Federal election 2022: Helen Haines encourages regional leaders to stand as independent candidates

With the federal election less than a year away, one of the nation’s most powerful crossbenchers has called on country leaders to run as independent candidates.

Independent Member for Indi Helen Haines and former member for Indi Cathy McGowan. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

A clarion call for independent candidates ahead of the upcoming federal election has been issued by one of the nation’s leading cross-benchers.

Indi MP Helen Haines has encouraged community leaders from across regional Australia to consider running as an independent at the federal poll, as a number of grassroots groups are established in country electorates.

Writing in this week’s edition of The Weekly Times, Dr Haines said Indi had shown how independent MPs can achieve results in Canberra.

“It is the independents, not the parties, who are driving the big ideas for the regions. That’s why we need more of them,” the Indi MP said.

Some of the state’s best politicians have been independent candidates.

“MPs from major parties in regional Australia have to decide between toeing a party line that was decided in Sydney or Melbourne or what is actually best for their community. As an independent I don’t think twice. It’s my community every time.”

Dr Haines made history at the 2019 election, becoming the only independent MP to succeed another non-aligned representative when she took over the reins from predecessor Cathy McGowan.

Both the Haines and McGowan campaigns were backed by the Voices for Indi movement.

Groups seeking to emulate the Indi formula have been established in a number of regional seats ahead of the federal election, due either later this year or in early 2022.

Analysis of Victoria’s federal electorates by The Weekly Times has revealed the 2019 poll was an electorally fruitful event for independent candidates.

Damian Cole in Corangamite, Jason Modica in Mallee and Alex Dyson in Wannon all claimed the title of best performing independent candidate in the history of their respective electorates — although all three fell well short of victory.