Independent MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender have announced the formation of Community Strong Australia, a new political party designed to formalise the community independent movement ahead of the next federal election cycle.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on June 25. The party plans to be formally registered by October 2026 and intends to sponsor candidates in the Senate as well as defending existing House of Representatives seats.
The move is in part a response to new electoral funding rules that the two MPs say disadvantage independent candidates relative to registered parties. Neither Steggall nor Spender has sought funding from Climate 200 since the 2022 federal election.
The new party will not require its parliamentarians to vote as a bloc, a key structural distinction from Labor, the Coalition, and the Greens. 'We are not a faction,' Steggall said, dismissing the concept of a party leader as 'a media construct.'
The response from other teal-aligned independents was mixed. Monique Ryan and Kate Chaney both ruled out joining the party. Nicolette Boele said she was remaining an independent for now.
The party's platform centres on integrity in political institutions, climate action, economic prosperity, and evidence-based policymaking, mirroring the messaging that Steggall and Spender used in their successful 2022 campaigns.
'The community independent movement has shown what's possible when people unite around shared values and practical solutions,' the two MPs said in a joint statement. 'Our country's success wasn't built on complaining or fighting each other. It was built on the common good.'
