Rachel Withers

1 week ago | crikey.com.au | Rachel Withers

Like many community independents, Kate Hook had little desire to become an MP. The renewables advocate, who helped found “Voices of Calare”, says she only agreed to run in the last election after trying to tap others on the shoulder, but finding the role repeatedly “bouncing back” to her. So when sitting MP Andrew Gee quit the Nationals in late 2022, following the party’s decision to oppose the Voice referendum, it seemed Hook was — ahem — off the hook.

2 weeks ago | crikey.com.au | Rachel Withers

We are in danger of being swamped by right-wing minor parties this election, all eager to capitalise on the return of Donald Trump with their own unique MAGA flavour. Clive Palmer is once again spending big on misleading ads with his latest vehicle, Trumpet of Patriots, a renamed Australian Federation Party, of which he is now chair.

3 weeks ago | crikey.com.au | Rachel Withers

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked what he’d learnt from the last election on the podcast Big Small Talk (6:55), he made a telling remark about his view of the independents movement. “I think the rise of many of the independents, particularly, of course, characterised by being progressive women [sic], has been in part because of the Coalition’s shift to the right,” he said. “It’s left a void, so that if people are serious about climate change, they can’t vote for Peter Dutton.

3 weeks ago | crikey.com.au | Rachel Withers

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked what he’d learnt from the last election on the podcast Big Small Talk (6:55), he made a telling remark about his view of the independents movement. “I think the rise of many of the independents, particularly, of course, characterised by being progressive women [sic], has been in part because of the Coalition’s shift to the right,” he said. “It’s left a void, so that if people are serious about climate change, they can’t vote for Peter Dutton.

4 weeks ago | crikey.com.au | Rachel Withers

When I spoke to Adam Bandt last October, things weren’t looking so rosy for the Greens. The party had struggled in recent elections, losing seats in Queensland and the ACT. While the situation wasn’t as bad as Labor proclaimed (the Greens’ primary held in Queensland, while Labor’s plummeted), it wasn’t ideal, with the minor party failing to make gains amid widespread disillusionment with the duopoly.