Crossbench MLA Thomas Emerson entered politics through the Independents for Canberra party. Photo: Supplied.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Jordan van Den Lamb had been elected to the Victorian Senate.
The political party behind independent MLA Thomas Emerson has been deregistered, as another gets ready to step on to the scene.
Independents for Canberra was officially registered on 8 March, 2024, as a vehicle to get independents into the Legislative Assembly after a quarter of a century without any on the crossbench.
Mr Emerson was elected as a party candidate for Independents for Canberra for the 2024 ACT election, but he resigned from the party on 5 February, 2025, to sit in the Assembly as a non-party MLA.
Independents for Canberra secretary Leigh Cox described Mr Emerson’s election as a “tremendous result” but said the campaign evaluation and views of supporters were clear.
“The best role Independents for Canberra can play is not as a political party. Moving forward, the organisation will look to expand its role as a facilitator and capacity builder for community independents,” he said.
“We will look to work alongside Canberra’s federal Voices movement and organisations like ProACT to canvas electorate-specific community concerns.
“Hopefully we can identify whether certain electorates are hungry for alternative representation and, if so, help identify candidates who are representative of their community’s interests and have a positive, future-oriented vision for Canberra to match.”
Mr Emerson welcomed the evolution of the organisation and expressed his gratitude for its support.
“It’s fantastic to see engagement with grassroots politics continue to grow across our community,” he said.
“I’m excited for the ongoing growth of this movement after a remarkable campaign last year that saw the independent vote surge to record highs at the ACT election, and massive swings toward independents at the federal election earlier this year.”
Another party looking to build on the success of the federal election is the Canberra Socialists party.
Jordan van Den Lamb had a tilt at the Victorian Senate, and now the party is setting up branches in every state and territory.
He said the Territory needed the party as a “fighting alternative” against property lobbying and corporate donors.
“Canberra is a city built on the backs of workers, yet it’s become a playground for developers, landlords and the bosses,” he said.
“Whether we’re fighting skyrocketing rents, the gutting of public housing, privatisation, or record profits while it costs us more and more to simply survive, we’re here to organise tenants, workers and students to take power back.”
The party is in the process of registration, with more than 100 ACT residents already on the books.
Interim secretary Elliot Downes felt the party would fill a missing void in Canberra’s political landscape.
“Canberra is often described as Australia’s most progressive city, but well over a thousand people are homeless on any given night,” he said.
“For too long, politics in Canberra has been dominated by Labor, who have sold off vital public housing and offered nothing to the workers who make this city run.
“We need an openly socialist voice in Canberra politics, and that hasn’t existed until now.”
