As the first teal MP for Wentworth, I have many questions about this new party

June 26, 2026 — 1:30pm

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This week came the news that the rumours are true. Two of the community independents in the federal parliament announced they have formed a party with the awkward and forgettable name “Community Strong Australia”.

It’s a bold move, and Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender are the first and, so far, the only two politicians to join. Perhaps they could have run a competition to name the party – could that have come up with something like “The Anti-Party Party”?

It is undoubtedly a political risk for both of them, so what motivated them to make this move?

Probably, the change to electoral donation laws introduced by the Albanese government that was designed to advantage parties and nobble independent campaigns by restricting their ability to raise funds was a factor. Forming a party is a way of bypassing these restrictions, particularly for candidates who are not already MPs.

There is also the issue of staffing. It is the prime minister’s decision to allocate staff numbers to MPs, and one of Anthony Albanese’s first moves after he was elected was to reduce........

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