1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Good morning everyone. Welcome to the Daily Ods. My name 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:06,119 Speaker 1: is Sam Gozlowski. It is the nineteenth of April. Happy Tuesday. 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: To those who've had a great long weekend, Welcome back 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: to the working week. And for those who worked across 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: the weekend, I hope you're getting some time to catch 6 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: your breath, Zara. Another big week of the election trail 7 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: awaits us. What is the leading story this morning? 8 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 2: I mean, I don't know if it's everyone's leading story, 9 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 2: but it's certainly our Sam. We've been pushing this on 10 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 2: our socials every single day. But the electoral role is 11 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 2: now officially closed. It closed last night at eight pm. 12 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,919 Speaker 2: And that's, of course ahead of the upcoming federal election. 13 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 2: Early voting now will commence on the ninth of May, 14 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 2: and all candidate nominations will be finalized this week, so 15 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: we're getting ever closer to that date. 16 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, the federal government has dropped mandatory COVID nineteen testing 17 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: for international arrivals into Australia. International travelers entering and leaving 18 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: Australia will still be required to be fully vaccinated and 19 00:00:57,480 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: wear masks on flights. 20 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 2: Four hundred and forty people have been killed in flooding 21 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 2: in South Africa. In a televised briefing, the province's premier 22 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 2: said that the floods were among the worst in the 23 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 2: province's history, suggesting it was an unprecedented disaster in the 24 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 2: history of our province and perhaps our country. 25 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: And today's good news. A South American wildflower long believes 26 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: to be extinct has been rediscovered in Ecuador. The Gasanthras 27 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: extinctus was found in a region that had suffered extreme 28 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: deforestation in the eighties. But it's good to see that 29 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: flower popping up again. Election coverage tends to focus on 30 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: the major parties. We're talking there about the Labor Party 31 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: and the coalition which is formed with the Liberal Party 32 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,919 Speaker 1: and the National Party. That's because one of them will 33 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: form government. However, there is more to the election than 34 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: just deciding the government. We're talking here about the many 35 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: minor parts, parties and independents that have a chance of 36 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: winning seats in the House of Reps and the Senate. 37 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: These seats can be and will be very influential, even 38 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: if they're not in the government. So Zara, I wanted 39 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: to tackle this topic today. I wanted to ask you 40 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: what role do independence and minor parties play in our parliament. 41 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: Who are the ones we need to be watching. What 42 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: chance do these independents actually have and how much influence 43 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: can they wield when the election does settles. But first, 44 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: let's go right back to basics. How does the cross 45 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: bench work? 46 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 2: I was going to say, I'm glad that you went 47 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 2: back to basics because you just asked about seven questions 48 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: in one intro. So let's start at the beginning. Most 49 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 2: seats in our parliament are filled by the two major parties, 50 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 2: as you rightly pointed out, that's the coalition, so the 51 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: Libs and Nationals and Labor. But they don't hold all 52 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: the seats. There are a few smaller parties and some 53 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 2: independents who make up the remainder of the seats that 54 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 2: aren't held by either of those two parties. A very 55 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: simple way to think about the cross bench is this. 56 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 2: A member of Parliament is on the cross bench if 57 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 2: they don't belong to the parties in charge or the 58 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 2: main party in opposition. So don't constrict that just to 59 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 2: thinking about independence. That also includes minor parties like the Greens, 60 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 2: because they are not part of the coalition or of Labor. Therefore, 61 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 2: they sit on the cross bench, and that also includes 62 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 2: these independent politicians. If we look at the House of 63 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: Representatives as it currently stands, and of course there is 64 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 2: a federal elections, so the composition of that House is 65 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 2: likely to change, there's one hundred and fifty one members. There. 66 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: Seven are on the cross bench. That includes Adam Bant. 67 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 2: He's the leader of the Greens and the only Greens 68 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: member in the whole House. It includes Bob Catter who 69 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 2: has been there for a very long time. It includes 70 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 2: Rebecca Sharky, she's from a South Australian party called Center Alliance. 