Federal election 2019: Independents hunt a crumbling Coalition

An informal alliance of moderate independents is targeting bush electorates in next month’s federal election and the centrist candidates are claiming the Liberal and National parties are being taken over by climate change deniers and business lobbyists.

An informal alliance of moderate independents is targeting bush electorates in next month’s federal election.

The centrist candidates are targeting Coalition-held electorates and claiming the Liberal and National parties are being taken over by climate change deniers and business lobbyists.

In the Victorian seat of Mallee, deputy mayor of Mildura Jason Modica is hoping to replicate the success of his council colleague Ali Cupper, who unexpectedly won the state seat of Mildura last year as an independent.

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In the nearby seat of Farrer in southern NSW, Albury mayor Kevin Mack is in a tight race against former health minister Sussan Ley.

Former Liberal Julia Banks. Picture: Gary Ramage

Rob Oakeshott is an idependent candidate for the NSW seeat of Cowper. Picture: Britta Campion

Mr Mack is being assisted by the former chief-of-staff to retiring independent Cathy McGowan.

He said there was a “tsunami of anger and frustration in Farrer”.

“The National Party and the Liberal Party have lost their way,” he said.

“People in the country are sick of arrogance and politicians not listening to them,” he said.

Former Liberal Julia Banks has an uphill fight in the Mornington Peninsula seat of Flinders but agrees there is a mood for change.

“People come up to me and say thank you for offering me an alternative,” she said.

“We have proved as a strong independent you have far more influence and advocacy as a backbencher of a major party.”

Coalition strategists believe the NSW seat of Cowper could also fall to an independent.

Rob Oakeshott, who once propped up the Gillard Government, is running in the seat and says “there is a sense that people want to disrupt the two major parties”.