Media release – Voices of Tasmania, 20 July 2023
Strong New Community Movement Offers Open Government
A new way of doing open politics hits the ground for the first time in Tasmania on 30 July 2023.
The Voices of Tasmania movement’s first public event will take place in Evandale. It features guest speaker Mr Denis Ginnivan, the co-founder of the highly successful ‘Voices For Indi’ movement in rural Victoria that enabled Cathy McGowan and then Helen Haines to win the federal seat.
He will speak alongside Voices of Tasmania convenor, Mr Michael Roberts, at six free public events called: The Indi Way – Let’s do democracy better.
30 July: Evandale
1 August: Brighton & Hobart
2 August: Devonport & Burnie
3 August: Kingston
Mr Ginnivan is also a co-author of the recently published book The Indi Way that describes the journey his community went on to elect independents against the odds. It is also a guide for other communities with similar aspirations.
Mr Ginnivan observed that more and more electorates throughout Australia are using the Indi experience to fashion their own unique path to greater participation in democratic life.
“Tassie is different from anywhere else. Our success in Indi isn’t the only way to create a community independents movement as every electorate is different,” he said.
“But I am thrilled to be asked to do this Tasmanian tour to share my experience of what has worked over four federal elections and especially the last one where the community independents made history.” Michael Roberts said the time could not be better to launch the Voices movement in Tasmania.
“In Tasmania we have 10 new seats for the next state election and this is the community’s chance to show how democracy can really work,” he said.
Voices of Tasmania will soon go public in calling for expressions of interest from prospective community independent candidates for the coming state election.
Mr Roberts said “our community connection process for candidates is confidential and designed to support and develop prospective independents in the exciting choice of whether or not to run at this moment of Tasmania’s history.
“Tasmanians are hungry for transparency in government. The Indi Way answers that call through inspiring and supporting community independent candidates who are accountable to their local community rather than to distant party rooms.
“Voices of Tasmania starts from what local communities are saying through our survey and Kitchen Table Conversations. Community issues will guide the candidate platforms and their forward planning while keeping in mind the underlying values expressed in our Charter.
“The major political parties are now on notice that the community can no longer be taken for granted.
“It is clear to us that politics will never be the same again in Tasmania given the rise of the Voices movement.”
