Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size As far as blue-ribbon seats go, Wentworth was one of the Liberal Party's safest.But in the byelection that followed the resignation of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2018, independent Kerryn Phelps trounced the Liberals and forced Scott Morrison's government into a minority. The contest for Wentworth was a litmus test for a government trailing in the polls, and Phelps' victory was a fillip for independents. The independents who make it to Canberra are generally the exception rather than the rule – but they can make a big splash when they get there. Fast-forward to this federal election campaign, and prominent independent candidates for the lower house – Phelps, Julia Banks in Flinders, Helen Haines in Indi, Rob Oakeshott in Cowper, Zali Steggall in Warringah, Andrew Wilkie in Clark, and Oliver Yates in Kooyong – release a statement setting out the "price of power" for their support after May 18. This includes demands to take action on climate change and to potentially block the Adani coal mine. Loading Sydney Morning Herald and Age commentator David Crowe says: "The demands are a sign of confidence among key independents that climate change policy will help swing the federal election, helping them defeat Liberal or Nationals candidates." Meanwhile, the Centre Alliance party is being forecast as a likely kingmaker in a post-election Senate. In Parliament's upper house, senators assume the role of gatekeepers, deciding which laws will pass. The support of the crossbench can be critical.


These confident candidates are not the only ones hoping to shape the agenda of the future government. What role do independents – and minor parties – play in our Parliament? Who are the ones to watch at this election? What chance do other independents and smaller parties have? And how much influence can they wield when the election dust settles? Independent, minor and micro: what's the difference? All minor and micro-party and independent MPs elected to Canberra sit on the crossbench, the seats between the government and the opposition in the Senate and House of Representatives chambers. Independents are not members or affiliates of a political party. To run, they havecollected 100 signatures, filled in a nomination form and paid a $2000 deposit at their local electoral office.


Ninety-five independents have put up their hands to contest the 151 lower house seats, and 37 independents are fighting for state-based Senate spots. There are 76 Senate seats but elections are staggered and fixed to six-year terms so only 40 are up or grabs. Loading Once elected, some independents, such as Pauline Hanson, have sought to build their personal popularity into a party that can spread their message.

The term "minor party" is used to describe a party that is not Labor, the Liberals or the Nationals, which for decades have been the only parties big enough to form government. There are more than 50 minor parties registered with the Australian Electoral Commission this election, ranging from the Animal Justice and Australian Affordable Housing parties through the alphabet to Pirate Party, Australia, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, The Women's Party and Yellow Vest Australia. In the Federal Parliament, there is a higher hurdle under parliamentary entitlement rules to gain recognition as a minor party – five elected MPs are needed to obtain minor party status and the extra staff and other resources that come with it.


Senators elected on primary votes of less than 1 per cent of a quota were able to thrust themselves into the public debate. Micro-parties are the very small parties that have risen to prominence in the Senate in the past 10 years – including Family First, the DLP and the Liberal Democrats – by winning seats with small numbers of votes because of preference deals. After the 2013 federal election, the micro-parties lobbed a hand grenade into the political arena. Senators elected on primary votes of less than 1 per cent of a quota (Ricky Muir from the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party infamously pulled in .51 per cent) were able to thrust themselves into the public debate by joining together to block the passage of contentious legislation. The major parties joined to change the Senate voting system, making it difficult for micro-party candidates to get elected. Then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull then called a double-dissolution election, putting all the upper house seats up for grabs. Greens leader Richard Di Natale and Senator Derryn Hinch embrace after the Senate agreed on amendments to a bill in the Senate in February. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Is the era of micro-parties over? The 2016 rule changes to Senate voting mean groups of unknown micro-parties are no longer able to funnel their votes to each other until they have a quota of votes in their own right.


