Voices for Indi
Voices for Indi is a community organisation which seeks to promote and expand participatory democracy within the Division of Indi. Voices For Indi has endorsed two independent politicians since 2013, Cathy McGowan and Helen Haines, both of which have won their respective elections.
Political scientist Carolyn Hendriks noted the organisation mobilised "disgruntled citizens" through an innovative linking of informal political participation to the formal political system of parliament. Voices for Indi uses the colour green while the endorsed independents use the colour orange, in order "to delineate its participatory work" from the parliamentarians.History
Voices for Indi was established in 2012 following the incumbent Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella rejecting a proposal for greater democratic participation, stating "the people of Indi aren't interested in politics". The organisation established informal forms of participatory democracy by setting up "kitchen table conversations" and using campaign offices as community 'hubs' for political discussion. Voices For Indi gained notoriety after the 2013 Australian federal election, when the Liberal safe seat of Indi elected the independent Cathy McGowan.
The organisation inspired the establishment of Voices of Warringah in 2018, who later endorsed the independent Zali Steggall for the Division of Warringah. Zali Steggall defeated the incumbent member of Warringah and ex-Prime Minister Tony Abbott in the 2019 Australian federal election.
Following McGowan's retirement from politics in 2019, Helen Haines was endorsed by Voices for Indi. Haines was elected during the 2019 Australian federal election, and became "the first independent to succeed another in Federal Parliament".
