Frequently Asked Questions
Is Voices for Canberra a political party?
No. Voices for Canberra is simply a community organisation consulting the people of the federal electorate of Canberra about the issues that are important to them and the qualities they seek in an elected representative. We aim to use this information and community support to endorse an independent candidate who can embody those qualities and champion those issues.
Who is your candidate?
We do not have a candidate. When we have consulted the community, we will try to find an appropriate candidate and endorse their campaign. At that point, Voices for Canberra intends to go dormant, allowing our members and supporters to choose whether they want to campaign for the candidate we endorse.
What is your policy platform?
We don’t have one, we’re listening to what is important to the people of Canberra. It will be up to a candidate to formulate their policies, so it is our goal to endorse a candidate who can demonstrate alignment with the concerns of the community.
I work for the Public Service, can I get involved?
Yes, we believe you can. Please see Section 6 of the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct for guidance, but we have roles that can involve different levels of exposure, and our work is principally to listen, rather than to express opinions or positions. Please discuss it with us if you are unsure. You could also refer to similar advice from our friends at proACT.
How are you funded?
We’re a group of volunteers and we run on the smell of an oily rag. But we do have expenses for venue hire, printing, website hosting and the like and donations are greatly appreciated. We are not a charity and do not have deductible gift recipient status, so donations are not tax-deductible.
Why elect an independent? Doesn’t an MP need to be with a party to form government and be effective?
There is nothing in the Australian constitution or system of government that requires an MP to be a member of a party or that prevents independents helping form government. Indeed, independents can be very effective if they hold a balance of power position, and even if they don’t. Independents can be the most effective representatives of their constituents because they do not have a party to answer to first.
If I vote for an independent, won’t it split the vote or have an unintended outcome?
In Australia’s preferential voting system, you can give your first preference to an independent, and if they are not successful, your vote transfers to the candidate to whom you give your second preference. Hence there is no risk in giving your first preference to an independent, unlike in countries that have a ‘first past the post’ system, where the concept of ‘splitting the vote’ does apply. There’s a good explanation of preferential voting in this video from The Guardian.
If I vote for an independent, won’t it increase the risk of a Liberal government?
Canberra is considered a safe Labor seat because the primary vote for the Liberal party is too low for them to have any real chance of winning the seat. If people vote for an independent, and the independent is successful, they are very unlikely to help the Liberals form government. If the independent is not successful, voters are likely to give their second preference to the party they would normally vote for, so the outcome will just be the same as always.
I have a different question
We would love to answer it, please use the contact form.
This FAQ was kindly shared by our friends at Voices of Bean.