Who are the ‘teal’ independents challenging Liberal MPs in the federal election?

More than 20 ‘teal’ candidates are contesting Liberal heartland seats at this election. This is who they are and what they stand for.

A group of mostly women hoping to unseat mostly male MPs in Liberal heartland seats have put a twist on this year’s federal election.

They’re known as the “teal” independents and they’ve collectively raised millions of dollars in donations and amassed tens of thousands of volunteers.

They’ve attracted a fair amount of attention and controversy in what have become some of the most fascinating – and ugly – contests of the campaign.

There are 22 teal candidates bankrolled by the Climate 200 fundraising vehicle in seats right across Australia, some of whom are backed by distinct grassroots “Voices” movements.

They aren’t the only independents vying for lower house seats or Senate spots but they have been thrust into the spotlight for two main reasons – the high-profile nature of both their financial backer and the electorates they are contesting.

Climate 200’s Simon Holmes a Court is financially backing 22 candidates at this year’s election. Picture: Josie Hayden

Climate 200 was set up by Australian activist and wealthy businessman Simon Holmes a Court, the son of Australia’s first billionaire.

Mr Holmes a Court once raised campaign funds for one of the same people he has helped to mount a challenge against at this election – the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

The relationship between the two men has unsurprisingly soured, with Mr Frydenberg calling his former ally a “strange cat” and Mr Holmes a Court telling the Australian Financial Review in April that “Josh can f**k off”.

Mr Frydenberg is fighting for his political life to hold onto Kooyong where his contest with paediatric neurologist turned independent candidate Monique Ryan is expected to come down to the wire.

Mr Holmes a Court has attracted his own share of controversy during the election campaign, most recently on Thursday when he was filmed at a Victorian polling booth clashing with Liberal Minister Jane Hume.

Bolstered by more than $10m in donations, Climate 200 is supporting incumbent independent MPs Zali Steggall, Rebekha Sharkie, Helen Haines and Andrew Wilkie to run again, as well as first time candidates for both houses of Parliament.

Former Indi MP Cathy McGowan (R) is sometimes called the ‘godmother’ of the independents movement. She is pictured her with teal candidate for Kooyong Monique Ryan. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Many of the Climate 200 independents will be banking on the potential for a middle class revolt stirred by an appetite for change among people who would be unlikely to support the Labor Party.

Some Liberal MPs who err on the moderate side of politics are now facing a serious threat from teal challengers who are appealing to ‘small l’ Liberal supporters who feel alienated by the party’s perceived shift to the right.

The “teal” of the independents trying to sway these voters represents a mix of the fiscally conservative Liberal blue and the green of climate change consciousness.

Other high profile teal political hopefuls include former ABC journalist Zoe Daniel and businesswomen Allegra Spender who are respectively contesting the Liberal-held Melbourne seat of Goldstein and Sydney’s Wentworth.

The incumbent MPs in these electorates, Tim Wilson and Dave Sharma have stuck by the Liberal Party’s claim that their rivals are “fake independents” who are in fact acting as a political party.

Allegra Spender, businesswoman and daughter of the late fashion designer Carla Zampatti, is challenging Dave Sharma in Wentworth. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Ms Spender is challenging Liberal MP Dave Sharma. Picture: Damian Shaw

Other well-known names in the teal independent mix include Sophie Scamps, Kylea Tink, and Georgia Steele who are respectively challenging Jason Falinski, Trent Zimmerman and rogue Liberal turned United Australia Party MP Craig Kelly in the seats of Mackellar, North Sydney and Hughes.

The former Adelaide Writers’ Festival director Jo Dyer is contesting the marginal South Australian seat of Boothby, which is held by retiring Liberal MP Nicolle Flint.

The Climate 200-backed candidates have vowed to prioritise the interests of their local constituents should they make it into parliament but they do share broad policy principles.

Stronger action on climate change and a legislated government integrity body would top their list of common demands, with individual candidates indicating they would push for a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of as much as 60 per cent by 2030.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull — who has been outspoken since he quit the Liberal Party — has publicly backed the teal independents. Picture: Supplied

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier this month threw his support behind the teal independents and encouraged Australians to vote for them if they shared their values.

Giving a speech in Washington DC, Mr Turnbull said moderate voices had become marginalised in the Liberal Party on issues like climate since his departure in 2018.

By contrast, Liberal HQ has wheeled out John Howard to advocate for under-threat MPs in the hope the former prime minister will be able to convince disaffected voters not to abandon the party.

Mr Howard on Thursday night told The West Australian newspaper a vote for teal independent Kate Chaney was a vote to “destroy the Liberal government”.

A poll conducted for that newspaper found Ms Chaney in front of Liberal MP Celia Hammond in the Perth electorate of Curtin.

Regardless of where they are in the country, the teal independents will be hoping to emulate Cathy McGowan, the 68-year-old farmer who won the conservative regional Victorian seat of Indi as an independent in 2013.

“I thought we had no chance of winning Indi. But I significantly underestimated the desire of this community for something better,” Ms McGowan told the ABC on Monday as she reflected on her time in parliament.

Her successor Helen Haines made history at the 2019 election, when Indi became the first electorate in Australian history to be held consecutively by two independents.

While they’ve garnered much less media coverage than their metropolitan counterparts, Hanabeth Luke, Alex Dyson, Kate Hook, Nicolette Boele and Caz Heise are all running as teal independents in rural or regional seats in 2022.

The battle for Kooyong between Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and paediatric neurologist Monique Ryan has become one of the most bitter of the entire election. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

Dr Ryan and Mr Frydenberg face a contest that is expected to come down to the wire. Picture: William West / AFP

And what chance do any of these independents — incumbent or political hopefuls — have of winning? And why does it matter?

On the first question, it depends on which polls you consider and how much faith you put in their accuracy. Some Liberal MPs, perhaps most notably the Treasurer, face the real prospect of losing their seats.

With a tight contest looming in many electorates, Liberals will be facing off challenges from not only Labor candidates, but independents who are hoping to woo traditionally conservative voters with climate change and integrity policies.

The election could result in a hung parliament where neither the Coalition nor Labor secures the 76 seats needed to form government need to negotiate with cross bench MPs.

If that turns out to be the case after May 21, any teal independents who make it into parliament will hold the keys to governing the nation.

Originally published as Who are the ‘teal’ independents challenging Liberal MPs in the federal election?