National Press Club: Simon Holmes à Court says ’no strings attached’ for independents

The founder of a powerful group backing independents in Coalition-held seats at the next election has unleashed on the government.

The founder of a powerful group backing pro-climate independents at the federal election insists he has no influence on who they side with if there’s a hung parliament.

But Simon Holmes à Court ripped into the government during his National Press Club address on Tuesday, saying Australians were “frustrated” over climate inaction, corruption in politics and the treatment and safety of women.

“We are frustrated that so often our government is found to be either lying or incompetent and sometimes both,” the Climate 200 founder said.

“We have a government more interested in winning elections than improving our great nation. “A government that seeks power, without purpose.”

He said that the major political parties were the Goliaths in a “David and Goliath” battle.

Simon Holmes à Court was grilled over which party better aligned with Climate 200’s principles. Picture Gary Ramage

Climate 200 has more than 8000 donors that are backing pro-climate, pro-integrity and pro-gender equality independents who are all in Coalition-held seats.

They include Allegra Spender, the daughter of late fashion designer Carla Zampatti, who is running as an independent in Wentworth and Kylea Tink who is hoping to unseat Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman.

“Voters increasingly believe the major parties no longer represent them and they are leaving the major parties in droves,” Mr Holmes à Court said.

But he denied having any influence over who the independent candidates would side with if there was a hung parliament and they held the balance of power.

“My personal opinion doesn’t matter because I won’t be in parliament,” he said.

“I won’t be in any negotiation room, this is the decision for the independents.”

He said they simply made donations and gave advice to the candidates.

“But we don’t have any agreement at all with the candidates, they are strictly independent and that is of critical importance to them ... because otherwise it wouldn’t be independence,” he said.

“Multiple independents came to us and said even one string is too many, it must be no strings attached.”

Kylea Tink is running as an independent in North Sydney. Picture: John Appleyard

One of Climate 200’s platforms is to lower the political donation disclosure threshold to $1000.

Mr Holmes à Court was asked why the group didn’t just set an example by doing it now.

He claimed that Treasurer Josh Frydenberg had called people who were listed as donors on their website and this made them hesitant to go public.

“I would like it to be $1000 so it is a level playing field,” he said.

“But I don’t believe there should be one rule for us and one for the others.

“We have already taken the first step and I invite the parties to follow us on this disclosure journey.”

Mr Holmes à Court also defended Climate 200 as being “scrupulous” in the wake of the political donations scandal involving independent MP Zali Steggall, who ousted Tony Abbott in Warringah in the last election.

On Tuesday she blamed Climate 200’s current director, Damien Hodgkinson for not properly declaring a $100,000 donation from the family trust of former coal company director John Kinghorn.

He was the financial controller of the Warringah campaign at the time.

“We are scrupulous in our compliance with all of the regulations, we go above and beyond, the vast majority of our donors are on our website,” Mr Holmes à Court said.