‘It’s like an outbreak’: How ‘quasi-parties’ will influence your council’s election

Quasi-parties are on the hunt in Victoria’s local government elections as they try to push out incumbent councils. But it has raised questions about the transparency and definition of the groups of so-called independents who often share branding, resources, policies and preferences.

In a survey of council candidates across Greater Melbourne, The Age asked those running if they were a member of a political party or interest group – which they don’t have to disclose under Victorian electoral law.

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Of those who responded, 53 per cent said they were independent or did not belong to any political party or interest group.

But despite the results, there are groups of independents working in what election analyst Ben Raue has described as “party-like” ways.

In most cases, group members share resources. They have common advertising and policy platforms that would influence the way they voted if elected.

While some candidates revealed their interest group membership to The Age, others did not. Many said they did not declare those links because the group they associated with was nothing like a political party, or that it was an oversight.

In the City of Yarra, former Victorian Socialists councillor Stephen Jolly has created an alliance of more than 10 independents under the banner Yarra For All, which is an incorporated association.

The candidates are sharing resources and have a volunteer chief of staff. Opponents have accused them of being the “purple party” due to the association’s branding.

Jolly did not disclose he was an alliance member in The Age’s survey.

In posts on social media and on printed newsletters, Jolly has promised that if the alliance wins a majority, the council would meet more often and tackle issues including the removal of a waste charge.

But he told The Age that any suggestion the alliance acted like a party was “nonsense”.

“If we were a political party, we would have preselection, but we haven’t. The thing that unites us all is not having a council beholden to a political party like the Greens,” he said.

“It’s like a soccer team of independents. The idea I’m some kind of Rasputin figure at the top is ridiculous.”

Six local election candidates mentioned Yarra For All in their candidate statements to the Victorian Electoral Commission. They are Bridgid O’Brien, Sharon Harrison, Peter Sprott, Michael Glynatsis, Mubarek Imam and Victoria Chipperfield. Only three – Evangeline Aston, Sharon Harrison and Victoria Chipperfield – disclosed their association when surveyed by The Age.

Jolly confirmed there was a Yarra For All bank account that was used for printing the purple, black and white posters that are being used by several councillors across the municipality. The posters urge voters to “vote independent”, but do not reference Yarra For All.

Candidates who are members of several independent groups are also running as independents in the City of Port Phillip.

Residents of Port Phillip – an incorporated association formerly known as Ratepayers of Port Phillip that also takes donations – is fielding four candidates as independents: Brendan Perera, Beti Jay, Bryan Mears and Rod Hardy.

They share similar policies, including a rate freeze, crime-free streets and curbing bike lanes. All four disclosed in their candidate statements to the VEC they were part of the association, but did not declare that to The Age.

Residents of Port Phillip president Campbell Spence said it was an “unintentional omission”.

“They weren’t obfuscating or being misleading. They don’t see themselves as part of … an interest group,” he said.

Another group running for that council is People Empowering Port Phillip (PEPP). It is made up of seven candidates – Beverley Pinder, Michelle Di Donna, Janet De Silva, Levi Silcox, Chris Schwarze, Sabina Sablok and Serge Thomann. None disclosed their connection to the group in The Age survey.

Thomann, the group’s founder, said it had no formal structure and was not a registered political party. The group is using common branding and graphic designs.

“It’s more a project [than a party],” he said. “We’re not hiding [that] we’re part of PEPP.”

Thomann said no one in the group was a registered political party member. He compared them with the teals, the independent federal MPs who don’t always vote the same way.

“I want to change how council works, but I can’t do that alone, I need good people around me,” he said.

Raue, founder of The Tally Room website, referred to such groups as “quasi-parties” engaging in “party-like activity”.

He said they were often defined by their opposition to major party politics and had been successful in NSW councils.

“It’s like an outbreak, and they take over really quickly, and they wipe out what was there before,” he said.

Raue said it was “a little bit” disingenuous but very common for these groups’ candidates to claim they were independent.

“There’s obviously advantages to acting like a party. You can share resources, you can do common advertising … you get better deals on printing, all sorts of economies of scale,” he said.

“It reminds me of the teals. There are a lot of political advantages to being a party, but there are certain electoral advantages to being able to claim you’re not a party.”

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