Independents' Day : The inside story of the community independents and volunteers who changed Australian politics forever

by Brook Turner

As Australia headed into the 2022 election, the media focused on the usual two-horse race. They ran photos of Scott Morrison in high-vis, and trapped Anthony Albanese with gotcha questions. But in community halls and online forums, suburban streets and country towns, a very different kind of political change was already well underway.

Brimful of enthusiasm, novice candidates, volunteers and campaigners were making it up as they went, with teams often working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, not daring to believe they might succeed. Everyday people in the safest Liberal seats donned teal, pink and purple T-shirts, turned up at railway stations at dawn and danced through shopping centres at lunch time. They wanted real action on climate change, integrity in politics, and gender equality. And they had found strong candidates willing to listen.

Journalist Brook Turner spoke to all the key players and watched the campaigns as they came of age. He tells the inside story of the grassroots movement that has up-ended politics in Australia. He explains how and why a community politics model minted in Cathy McGowan's campaign in rural Victoria has been adopted around the country, fuelled by local fundraising, Climate 200 and disgust with political jobs for the boys. He also examines why the established parties misread the public mood, and why the community activist genie unleashed at the 2022 election is unlikely to go back into the two-party bottle anytime soon.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

304 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2022

Reviews

[MargCal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ☆
Finished reading ... Independents' Day: The inside story of the community independents and volunteers who changed Australian politics forever / Brook Turner … 31 January 2023
ISBN: 9781761067976 … 291 pp.

This book covers the 2022 Australian federal election from the point of view of the independent candidates who stood and the record number of whom won. It was a turning point in Australian political history. Reading this really did make me feel like I'm part of that history.

I was a volunteer in my now local MP's campaign, a smaller cog than many but nevertheless I did what I could. I borrowed this book from my local library and, flicking through the photos before reading, I saw me (partially hidden) at my MP's election night party – an 'exclusive' band of about 1,200 people having the best night ever. So I returned the library book and bought my own copy. Such is vanity!

On the book itself. The writing is a bit choppy but it does cover a lot of ground. It's quite Sydney-centric with much about the 'movers and shakers' and their various connections, extending across to Perth. A very 'old school tie' feel about it, not that that was literally the connection.

That said, much more of Australia was covered, pretty much anyone who had anything to do with the fundraising body Climate200, whether funds were received from them or not. It's just that it doesn't go into as much detail for some as for others. Perhaps some of that detail could have been omitted rather than including more for those who don't get it.

Because I had been involved, I knew quite a bit that is in the book. But not all by any means. The biggest disappointment for me though was that there was only a very passing mention of Dai Le in the seat of Fowler. She was not a 'teal' in any way and it is as though she was given no hope of beating the high-profile Labor candidate. Thus, neither she nor her team were interviewed during her campaign as all the others in this book were, winners and losers both. There is no reason why an extensive interview after she won could not have sufficed. As a very different, largely self-funded candidate, her story would be every bit as interesting as the others and would have made a good contrast to the so-called 'teals'.

The final chapter refers to the mainstream media and political pundits who didn't seem to get that so many people, with similar views and following in the path of Cathy McGowan who unexpectedly (for the then sitting member at least!) won the seat of Indi in 2013, could remain independent, let alone win. It was a line pushed especially by the Liberal Party. That Party still seems not to get it if their post-election review is anything to go by.

In some parts there is a bit much detail and there is probably a better book to be written.
However, this is a good book for two different groups of people.
-1. Those involved in the campaigning who want a better overview of how things worked nationally.
-2. Those who still hold the very mistaken view that these independents are not independent.

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2022 Federal Election over 8 Independents were elected and some tossing out incumbents who had represented the Liberal Party in their electorate since federation. This was not something which happened overnight. This was not 8 people thinking it would be good to get into parliament and standing. This reflected widespread and different community groups across Australia wanting change, working to get Climate Change on the political agenda, wanting more women in parliament and wanting our political representatives to be people of integrity and actually represent their electorate. This book chronicles these vastly different groups, the immense dissatisfaction with our politicians and the role of Simon Holmes a Courtes Climate 200 campaign. This is an easy read, well written and interesting. Turner has interviewed all the key people involved, not just the candidates but also those who worked behind the scenes organising the most professional of campaigns in their own time.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turner brings great insight in the independent movement in the May 2'22 election. While he spends the most time with Allegra Spender in Wentworth, he does an excellent job covering independent candidates throughout the nation - in the city and the county. He talk to candidates who won seat, but also to those who lost. He understands that the role of the Community organizing groups led by Cathy McGowan is just as important as the funding from Climate 200. This is a perceptive book worth a read!

[Tom J · Rating 3 out of 5]

not as good as i’d hoped, covers the events in sufficient detail, but somehow manages to ignore the character of the people getting elected. is it particularly surprising that the incredibly white, rich, well connected former liberals got elected? it’s clearly a big blind spot for the author, who seems to have completely missed it

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When you're sworn into parliament, all you have to do is swear an oath or an affirmation of allegiance to the Queen. It's not [to] the Australian constitution, and it's not to the Australian parliament or the Australian people"

[Faye Hollands · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look into how the independents did what they did in the May 2022 election and a broader discussion on the power of community. So much work went into these campaigns that you just don't see from the outside.

[Elisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little depressing seeing inside the sausage factory of politics. But an interesting read and a good idea to understand the (hopeful) shift in Australian politics.

[Chris Waterford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found enough that was interesting in this book to satisfy the craving that a political junkie needs---but a lot of it was pretty boring.
7/10