What are Independent Candidates & Groups?

In the past an Independent Candidate was a person generally representing a minority group in society that felt they were not getting a fair deal from parliament and hence courageously put up their own candidate for election.

It is true that the politically apathetic Australian public often perceived that a minority politician in the form of an Independent held the balance of power in the decision-making processes. Alas! The way most of these elected Independents have acted in the past, they did, but no one ever considers that if the Independent actually was the first to cast his, or her vote, then who is actually really holding the balance of power now? The answer of course, is he, or she, who is last to vote and here we see party control as the real villain in the parliamentary process. Cross the floor and you are suspended, or expelled.

Today the societal concern of the wider state electorate has exceeded the minority concern status and with the legacy of the two party system, and of late, the 12 year domination of this State by Bob Carr and Morris Iemma and Co via the incompetent Labor Party, there is now a serious move by Independent Candidates to group together and challenge these dictators.

The Labor/Green coalition - I make no apology for this, as a coalition is exactly what they are - is well aware of the dangers of this Independent push and are covertly fielding a massive Legislative Council (Upper House) challenge in an effort to thwart this threat, for they know, if the public become educated beyond their control, a successful Independent bid for parliamentary seats will see both their position and agendas, demise.

Group "H" and Group "F" definitely fit into this paradigm. There can be no claim to independence what so ever if they clearly can be seen to be aligned with a Party and in this case both these groups appear as stalwart Labor/Green Coalition supporters, if not quasi party members.

Group "A" and "M" and the single Independent candidates certainly appear to be true Independent teams, or individuals, with Group "M" transparently epitomising what we as voters want and expect from such candidates. A team of quality people from all walks of life and lifes skills, fed up, not only ready to represent, but are with out doubt, capable of doing so.

Group "A" although clearly able to be classified as a singular issue Independent Group, their platform being the response to the incredibly pathetic attention Iemma and Co, especially as he was Bob Carrs health minister, has paid to the sad plight of the hundreds of thousands of carers state wide, are certainly a serious consideration for a preference delivery after a primary vote.

As for Group "D" well they are a socialist Party with policies and agendas that have no real place in a state election other than to provide the candidates with a platform to attack Federal Parliament at a later date. An attack I might add that has failed miserably in past elections. This group although democratically entitled, epitomises the bastardisation of our upper house voting system.

As Voltaire said, "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it."