Voices for Indi (V4i) has worked since 2012 to give voice to our communities and to encourage quality candidates to stand for election to represent the people of Indi. In the past two federal parliamentary terms, with Cathy McGowan AO as Member for Indi (2013-16 and 2016-19), we witnessed the benefits of Independent representation and doing politics differently.
In this spirit, V4i facilitated an innovative process in January 2019 for the community to choose an Independent candidate to succeed Cathy. No one on the V4i committee voted in this process – the community decided which of the three applicants they wanted to invite to stand. Helen Haines was invited and went on to become the first Independent since 1901 to follow an Independent in the same seat in Australia’s parliament. We all celebrate her achievement and the people and communities of Indi who worked so hard to support Helen’s campaign.
V4i will always foster participatory democracy and enable the people and communities of Indi to continue to have an effective voice. What has been achieved in our communities in 2019 is bigger than this election. What we as the people of Indi started in 2012 is resonating across the country. We will continue to do politics differently.