The Growth & Challenge to Australia’s Community Independents Movement this Election, with Cathy McGowan

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In the landscape of Australian politics, something remarkable is brewing from the ground up. The community independents movement has evolved from a rural experiment to a nationwide phenomenon, reinvigorating democracy in my home country. At its heart, this movement isn’t about profile candidates, big funding or big media, but communities deciding they deserve better representation, and doing something about it.

The results have been striking. Seven new community independents were elected in 2022, comprising a cross bench of 16 in total (with 3 new Greens elected then too). Incumbent independents increased their margins. Other so-called safe seats around the country became a contest too, as the major party vote continued to decline to around 33% each, now level with minor parties and independents.

Leading into the upcoming election on the 3rd of May, there are now 37 community independent candidates running, in every state and territory. These campaigns are engaging people of all persuasions in a way not seen for generations, if ever.

Just before the last election I spoke with Cathy McGowan, Australia’s first female independent MP back in 2013. She wrote a book in 2020 about her experience, and it rapidly catalysed a movement. Back then, she talked of the potential to transform politics in this country by 2030. So leading into this 2025 election, I was keen to know how she was seeing things, as the movement continues to rapidly grow, and so too do major party efforts to marginalise it.

Cathy was kind enough to join me for as frank and positive a conversation as ever, and with some surprising takes on things, even risking sounding like a heretic, she says. We start with a brief exchange on what we’re seeing in the US right now.

Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded 7 April 2025.

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Music:

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden.

Indi sings for Cathy, with Sal Kimber.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests.

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Chapters

1. The Promise of Community Independents (preview & intro) (00:00:00)

2. Cathy asks about US politics right now (00:03:00)

3. Surprised by so many community independents elected in 2022? (00:04:30)

4. What did it mean that all the new independents elected were women? (00:05:30)

5. Some of the blokes to watch this time (00:08:30)

6. The Evolution of the Movement (00:09:45)

7. What did it mean that all new independents elected in 2022 were urban? (00:11:45)

8. Does it matter if the professional backgrounds of independents aren’t diverse? (00:14:40)

9. How to read polls suggesting some gains & losses for community independents? (00:15:45)

10. Gender, Money and Media Perceptions (00:19:14)

11. What to do if major party negative campaigns win back seats? (00:20:25)

12. Is this a more pivotal election given major party collusion to marginalise future independent prospects? (00:23:40)

13. The exponential growth of the community independents project (00:26:50)

14. How Community Campaigns Really Work (00:29:18)

15. Confusions around Climate 200 (00:31:00)

16. Is the media ‘getting’ this movement? (00:33:00)

17. What motivates the 37 independents standing at the coming election? (00:34:10)

18. What really excited Cathy about the independents over the last term (00:39:20)

19. Making Democracy Better, Not Breaking It (00:41:15)

20. What most excited us in Curtin and in parliament (00:42:35)

21. Not concerned about the major parties scuppering some of the systemic reforms of independents (00:44:20)

22. The challenge & excitement in applying this community ethos to Agrifutures (00:49:00)

23. Does Cathy still believe Australian politics can be transformed by 2030? (00:51:40)

24. Could an independent be PM one day? (00:53:00)

25. Music (00:54:10)

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