
Voices of Wentworth in the Guardian article: "Independents' day: why safe Coalition seats are facing grassroots challenges."
'Some more established groups, like Voices of Wentworth, are holding regular town halls on issues. Covid has limited in-person gatherings to 60, but these are often supplemented with Zoom. The Voices of Wentworth “book club” next week – featuring two local authors, including Marian Wilkinson and her book The Carbon Club – is a sellout.
“This is a transitional time for the independent movement, it’s becoming a force for change,” says Kerryn Phelps, the former independent who narrowly lost to Sharma in 2019. She points to her success with the Medevac bill, Stegall’s climate bill and Haine’s integrity commission bill.
Sharma disagrees. “Only the major parties can deliver major reforms. Independents make much noise but deliver very little,” he told the Guardian. “I’m proud of what I’ve been able to achieve within the government and the parliament. I campaigned on keeping us in Paris and accelerating our transition to a lower-emissions future. As a government we are now committed to net zero emissions as soon as possible, and we will aim to forego our Kyoto credits,” he said.
Advertisement
It is unclear whether Phelps will run again, but the Voices of Wentworth has some unexpected, high-profile supporters, such as former lord mayor Lucy Turnbull, who is also the wife of Malcolm Turnbull.'
Discover the full article in The Guardian here
Comments