The voting system is now optional preferential above the line, in which voters rank at least their first six candidates – thus distributing their own preferences. "I think the reform is a huge advantage for democracy," says ABC election analyst Antony Green. The members that now get elected actually get votes. "The Arts Party – I don’t know what they’re doing," he says. "Seniors – who are they? Pirate Party – vague idea who they area. Health Australia party are anti-vaccinations. None of these have a hope in hell. All these people think they can be the next Ricky Muir, but they can’t get elected [now because of recent Senate reforms]." But some independents and minor parties with high enough profiles are still likely to get elected, says Green. These include Derryn Hinch's Justice Party, the Australian Greens and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, which are able to attract a significant primary vote. "The members that now get elected actually get votes," says Green. Clive Palmer's United Australia Party has entered the fray. Credit:AAP


What are the minor parties to watch? Queensland businessman Clive Palmer made an impact in 2013 when, as leader of the Palmer United Party, he won the lower house seat of Fairfax. He also launched three senators into the upper house, including Jacqui Lambie (who is running in this election as leader of the Jacqui Lambie Network). The party disintegrated but Palmer is back, this time with the United Australia Party. Palmer, who is fielding candidates in every electorate as well as the Senate, has spent tens of millions of dollars on advertising, eclipsing the major parties. He has also locked in a preference deal with the Liberals that will increase his chances of clinching a Senate seat. Which independents could make history? Many of the independents who have a shot are emerging in ultra-safe Liberal and National lower house seats, including Phelps in Wentworth, Steggall in Warringah, Haines in Indi and Kevin Mack in Farrer. In Farrer, on the drought-stricken NSW-Victoria border, incumbent Liberal Sussan Ley is under threat from Mack, a former Albury mayor who is campaigning on what he says are inadequacies in the government's water policy. How does the crossbench make a difference? The capacity for an independent candidate to be "truly independent" once elected is quite limited, says Mark Triffitt, a lecturer in politics and public policy at the University of Melbourne. "The major party system is integral to the political system in Australia. "It’s difficult for an independent to not only be elected, but have genuinely innovative policy ideas and vision to be part of the public debate and be accepted by major parties. "But the virtue of being an independent is you’re not subject to the strict party discipline that really prevents party members from engaging." In 2010, crossbenchers negotiated to determine who would form the next federal government. The crossbench can be crucial in passing legislation and has wielded substantial influence when the party in government does not have majority support in the Senate. When holding this "balance of power", crossbenchers ultimately decide whether a bill is passed or rejected. Labor and the Coalition each won 72 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives in 2010, four short of the requirement for majority government. The crossbenchers negotiated with leaders Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to determine who would form the next federal government. Alongside the Greens, enough independents signed agreements with Labor to secure it government. In return, Labor made various commitments including a major package of electoral and parliamentary reforms. Loading In 2017, the federal Coalition government was forced to dump its contentious plan to slash taxes for big business after it failed to secure the support of the Senate crossbench. Independents led by Kerryn Phelps were the driving force behind the recent Medevac bill, which became the first instance of a government losing a vote on its legislation in 80 years. Phelps introduced the lawto allow doctors to decide whether asylum seekers should come to Australia for medical treatment. Some of the crossbenchers, led by Kerryn Phelps, who voted with Labor to pass the Medevac bill. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Why do people vote for independents and small parties? Many voters are becoming disillusioned with the major parties, particularly in the regions.A Grattan Institute report in 2018 found the minor party vote is a protest against the major parties. It’s a vote for "anyone but them", headed by personality "brand" namesand fuelled by a range of factors. Minor party voters have much lower trust in government than those who vote for the majors, according to the Grattan Institute. Policy and protest both play a role in the rising micro-party vote. Some smaller parties appeal to the sentiment that "things aren’t what they used to be", it says. Other candidates appeal to more progressive voters. Kerryn Phelps believes "social issues such as action on climate change and broader protection for the environment, humane treatment of refugees, and the fundamentals of health, education and aged care are of great interest to voters". The Grattan report says it seems likely that policy and protest play roles in the rising micro-party vote. "As the number of micro-parties grows,

voters looking for an alternative to the major parties are increasingly

likely to find a party that focuses on an issue that resonates with them."