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About Us

Voices of Berowra are residents of the Federal electorate of Berowra who believe that our diverse and vibrant communities can only be effectively represented by an independent Member of Parliament who:

  • is not a member of the Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party, the Greens, or any other federally constituted political party
  • accepts the reality and science of climate change and recognises the need for urgent action
  • actively consults the full range of communities in Berowra electorate to identify their concerns
  • gives voice to the real concerns of residents and actively champions them in the Federal Parliament
  • acts ethically, with integrity, transparency and accountability to the residents of the Berowra electorate, and
  • works with and for the residents of Berowra electorate

As a grassroots and organic movement, Voices of Berowra not only hopes to increase political engagement, so that people understand what their elected officials are voting for on their behalf, but also to identify and support a community independent candidate to be elected as our next federal representative. This community independent will be answerable first and foremost to the people of the Berowra electorate and not to a political party. They will give voice to the issues important to the constituents of Berowra at a federal level, and take those issues to Canberra.

By electing a community independent to a strong cross-bench that holds the balance of power, we can break the hold that the fossil fuel industry and other vested interest groups have on our political process. We can have decision-making that is in the best interests of the people. Achieving real action on climate, affordable housing, cost of living, gambling reform and creating a better future for us all.

Our objectives are to:

  • collect information about constituents’ concerns via survey responses, kitchen table conversations, public meetings and other events
  • build a community movement in the electorate of Berowra to find and support a genuinely independent candidate
  • if the candidate is elected, provide ongoing support and work with the Member of Parliament to progress constituents’ concerns.

We believe that the Berowra electorate would be best served by a community independent who is foremost accountable to the constituents of Berowra rather than to a political party. Imagine having a community independent who is free to vote on issues and policies based on merit rather than as dictated by party politics.

Voices of Berowra upholds the following values:

  • Respect – we listen respectfully to all views and give them due regard, while also maintaining the principle of adhering to evidence and experience
  • Integrity –our interactions are ethical, honest, and evidence-based
  • Transparency – we are open and honest about our values and purpose
  • Accountability – we stick to our values and act on our objectives
  • Positivity – we stay focused on goals, ‘disagree well’, and overcome challenges with a positive demeanour to all
  • Inclusivity – we encourage participation by all
  • Courage – we support our members and volunteers to stand for these principle

In Australia, the political system is designed so that each electorate has a voice in federal Parliament. This is done through the election of a federal representative, whose role is to champion issues important to the people in the communities of that electorate. With the dominance of the two-party system, many people now believe that the voice of our electorate has been overshadowed by the voice of the party room - which is itself unduly influenced by vested interest, political point scoring and lobby groups.

As a way of combating this, community groups known as “Voices of X [Electorate Name]" are being formed everywhere around the country. There are currently around 60 of them – in city and rural electorates in every state and territory.

These community groups are springing up among voters who feel a sense of dissatisfaction and disenfranchisement with the way Federal Australian politics has been going. Some people may feel that their local MP isn’t truly representing the community; others may feel that the two-party system is working less well than it should; others may be galvanised by a particular issue that they feel has not been well addressed by Federal governments (e.g. climate change or political donations).

These groups have two fundamental aims: to find out what people in their electorate are thinking and feeling about the issues that affect them and then to try to find a genuinely independent candidate to represent those views in federal parliament. It’s a bottom-up process that starts with the community and does not involve “parachuting” a candidate in. It's communities like ours realising that by working together we have the power to change politics for the better.