Teal independent backer Simon Holmes à Court’s Climate 200 launches South Australian push

The teal independent movement that up-ended federal politics is capitalising on Liberal woes after a Dunstan by-election shock loss.

The teal independent movement that up-ended federal politics is pushing into South Australia, aiming to capitalise on Liberal turmoil after the Dunstan by-election loss.

Wealthy activist Simon Holmes à Court, who has helped bankroll the so-called teals, is spearheading speakers at his Climate 200 group’s first SA event, in Adelaide on April 17.

In a promotional email, Climate 200 head of community Susie Bayes highlights the extraordinary Liberal by-election result and conservative firebrand Alex Antic deposing former Cabinet minister Anne Ruston at the top of the party’s Senate ticket.

Climate 200’s Simon Holmes a’ Court.

Teal independents backed by Climate 200 dislodged a swag of Liberals in blue-ribbon seats at the 2022 federal election, including the-then treasurer Josh Frydenberg in the one-time Melbourne stronghold of Kooyong.

Climate 200 funded Mayo MP Rebekah Sharkie, plus unsuccessful independents Jo Dyer and Liz Habermann, at the 2022 poll but Mr Holmes à Court is now spearheading the group’s “first community event” in SA.

Ms Bayes’ email trumpets the “huge swing against the Liberal Party” in the inner eastern Adelaide seat of Dunstan at the March 23 state by-election, and the previous weekend’s preselection ballot giving “anti-woke Alex Antic the top spot on the Senate ticket – a man that former colleagues have described as Trumpian”.

“His promotion over former Cabinet minister Anne Ruston has rung alarm bells (again) about the party’s persistent inability to preselect women in winning positions,” she says.

“This is the kind of politics that inspired so many to join the community independents’ movement.

“Thousands of people joined and supported independent political campaigns because they wanted to do politics differently.”

Climate 200 convenor Simon Holmes a’ Court outside a polling booth in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn at the 2022 election, in support of independent candidate Dr Monique Ryan. Picture: Hugo Timms News Corp Australia

Climate 200 executive director Byron Fay told The Advertiser: “Dozens of communities across the country have been inspired by what was achieved at the 2022 federal election, and are looking to replicate the success of community independents in their own seats.

“There’s a lot of potential for independent campaigns to be successful in South Australia, and a lot of community interest.”

A high-profile teal independent would put Liberal Sturt MP James Stevens under huge pressure in the Coalition’s second-most marginal seat, which he holds with a wafer-thin 0.5 per cent margin.

The inner eastern Adelaide electorate, which Mr Stevens has held since 2019 after taking over from Christopher Pyne, includes the state seat of Dunstan.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, whose party drew almost 20 per cent of first-preference votes in the state seat of Dunstan. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Climate 200 Liberal attack echoes that of Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, whose party drew almost 20 per cent of first-preference votes in Dunstan.

She issued a campaign message attacking Senator Antic leading the Liberal Senate ticket and accusing the party of sidelining and silencing women.