ANDREW GREENE: Teal independents’ new party looks less like a political force than a joint venture

A new party with no members, no leaders, and no policies.

It’s likely to take a while before the new movement created by two teal independent MPs, known as “Community Strong Australia”, catches on.

Right now, the Community Strong party would be more accurately described as a partnership.

Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender, two crossbench MPs elected as part of the Climate 200-backed teal movement in 2019 are trying to grow a party, following years of operating and voting as if they already belonged in one.

“My pledge is actually to double the impact for the people of Warringah, because not only will I continue championing these issues on your behalf in the lower house, but we will ensure more communities come to the table,” Ms Steggall declared on Thursday.

For years every teal has insisted they are not part of a party, making a virtue of the fact they can truly represent their local communities, sitting in Parliament as independent MPs.

MPs such as Ms Steggall and Ms Spender have long bristled at claims they are members of a party, whenever it was pointed out the teals all share the same broad ideas and policy agenda, and virtually always vote together.

“There are no strings or people behind this,” Ms Spender declared on Thursday when asked by The Nightly whether Climate 200 co-founder Simon Holmes à Court would be financially backing their new movement.

“This is Allegra and I genuinely stepping up to a moment in politics where we’ve had that overwhelming feedback from many in our communities, but all-around Australia, that it’s time for something new.”

Last year when he addressed the National Press Club, Holmes à Court dismissed suggestions the teal candidates whose campaigns he supported could form a new political party after new electoral laws placed strict caps on spending and donations.

“I have zero interest in being involved in any party structure. I can’t see how it would actually benefit Climate 200 and certainly I’m not sure that any of the independents would want anything to do with it,” he said in March 2025.

While the two inaugural members of the Community Strong Australia party insist their motivation for setting it up is not about taking advantage of new electoral laws, it seems like a convenient way of going about doing so.

As Zali Steggall freely admitted on Thursday when unveiling her new party, “the cost of elections is difficult” and has been made much more difficult for independent candidates since the Albanese government’s changes to electoral laws.

Among the other teals still hedging their bets on whether to eventually join the new party is Western Australian MP Kate Chaney, who has nevertheless congratulated her colleagues for their move.

“We on the crossbench, really, since we’ve been elected, have all been finding the ways we can best contribute to our democracy.”

“We’ve come to different conclusions about what that looks like, but I think more competition in Australian politics is a good thing,” she tells The Nightly.

Federal Parliament has a long history of minor parties that come and go, often after just one election cycle or two, including Family First, the Palmer Independents and the Motoring Enthusiasts Party.

Community Strong Australia will be defying a recent trend if at the next election it can grow its parliamentary ranks, let alone have its two founding members returned as MPs.