incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal - National Party Coalition government. He will do this when he thinks he has the best chance of winning.

When will the election be held?

The first date for a normal house and half-Senate election was 7 August 2021 but that date has passed.

The last date for a normal house and half-Senate election is 21 May 2022. This date gives six weeks to complete the complex Senate count and allows Senators to be declared elected and start their terms on 1 July 2022. A mid-May election would be announced in early April 2022.

See: When can the Next Federal Election be Held? – Antony Green's Election Blog

Possible election dates are:

2022: February 26, March 5, 12, 19, 26 (with SA election moved), April 2, 9, May 21 as earlier dates overlap Easter and Anzac day

It is now likely the election will be in either March, April or May 2022

Morrison Government election campaign strategy

Strengths - issues they will attempt to campaign on.

• "Morrison the saviour" - leading Australia out of COVID-19 lockdowns, chastising the Labor states (VIC, QLD, WA) for "causing harm by draconian lockdowns".   See this thread from @aarondodd for more information.

• "Sound economic management" - providing financial measures to get Australia through the finanicial impacts of lockdown.

• Coal votes - keep promoting coal for "baseload power" and the importance of jobs associated with coal mining and profits from coal exports

• Border security - keep refugees detained in offshore gulags to "deter refugees arriving by boats"

• Defence and national security - publicly criticise China about the origins of COVID, human rights, occupation of islands in South China Sea. Keep speculating about possible war with China. Strengthen alliance and "military cooperation" with the United States, Indonesia and India.

Also read Great Scott: the grand narrative of Scott Morrison

Attacks - on other parties and candidates.

• "Labor are incompetent" - Labor is held hostage by Unions and will wreck the economy
• "Independents are stooges" - for other political parties
• "Greens are dangerous radicals" - with extreme left policies that will ruin Australia

Weaknesses - they will attempt to protect against

• Climate change - The Morrison government has set no long term or short term targets for reducing carbon emissions. They claim that "technology solutions" will be effective but there is no evidence that they will. They are still spending money on implausible "carbon capture and storage" projects.

• Great Barrier Reef - in peril from climate change, but the LNP successfully lobbied to stop the reef being listed as "endangered" by UNESCO

• COVID-19 responses 
• Vaccine delays: Failure to get enough appropriate vaccines in time and severe delays in getting the population vaccinated. Orders for Pfizer vaccines delayed for 6 months
• Vaccine politics: Reallocating Pfizer from Labor states to Sydney
• Vaccination campaign: Very poor public campaigns to encourage vaccination
• No quarantines: No provision of safe quarantine facilities - a Federal government responsibility
• Aged care deaths: 700+ deaths in federally regulated aged care homes from COVID-19, and no COVID-19 management plan for them
• Stranded Aussies: Morrison's failure to get home 40,000+ Australians stranded overseas for 18+ months

• Corruption - sport rorts, car park rorts, Great Barrier Reef foundation donation, electoral donations from fossil fuel companies [link]

• Treatment of women and sexual violence
• no action taken on alleged rape of Brittany Higgins in parliament building on 22 March 2019
• Morrison says he was not informed of the alleged rape until 15 February 2021. The Gaetjens inquiry about who in the Prime Minister's Office knew what and when has not been completed and will not be releases (its a cover up).
• Morrison Govt voted against 49 of the 55 recommendations made in the landmark Respect@Work report
• Morrison Govt held  "Women's Safety Summit" in early September 2021 which was a talkfest to "hear from women" - but not enact any new legislation.

Murdoch's Newscorp

 The Murdoch press provide propaganda to support the Morrison government.

Independents are making a stand

Several independent community-based grass roots candidates are running on platform of climate action, integrity and better treatment of women. Candidates include:

• Dr Monique Ryan, Kooyong 
• Zoe Daniel, Goldstein
• Aleggra Spender, Wentworth
• Dr Sophie Scamps, Mackeller
• Kylea Tink, North Sydney
• Zali Steggall, Warringah (re-contesting, won seat from Tony Abbott)

For a video see: The Project (@theprojecttv) December 20, 2021

Some things to consider when voting

• How has your local MP voted in parliament? Find out here: They Vote For You — How does your MP vote? 
• How do candidate's policies and statements align with your values?
• For candidates in political parties - how does their party's policies and statements align with your values
• What are candidate policies and statements on climate change, social justice, peace and environment, health, education and other things that matter to you?
• How have candidates contributed to public health response measures for COVID-19?
• The honesty, integrity, accountability and competence of each candidate.

This upcoming election will have a huge impact on Australia's and the world's future. Use your vote wisely.

Links

• As Scott Morrison feels the heat, Labor and Anthony Albanese must swing into gear 
• Morrison is gearing up for an election based on "freedom". Thread by @AaronDodd 
• Too late now, but ‘let it rip’ might prove tricky for Scott Morrison come election time, Hugh Riminton, The Guardian