Election 2022: It’s officially ‘Team Teal’ as independents join forces

Three independent candidates funded by Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 campaign group have vowed to act as a team with Warringah MP Zali Steggall.

Allegra Spender addresses the Spark Club event in Sydney with, from left, renewables campaigner Saul Griffith, fellow independent Georgia Steele and organiser Grant McDowell.

Three independent candidates funded by Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 campaign group have vowed to act as a team with Warringah MP Zali Steggall and press for much tougher carbon emission cuts as an early priority, if elected.

The independents – Allegra Spender, Kylea Tink and Georgia Steele – appeared together on Thursday night and pledged to use their numbers as a unity ticket with Ms Steggall on climate change.

While all are supported as ­“values aligned” candidates by Climate 200, Mr Holmes a Court as the group’s leader and convener has repeatedly declared that the independents he supports are not a party and would not act as a party.

Until recently, all supported what appeared to be slightly different policy targets for reducing carbon emissions. But they committed to working together to back Ms Steggall’s Australian Climate Change Action Bill 2021 which would enforce a 60 per cent reduction of emissions by 2030 if passed in parliament.

The main objective of climate independents supported by Mr Holmes a Court’s group is to gain the balance of power in a hung parliament after the election by winning seats held mainly by moderate Liberals.

Ms Spender, who is challenging Liberal Dave Sharma in Malcolm Turnbull’s former seat of Wentworth, appeared on an “Independent Energy” Spark Club panel event at the Fishburners Sydney Startup Hub in the city’s York Street with Ms Steele, who is standing in the seat of Hughes against Liberal Jenny Ware and ex-Liberal, now United Australia Party, candidate Craig Kelly.

Also on the panel was independent Ms Tink, challenging Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman in North Sydney, although she appeared remotely at the event by videolink after being diagnosed positive with Covid earlier in the day.

Ms Spender, the daughter of former Liberal MP John Spender and the late fashion ­designer Carla Zampatti, told the panel audience she was “angry” that Liberal moderates in the Coalition government did not take a stronger stand on climate change.

She criticised Mr Sharma for saying he took a moderate position on issues but still directed preferences first in Wentworth to the party funded by Clive Palmer, whose wealth was based on coal-burning industries.

“That’s why I’m angry with the moderates and that’s why it’s crucial for me to stand now,” Ms Spender said.

Ms Tink said independents faced a big challenge on climate change, and she hoped that the election result would see not only three new independents elected, but “five, six or seven”.

“As a country, I think (if that happened) we’d be having very different conversations and that’s the least we deserve,” she said.

Ms Steele said she backed Ms Steggall’s legislation on climate because the current government had an emissions target but was doing nothing.

Also on the panel with the ­independents were renewables campaigner Saul Griffith and event organiser Grant McDowell.