Independents for Canberra | |
---|---|
Abbreviation |
|
Leader | Thomas Emerson |
Founders | Thomas Emerson Clare Carnell |
Founded | 29 January 2024 |
Registered | 8 March 2024 |
Ideology | Localism |
Political position | Big tent |
Slogan | "It's time for change." [1] |
Legislative Assembly | 1 / 25 |
Website | |
www | |
Independents for Canberra (IFC) is an Australian political party based in the Australian Capital Territory. [2] The party currently has one seat in the Legislative Assembly, with leader Thomas Emerson serving as a member for the electorate of Kurrajong. [3]
IFC was established in January 2024 by Thomas Emerson, an advisor to independent senator David Pocock and son of former federal Labor minister Craig Emerson, and Clare Carnell, a former Liberal Party member and the daughter of former Chief Minister Kate Carnell. [4] However, Carnell resigned as co-leader on 14 May 2024 due to poor health. [5]
On 8 March 2024, the party was officially registered with Elections ACT, in time for the 2024 ACT election. [6]
ACT Policing acting inspector Mark Richardson was announced as IFC's first lead candidate on 18 May, contesting the electorate of Ginninderra. [7] [8] Later that month, Emerson and Sara Poguet were announced as the party's lead candidates for Kurrajong. [9] [10]
David Pollard, who unsuccessfully contested the 2016 and 2020 elections (the latter with his own party known as "David Pollard Independent"), joined IFC as one of two lead candidates in Yerrabi. [11] [12]
In August, Brindabella IFC candidate Vanessa Picker said in August she would not support Andrew Barr remaining as chief minister. [13] [14] The Labor Party subsequently ran an advertisement that claimed voting for IFC or other minor parties could lead to the Liberals forming government. [15] [16] Emerson later announced that none of IFC's candidates would form part of any coalition government, and would instead sit on the crossbench. [17] [18]
IFC has been criticised for describing its candidates as independents, including by psephologist Kevin Bonham, who says IFC are "not independents". [19] IFC has described itself as a "group of Canberrans supporting community independents", and Emerson says party registration is necessary because of the ACT's Hare–Clark electoral system, which makes it difficult for ungrouped independent candidates to succeed. [20] [21]
IFC has a policy platform which was "developed in collaboration with experts and community members". [22] Candidates are able to act independently, including if they are elected to parliament. [23]
The party has sought to introduce a Future Generations Act, which requires politicians to consider the impact of laws on the next generation, as well as the introduction of a social housing "funding trigger". [24]
The Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It sits in the Legislative Assembly Building on Civic Square, close to the centre of the city of Canberra.
Lyneham is a suburb of Canberra, Australia in the North Canberra district. It is named after Sir William Lyne, premier of New South Wales from 1899 to 1901. The suburb name was gazetted in 1928, but development did not commence until 1958. The streets of Lyneham are named after artists and people associated with the development of early Canberra.
Trevor Thomas Kaine, was an Australian politician who served as Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 1989 to 1991. Kaine was elected into a multi-member single electorate in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, from 1989 to 2001, initially as a member of the Liberal Party and later as an independent.
Andrew James Barr is an Australian politician who has been serving as the 7th and current chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory since 2014 and the treasurer of the Australian Capital Territory since 2011. He has been the leader of the Australian Capital Territory branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since 2014 and a member (MLA) of the ACT Legislative Assembly since 2006.
The 1995 Australian Capital Territory general election was held on 18 February 1995 to elect all 17 members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. A referendum on entrenching the ACT's electoral system was also held alongside the election.
The Molonglo electorate was one of the three electorates for the unicameral 17-member Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly between 1995 and 2016. It had seven seats, and was the largest of the three electorates in terms of population.
Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly occurred on Saturday, 20 October 2012. The 11-year incumbent Labor Party, led by Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, won a fourth term over the main opposition Liberal Party, led by opposition leader Zed Seselja.
A general election for the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly was held on Saturday, 15 October 2016.
Giulia Jones is an Australian politician. She was a member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly representing the electorates of Molonglo and then Murrumbidgee for the Liberal Party from 2012 until her resignation in 2022. Jones was the deputy leader of the Liberal Party in the ACT from October 2020 to January 2022.
The Murrumbidgee electorate is one of the five electorates for the unicameral 25-member Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. It elected five members at the 2016 ACT election.
The 2020 Australian Capital Territory general election was held on 17 October 2020 to elect all 25 members of the unicameral ACT Legislative Assembly.
Michael Hugh Pettersson is an Australian politician. He has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory since 2016 when he was elected as the Labor Party representative for the newly formed electorate of Yerrabi.
Elizabeth Falemaka Kikkert is an Australian politician. She has been a member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly since 2016, representing the electorate of Ginninderra. From 2016 until 2024 she was a member of the Canberra Liberals, until being disendorsed and removed from the party.(subscription required)
Elizabeth Lee is an Australian politician. She has been a member of the Liberal Party and has served in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly since 2016, representing the electorate of Kurrajong. Before entering the ACT Legislative Assembly, Lee had a successful career as a lawyer in the private sector. Later, she became a lecturer at the Australian National University and University of Canberra.
Candice Burch is an Australian politician who was a Liberal member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Candice Burch is not to be confused with nor is biologically related to Joy Burch, who is another member of the ACT Legislative Assembly. Candice Burch was one of three Canberra Liberals who lost their seat in the 2020 ACT Election. Since losing her seat in the Assembly, Candice now works as Public Affairs and Communications Manager for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
The Canberra Liberals, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia, is the division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The party has been in opposition in the ACT Legislative Assembly for much of its existence, but held power with the support of minor parties and independents between 1989 and 1991 and again between 1995 and 2001. It is currently the only state or territory division of either major party to be unrepresented in the Federal Parliament.
This is a list of members of the tenth Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, as elected at and subsequent to the October 2020 election.
The 2024 Australian Capital Territory general election was held on 19 October 2024 to elect all 25 members of the unicameral ACT Legislative Assembly.
Thomas Emerson is an Australian politician who is currently a member for the seat of Kurrajong in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. He is the leader and co-founder of Independents for Canberra.
The Canberra Liberals, the division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), have held a number of leadership elections and deputy leadership elections. The most recent was in October 2024, with Leanne Castley currently serving as party leader.
It's time for change.