Overview
- Steggall and Spender publicly unveiled Community Strong Australia and lodged registration papers with the Australian Electoral Commission on Thursday, June 24.
- The party’s constitution creates a leaderless model in which parliamentary members keep a free vote on most matters while agreeing to promote four policy pillars: sensible economic management, climate action, equality and integrity.
- For now the parliamentary membership is only Steggall and Spender, with several other teal independents declining to join and a few saying they will consult their communities about any move.
- The founders say recent changes to electoral funding law that cap individual candidate spending at $800,000 while allowing parties to access large national campaign budgets drove their decision and underpins a strategy to field Senate candidates for greater leverage.
- Immediate reactions were mixed with senior Liberals critical of the launch, commentators questioning branding and selection powers, and the party expecting formal AEC registration to take several months and to focus next on recruiting candidates and winning a Senate seat; the group would need five MPs to qualify as a recognised minority party in parliament.