Kirsty Neham

SYDNEY (Reuters), – A third force was unleashed in Australia’s election. It took a swath to end nine years of conservative rule, even though votes for Labor Party were falling.

As moderate voters abandon the government, women who quit successful career paths in medicine, business and media to become independents in politics were poised to secure five seats in Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Liberal party’s affluent urban core in Saturday’s general elections.

ABC election analysts reported that the Independents or minor Greens parties were expected to win at minimum 15 of the remaining 151 lower-house seats. As Sunday’s counting continued, Labor was still five seats away from the required 76 seats to form a government.

The disruptive change was personified by centrists mostly made up of women. They were nicknamed “teal” candidates due to the teal-coloured material they used when targeting seats in Morrison’s Conservative party.

Simon Jackman (University of Sydney Professor) said that it is rare to see such a thing in Australian politics. He was referring specifically to the teal community campaigns which were run by volunteers.

Chris Wallace, an Australian professor, stated that the election shows women’s frustration at Morrison, and inaction regarding climate change. This was underpinned by “a fierce desire” to see accountability for Australian politics.

She told Reuters that there was a lot of overlap in the feelings expressed by women who were outraged at the government, and general voters who want climate action. 

This “mobilised women in never before seen numbers – including the affluent, middle-class professional women who donned teal T-shirts and took several safe seats off the coalition,” Wallace said.

Independent Sophie Scamps is a doctor, who has won the seat of Sydney for Liberals since 1970. She told Sky News: “There was so many people Mackellar saying, ‘I have voted Liberal throughout my life and they do not represent me.’”

“AUSTRALIA IS NOW MOVING ON”

Monique Ryan (a paediatric neurologist who beat Treasurer Josh Frydenberg) cited Sunday’s key issues as the gender pay gap, violence against women, and other concerns.

Jackman stated that Climate Change struck the strongest chord with voters. Jackman was part of a team working on data collection with Climate 200. Climate 200 is a group funded in part by an old Liberal donor, and which gave money to about 20 independents.

He said that highly educated voters also reacted angrily to the government’s handling of sexual assault and gender claims in Parliament. This was something which would have been unacceptable in many Australian workplaces.

Jackman stated that “Women are powerfully motivated” while their male counterparts were coming to believe “that Liberals have the past.” Australia has progressed, the country is now a leader in climate and gender equality.

Simon Birmingham was the former Liberal finance minister and said that Morrison should have set a greater 2030 emission reduction target. He also stated that the Liberal Party had to be more inclusive.

“Especially Australian women are far more educated today,” said he to ABC Television. “It is a group that we have clearly not been able to represent in sufficient numbers.”

Jackman stated that Allegra Spender (a businesswoman) who was elected as an independent to the Liberal Sydney seat in Wentworth should have been considered Liberal party royalty. Her grandfather was a Liberal lawmaker and her father, a Liberal lawmaker, worked for a decade to negotiate Australia’s pillar ANZUS Security Treaty with the United States.

Wentworth, however, was said to be a shining example of the sophistication and ability of moderate Liberal voters to understand climate science. Entrepreneurs who were looking for greener technologies had also abandoned Liberal Party.

Two seats were won by Greens in Brisbane city, Queensland. These were places that had been badly affected by floods.

Adam Bandt of the Greens said Labor and Liberals lost votes, as record numbers voted for them. “This election is an opportunity to act on climate and equality.”