Labor are 2-4 points behind in the two party preferred despite ScoMo's disgraceful response to the bushfires etc. Jordan has admitted they are unlikely to win the next election, largely due to Murdoch etc. However, we can defeat at least some of the federal Liberals' terrible policies, or even defeat the LNP altogether, even if Labor are still behind in the two party preferred, as long as enough independent candidates win who would oppose the federal Liberals' terrible policies (and lack of policy) and push though better policy on at least some issues with the support of Labor, possibly even forming government in coalition with Labor. Not only this, but the Liberals are currently able to focus all of their resources on a few marginal seats because they have so many "safe" seats. But those "safe" seats are only safe from Labor. They obviously aren't all safe from strong independent campaigns like Zali Stegall's. Plenty of people in these seats care about the environment and even some other progressive issues but would never vote Labor for reasons of ideology, tax policy, saving the monarchy etc. By focusing on running strong independent candidates in seats that Labor have no chance of winning, or less chance than a strong independent, we would force the LNP to put more resources into those "safe" seats and possibly less resources into the marginal ones. So it could help Labor to win in the seats where Labor actually has a better chance than independents, where Labor supporters and pragmatic progressives would still encourage people to support Labor. And of course if some of the independents win, that makes it even less likely that the LNP will win government and be able to push through their terrible policies and more likely we will be able to get good policies through instead, and perhaps have a Labor minority government if Labor fail to win a majority.
I'm not a Labor member but I want to defeat as much as possible of the federal Liberals' terrible policy (and lack of policy) and replace it with better policy. Do you guys think we (and Jordies?) should put more into this strategy of supporting independents in electorates where they have a better chance of beating the Liberals than Labor do?