71 00:03:55,760 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 2: And there's also four independents, including Craig Kelly who was 72 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 2: part of the Liberal Party. He defected and he now 73 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 2: sits on the cross bench. In the Senate, there's seventy 74 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 2: six seats and fourteen of those seats are taken up 75 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 2: by crossbenches. There are nine Greens in the Senate, two 76 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 2: one Nation senators. Then there's also Sterling Griff from Center Alliance, 77 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 2: that same party as Rebecca Sharky. There's Jackie Lamby, and 78 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 2: there is Rex Patrick and Sam. I went jump ahead 79 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 2: because I know we're going to discuss this in a 80 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 2: little bit, but the cross bench in the Senate has 81 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: had particular powers in this last parliament because of the 82 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 2: composition of the Senate, which meant that the coalition really 83 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 2: needed the cross bench to pass through controversial legislation. 84 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: Okay, so I think I've got my head around the 85 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: minor parties like the Greens that you were talking about there. 86 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: How would you then define an independent candidate? 87 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 2: So an independent candidate is exactly what it sounds like. 88 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 2: It's someone who is independent of the major parties and 89 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 2: of any minor parties, so they don't belong to the 90 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 2: coalition or but they also don't belong to the Greens, 91 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 2: One Nation, Center Alliance, any of those people. If an 92 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 2: independent candidate is successful and wins a seat, they enter 93 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 2: Parliament and sit on the cross bench. And the cross 94 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,599 Speaker 2: bench if you imagine what the chamber looks like, it 95 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 2: is physically in the middle of where the opposition and 96 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 2: the government sit. So you really do sit between the 97 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 2: major parties. 98 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: And so why do we care about the cross bench, 99 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: especially in the lead up to this election. Why should 100 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: we sit up and take notice? 101 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 2: You've got to remember that we don't actually elect the 102 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 2: government directly. Instead, we elect one hundred and fifty one 103 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 2: local reps to the House of Representatives, and the government 104 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 2: is formed by whoever controls a majority of those one 105 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 2: hundred and fifty one representatives. Usually that's one of the 106 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 2: two major parties. In the last election, the coalition won 107 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 2: a majority of seats, and as I said, there was 108 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 2: then some of those seats remaining that went to the 109 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 2: cross bench. But if neither major party can get to 110 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 2: reaching majority, so reaching that seventy six, they do need 111 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 2: the support of those other crossbenches like independence or minor 112 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 2: parties to make up the gap and to form government. 113 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 2: Now that predicament is actually called a minority government, and 114 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 2: it reflects the fact that the government doesn't have a 115 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 2: majority in its own right. And this is a process 116 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 2: that has happened before. It happened with Julia Gillard and 117 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 2: it meant there she had to rely on some crossbenches 118 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 2: to help her government pass legislation. 119 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: I remember this great moment from the last time there 120 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 1: was a hung parliament and some independence had to decide 121 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: where they would send their alliance. And Tony Windsor, one 122 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: of the independents, got up and had this press conference 123 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: where he was going to reveal who he was going 124 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: to back. It was either going to be Julia Gillard 125 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,239 Speaker 1: or Tony Abbott and he spoke for forty five minutes 126 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: before he revealed the answer. It was like the best 127 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: episode of Australian I'll ever put Osher Gunsberg to shame. 128 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 2: That's not the only time that the government has had 129 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 2: to work with the cross bench. More recently, when Malcolm 130 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 2: Turnbull's seat was won by an independent Karen Phelps, she 131 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 2: was able to work with other cross benches and Labor 132 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 2: who was then in opposition to pass legislation called MEDIVAC. 133 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 2: And so because the government didn't actually have the numbers 134 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: in the House, and this was again under Morrison, they 135 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 2: didn't have the numbers to block it. It worked the 136 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: other way that Karen Phelps and other cross benches and 137 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 2: Labor together could actually enact legislation without support of governments. 138 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 2: So those cross benches can be really important if the 139 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: government of the day does not have strong enough numbers 140 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 2: in the House or the Senate. 