Teal or no teal? Why these independents might stay solo

May 25, 2026 — 2:00pm

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On paper, the idea of a teal party makes perfect sense.

What’s not to like about a bunch of strong, independent-minded men and women working together to achieve policy outcomes for their communities?

At a time when support for the two main political parties feels in terminal decline and Australians are crying out for an alternative, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation juggernaut is hoovering up some of the voters who have deserted the main parties, but far from all of them.

There are plenty of people who don’t want to vote for Hanson or one of her candidates, but for whom a centrist party that isn’t Labor or the remnants of the once broad-church Coalition is an attractive idea.

And just as crucial, could it happen?

It’s worth remembering that we’ve seen this movie before. Back in 1977, Victorian Liberal Don Chipp split from the party and formed the Australian Democrats, a balance-of-power Senate party that, in Chipp’s words, was formed to “keep the bastards honest”. The party was a success for most of its three decades, but its last........

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