Simon Holmes a Court’s ‘no strings’ pledge starts to unravel

Simon Holmes a Court – who is raising millions to run candidates against Libs – insists his money will have ‘no strings’ if they have to choose the next PM.

Simon Holmes a Court addresses the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. Picture: AAP Image

Simon Holmes a Court – the Climate 200 founder raising millions to run candidates against sitting Liberal MPs – insists the money would have “no strings’’ or influence if his independents had to choose the next prime minister in a hung parliament.

But Mr Holmes a Court, the millionaire son of 1980s corporate raider Robert Holmes a Court, also declared in a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday “the Liberal Party has abandoned the centre of ­Australia’’.

Mr Holmes a Court used his speech to attack the Coalition over its record on climate change, government integrity and support for gender equality.

But, asked whether his candidates would be free to keep Mr Morrison in power after the election, Mr Holmes a Court insisted it would be up to them.

“My personal opinion doesn’t matter because I won’t be in parliament,” Mr Holmes a Court said.

“I am not the leader of this movement. I am but one small part of the movement of 8000 people.”

The climate activist, who is supporting more than a dozen candidates trying to unseat Liberals, would not say whether ­Anthony Albanese offered a better policy platform on the key issues his group is campaigning on.

Labor would commit Australia to lower carbon emissions by 43 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030, well above the government’s formal commitment of a reduction of 26-28 per cent.

Mr Albanese has vowed to legislate a national integrity commission with public hearings if he becomes prime minister, while Mr Morrison has failed in his election commitment to create a more modest federal corruption agency.

Liberal MP Jason Falinski, who is facing a challenge from a Climate 200 backed candidate in his seat of Mackellar, said Mr Holmes a Court should be honest about “backing Labor”.

“He doesn’t want the people of Wentworth, North Sydney, Goldstein and Kooyong to know that a vote for Simon Holmes a Court is a vote for the Labor Party,” Mr ­Falinski said.

“So instead of fronting up and being honest with the Australian people, he refuses to answer the question. Which leads to the only conclusion which most Australians will draw, which is that he is not telling us everything.”

Zali Steggall. Picture: AAP

Zoe Daniel.

Mr Holmes a Court declared that ”in no way” was Climate 200 a party. “We simply give them a leg up with funding and support,” he said.

Mr Holmes a Court said he would not be trying to influence who independent MPs backed for supply and confidence if there was a hung parliament.

“I have no influence on their vote on any issue,” Mr Holmes a Court said. “These candidates are not working in cahoots. These candidates speak for themselves, they are truly independent and we have no influence on what they will do immediately following the election. Nor do we seek to. The candidates will make their own decisions. They will have a mandate from their communities; they are clear to their communities what they are standing for.”

Allegra Spender. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Mr Holmes a Court revealed Climate 200 had so far raised $7m which would be used to support pro-climate candidates aiming to unseat Liberal MPs especially in the party’s traditional heartland in Sydney and Melbourne.

The group is not backing a candidate against a Labor MP, ­although Mr Holmes a Court said he would like to in a future ­election.

He would not say what a “science-based” climate policy should entail. “If we started dictating specifics then we can hardly say that these independents are independent,” he said.

Among the candidates Climate 200 is supporting are Zali Steggall in Warringah, Allegra Spender in Wentworth, Kylea Tink in North Sydney, Sophie Scamps in Mackellar, Zoe Daniel in Goldstein, Despi O’Connor in Flinders and Monique Ryan in Josh Frydenberg’s seat of ­Kooyong.

Wentworth MP Dave Sharma said Labor was “running dead” in seats where Climate 200-backed candidates were contesting.

“It is pretty clear they would support a Labor-Greens government,” Mr Sharma said.

Mr Holmes a Court, who is pushing for reforms to political donation laws, defended Warringah MP Zali Steggall for failing to declare a $100,000 donation from a coal investor for two years.

Ms Steggall blamed a delay in declaring the donation on the former financial controller of Wentworth Independents, Damien Hodgkinson, who is also a director of Climate 200.

Mr Holmes a Court said he had confidence in Mr Hodgkinson remaining in Climate 200 despite the oversight.