The search has begun for an independent candidate to challenge the Liberal Party in the federal seat of Sturt. The group, Independent for Sturt, launched its candidate search this week and is hosting community engagement events to better understand the needs and aspirations of the electorate.
The Independent for Sturt group is made up of everyday people from across the electorate who did not previously know each other, but they are coming together, inspired by the rise of independents across Australia. The group is engaging with the residents of Sturt and will select a candidate from the community, based on what they hear from the people of Sturt.
According to local resident and group member Lyn Leane, “We believe people want their voices heard on the issues that matter to them. That’s why I’ve joined with a group of people from across the electorate to work with the Sturt community. “We want to do democracy differently. This means we are listening to our community first, with the goal of finding out what the community wants and then selecting a candidate to be an Independent voice for Sturt who will take our views to Canberra.
“We believe independents are better able to represent their electorates because they put people first. This has been strongly evident around Australia in electorates where independent federal members now represent their communities.
“We want to see an Independent candidate for Sturt elected to federal parliament, someone who cares about integrity, accountability and, most importantly, who votes on behalf of our community not their party.”
In the coming months the newly formed Independent for Sturt group will be hosting a series of community conversations, workshops, and surveying constituents to capture diverse voices and identify residents’ highest priority issues, concerns and most importantly what they want from their Federal member of Parliament.
Group member Lyn Leane said, “Our group is made up of ordinary people. We are all volunteers and we have come together because we are disappointed at the way politics is done in Australia.
“People are losing trust in politics because they can’t see their voices or views reflected in the public debate. We want to bring fresh and dedicated representation to Sturt, focusing on our diverse community's needs and aspirations. Now is the time for more accountable representation.
"We encourage every Sturt resident to visit our website www.independentsturt.au for more information and to respond to our survey. Everyone is invited to join the conversation.”
Potential candidates can express their interest here.
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