The Community Strong Australia party's 'reason over rage' sounds good to me. Can it appeal to One Nation voters too? | Zoe Daniel
Guardian AU
β’Thu, 25 Jun 2026 23:52:57 GMT
π° What Happened
Independent MP Zoe Daniel contributes a personal opinion piece reflecting on the launch of Community Strong Australia, the new centrist political party formed by her fellow crossbench independents Zali Steggall (Warringah) and Allegra Spender (Wentworth). Daniel writes from a unique vantage point as a fellow 'teal' independent who jumped off the same cliff alongside Steggall and Spender during the 2022 election wave that saw a record number of community independents elected to federal parliament. She describes the two founders as 'quite different people' β Steggall as a fierce former Olympic skier and family law barrister operating with an elite athlete's determination, and Spender as a deep-thinking former CEO, economist, and gentle listener from a political family.
Daniel grapples with the central tension of the new party: whether translating the authenticity of community independence into a formal party structure can work, and more provocatively, whether the party's message of 'reason over rage' can appeal to One Nation voters. She acknowledges the risk involved in moving from independent status to party politics but argues in the Australian spirit of 'having a go,' it deserves a chance. Daniel reflects that not joining the new party was also a difficult choice for those who opted out, and there is no right or wrong decision β only the sentiment of the communities who have supported independent politics to consider.
π The Backstory
Community Strong Australia was launched in June 2026 by Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender, two of the most prominent 'teal' independents who won traditionally Liberal-held seats at the 2022 federal election. The teal independents campaigned on platforms of climate action, integrity in politics, and gender equality, and their success reshaped Australian politics. Zoe Daniel is the independent MP for Goldstein (Victoria), another teal independent elected in 2022. She is a former foreign correspondent for the ABC. The decision to form a formal political party marks a strategic evolution for the community independent movement, which had previously operated through local grassroots campaigning rather than centralized party structures.
π― Why It Matters
This piece offers an insider's perspective on one of the most significant developments in Australian centrist politics since the teal independent wave of 2022. The challenge of whether Community Strong Australia can appeal to One Nation voters β at a time of rising polarization β speaks to broader questions about whether there is still space for moderate, evidence-based politics in Australia's increasingly fractured political landscape.
Independent MP Zoe Daniel contributes a personal opinion piece reflecting on the launch of Community Strong Australia, the new centrist political party formed by her fellow crossbench independents Zali Steggall (Warringah) and Allegra Spender (Wentworth). Daniel writes from a unique vantage point as a fellow 'teal' independent who jumped off the same cliff alongside Steggall and Spender during the 2022 election wave that saw a record number of community independents elected to federal parliament. She describes the two founders as 'quite different people' β Steggall as a fierce former Olympic skier and family law barrister operating with an elite athlete's determination, and Spender as a deep-thinking former CEO, economist, and gentle listener from a political family.
Daniel grapples with the central tension of the new party: whether translating the authenticity of community independence into a formal party structure can work, and more provocatively, whether the party's message of 'reason over rage' can appeal to One Nation voters. She acknowledges the risk involved in moving from independent status to party politics but argues in the Australian spirit of 'having a go,' it deserves a chance. Daniel reflects that not joining the new party was also a difficult choice for those who opted out, and there is no right or wrong decision β only the sentiment of the communities who have supported independent politics to consider.
Community Strong Australia was launched in June 2026 by Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender, two of the most prominent 'teal' independents who won traditionally Liberal-held seats at the 2022 federal election. The teal independents campaigned on platforms of climate action, integrity in politics, and gender equality, and their success reshaped Australian politics. Zoe Daniel is the independent MP for Goldstein (Victoria), another teal independent elected in 2022. She is a former foreign correspondent for the ABC. The decision to form a formal political party marks a strategic evolution for the community independent movement, which had previously operated through local grassroots campaigning rather than centralized party structures.
This piece offers an insider's perspective on one of the most significant developments in Australian centrist politics since the teal independent wave of 2022. The challenge of whether Community Strong Australia can appeal to One Nation voters β at a time of rising polarization β speaks to broader questions about whether there is still space for moderate, evidence-based politics in Australia's increasingly fractured political landscape.