Asked if the recent rise in support for One Nation and its anti-immigration rhetoric had spurred their decision to form a new party, Steggall and Spender said they had been guided by what their voters were telling them."We absolutely hear those grievances," Spender said. "People are frustrated and tired of the status quo," she said, adding that "if I wasn't in politics, I wouldn't know who to vote for".Spender, who won her seat in 2022, said the party wants to "hear from communities beyond our own that want a voice that genuinely reflects them".Steggall, a former barrister and Winter Olympian, has been a federal MP since 2019, after she unseated the former prime minister Tony Abbott in an electorate that had been held by the Liberal Party for more than a century. "We don't want the in-fighting, we don't want the blame game.
We want solutions that will make a difference to us," Steggall said.The new party "offers unity over division and reason over rage," she said, and was an "invitation" to voters "to come and build the kind of Australia we want".Key issues for the party will be housing affordability and cost of living pressures as well as climate change, childcare, education and healthcare.The pair also told local media that Climate 200, a political organisation that has helped fund independents that have won several Liberal seats in recent elections, was not involved with the new party. New electoral funding laws allow political parties a much bigger budget for campaigning, which some independents have said will disadvantage them.Several other independents have ruled out joining, with another two "teal" independents considering their options.The party has lodged an application with the Australian Electoral Commission with registration expected to be finalised in October.Related topicsAustraliaMore on this storyThe outsiders who could shape Australia's electionPublished9 May 2022
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