141 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: So let's look now quickly at the high profile independent 142 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: candidates in this election. Who are the names that we 143 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: should be looking out for. 144 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 2: I think that many independent campaigns were inspired by the 145 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 2: victories of independence at the last election, like Zally Stegel, 146 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 2: like Helen Haynes, and it means that people are now 147 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 2: seeing that there is an option to the two major parties, 148 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 2: and we've seen a lot of independence come out for 149 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 2: this election and put their hands up. There is one 150 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 2: stark feature of all the independents who are running this 151 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 2: year in this election, the majority of them are women, 152 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 2: and the majority of them are also running in traditionally 153 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 2: moderate liberal seats, and so they're trying to take seats. 154 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: Off moderate liberals. 155 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 2: We can see that in Sydney's Eastern suburbs, where independent 156 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 2: candidate Allegra Spender is challenging moderate Liberal Dave Sharma for 157 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 2: the seat. The seat has of course been held by 158 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 2: an independent before, though it was very brief, and Sharma 159 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 2: currently sits on that seat of Wentworth with a margin 160 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 2: of one point three percent. If we look elsewhere across 161 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 2: the country, some of the other high profile races are 162 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 2: in Victoria, where Zoey Daniel is taking on Tim Wilson, 163 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 2: Kylie Tink is taking on Trent Zimmerman, and doctor Manique 164 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 2: Ryan is taking on current Treasurer Josh Friedenberg. As I 165 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 2: said before, there are a lot of women who are 166 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 2: running as independent candidates in this election, and a lot 167 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 2: of them are making climate action the central policy to 168 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 2: their campaigns. 169 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: One last question before we wrap up this discussion, I'd 170 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: love to know how these independent candidates, away from the 171 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: huge machines that are the major political parties, get their funding. 172 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: Who is paying for all of these independent races. 173 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 2: Before this year, there was no organizing principle around independence. 174 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 2: If you wanted to run as an independent, you fundraise 175 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 2: money in your local community, and you ran and you 176 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 2: got support to do so. But this election is different. 177 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 2: Several of the independents running, and certainly some of those 178 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 2: that we mentioned before, are financially backed at least in 179 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 2: part by Climate two hundred. And Climate two hundred is 180 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 2: an organization that is run by Simon Holmes the Court. 181 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 2: He is a wealthy philanthropist who has put a lot 182 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 2: of money and fundraising efforts into raising funds for independent 183 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 2: candidates to take on these moderate liberals, and he's particularly 184 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 2: strong on wanting independent to take action on climate change. 185 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 2: But in saying that Homes the Court does claim that 186 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 2: Climate two hundred doesn't ask independence to adopt specific policy positions. 187 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 2: One thing that's coming out in a lot of the 188 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 2: commentary is that independents are getting a lot of media attention, 189 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: and I'd say that's because this is unlike anything we've 190 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 2: ever seen in our political system. There is a genuine 191 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 2: challenge to the two party system in this country in 192 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 2: an organized way that we've never seen before. But that said, 193 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 2: if we look at the margins that some of these 194 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 2: seats are held on, it's likely that there will only 195 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 2: be a few independents that get up. And if we 196 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 2: look at some of the criticisms that are being leveled 197 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 2: against these independents, it's said that if they do take 198 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 2: the seats of moderate liberals, that there will be no 199 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 2: moderate voices left in the Liberal Party and that the 200 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 2: Liberal Party will shift further to the right and presumably 201 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,319 Speaker 2: further away from climate action, which is ultimately the objective 202 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 2: here at hand. So it'll be interesting to see whether 203 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 2: these independents do get up in a number of seats 204 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 2: and whether that affects the Liberal Party as we know it. 205 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 2: Because these independents aren't really running after labor seats, it 206 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 2: does seem to be those moderate liberal seats. 207 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: A fascinating dynamic here ahead of the federal election where 208 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: we kind of have a whole new force at play. 209 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: It'll be really interesting to see how the independent and 210 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 1: minor candidates go. Until then, that is a lot to 211 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: take in for a Tuesday morning, so we're going to 212 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: leave it there. But if you want to follow us 213 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 1: throughout the day on Instagram, you can do that at 214 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 1: the Daily Oz And if you enjoy this podcast, chuck 215 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: us a review. Until then, we'll speak to you tomorrow morning.