Voices for Indi

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Voices for Indi
Formation2012; 10 years ago (2012)
HeadquartersWangaratta, Victoria, Australia
Websitevoicesforindi.com

Voices for Indi is a community organisation which seeks to promote and expand participatory democracy within the Division of Indi. Voices For Indi has endorsed two independent politicians since 2013, Cathy McGowan and Helen Haines, both of whom have won their respective elections.[1]

Political scientist Carolyn Hendriks noted the organisation mobilised "disgruntled citizens" through an innovative linking of informal political participation to the formal political system of parliament.[2] Voices for Indi uses the colour teal while the endorsed independents use the colour orange, in order "to delineate its participatory work" from the parliamentarians.[2]

History[]

Voices for Indi was established in 2012 following the incumbent Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella rejecting a proposal for greater democratic participation, stating "the people of Indi aren't interested in politics".[3] The organisation established informal forms of participatory democracy by setting up "kitchen table conversations" and using campaign offices as community 'hubs' for political discussion.[2] Voices For Indi gained notoriety after the 2013 Australian federal election, when independent Cathy McGowan unseated Mirabella with its support.[4]

The organisation inspired the establishment of Voices of Warringah in 2018,[5] who later endorsed the independent Zali Steggall for the Division of Warringah. Zali Steggall defeated the incumbent member of Warringah and ex-Prime Minister Tony Abbott in the 2019 Australian federal election.[6]

Following McGowan's retirement from politics in 2019, Helen Haines was endorsed by Voices for Indi.[7] Haines was elected during the 2019 Australian federal election, and became "the first independent to succeed another in Federal Parliament".[8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Rundle, Guy (6 May 2019). "Everyone wants to be Mr Black — except in Indi, where the colour is orange". Crikey. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Hendriks, Carolyn M. (16 September 2017). "Citizen-led democratic reform: innovations in Indi". Australian Journal of Political Science. 52 (4): 481–499. doi:10.1080/10361146.2017.1374345.
  3. ^ Elder, John (14 September 2013). "Ironies abound in the battle for Indi". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  4. ^ Haines, Nick; Klose, Cambell (10 September 2013). "From little margins, big margins grow". Inside Story.
  5. ^ Chan, Gabrielle (5 October 2018). "Tony Abbott faces campaign using tactics that defeated Mirabella in Indi". the Guardian. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  6. ^ "How Zali Steggall beat Tony Abbott". Australian Financial Review. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  7. ^ Ryan, Kerry (13 March 2019). "A red-hot chance in Indi?". Inside Story. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Election 2019: Helen Haines keeps Indi independent as Cathy McGowan's successor wins - ABC News". www.abc.net.au. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
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