A small but enthusiastic gathering heard from former Independent MP for Goldstein and Walkley Award winning journalist Zoe Daniel that Australian politics sits at a pivotal moment.

The talk on How can we do democracy Better? was organised by the Voices of Chisholm in conjunction with Voices of Ashwood and Voices of Malvern.

In a wide-ranging session, we heard about Zoe’s experience as the ABC’s Washington Bureau Chief during the 2016 Presidential campaign and President Trump’s first term. For Zoe the script was flipped when she stood and won the blue-ribbon seat of Goldstein in 2022. Her insights from inside two bruising election campaigns generated a host of questions during the session and many follow-ups afterwards. We appreciate her willingness to share these experiences and provide guidance to our electoral efforts.

In the shadows of the 2026 State Election Ms Daniel said it was important for both state-based independent groups to remain focussed on the task ahead to select a candidate and build a strong supporter and volunteer base.

And while the backgrounds of those involved in the community independent movement are varied, they come together over the common purpose of bringing integrity back to the centre of our politics at all levels.

With those differences in mind perhaps we might agree to adopt Paul Kelly’s “From Little Things Big Things Grow” as our unofficial theme song over the coming months.

Please scroll down to see the photo gallery and catch a flavour of this interesting and valuable night.