Australia’s political landscape continues to reshape itself at breakneck speed. Two weeks after One Nation surged to the top of national polls, teal independent MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender announced on Thursday 25 June the creation of a new political party, Community Strong Australia, positioning it as a centrist alternative in the face of rising extremism on both ends of the political spectrum.
The two Sydney MPs, Steggall for the seat of Warringah and Spender for Wentworth, officially lodged their party’s application with the Australian Electoral Commission. Community Strong Australia defines itself as a centrist party whose priorities include housing affordability, cost of living, climate action, childcare, education, healthcare and social cohesion.
Steggall summed up the new party’s ambition in a few words: “The community independent movement has shown what’s possible when people unite around shared values and practical solutions. Community Strong Australia is about extending that opportunity to more Australians.” She added that people were “frustrated and tired of the status quo. The major parties have contributed to the situation we are in where too many Australians feel like they are not getting ahead.”
Spender said: “Our country’s success wasn’t built on complaining or fighting each other. It was built from communities up — and that is where politics needs to return. At a time when others are promoting conflict and hate, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to provide a real political alternative and promote a positive narrative about what Australia is and what we can achieve together.”
The new party has one notable feature: it has no leader. Both founders confirmed they would retain a free vote and would not be bound by any common voting discipline. The structure is designed to support locally backed candidates rooted in their communities. Climate 200, the fundraising movement that backed the teal wave in 2022 and 2025, is not involved.
For now, the party counts only its two founders. Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele congratulated the pair but stopped short of committing, saying she was remaining independent in line with the mandate her electorate gave her. MPs Monique Ryan, Helen Haines and Kate Chaney had also previously indicated they would not join a formal party structure. The party’s final registration is expected by October 2026. In a country where voters are increasingly turning away from the major traditional parties, Community Strong Australia aims to occupy the political space left vacant by a right in full populist drift and a left struggling to win back its base.
Discussion about this post