Reflections from Kay Maunsell 

Not too far from home, Climate 200 hosted a Newcastle Community Get-Together on 6 August at the Foghorn Brewery in King Street. 

An energetic, enthusiastic crowd of about 250 people packed the space  - some already committed community independent supporters, some curious, some fed up with politics as it is and looking for a better way forward. All with an appetite for change.  

As well as chats over a drink with each other we listened to Co-convenors of Climate 200 Kate Hook (previous independent candidate from Orange) and Simon Holmes à Court and Executive Director Byron Fay. 

Discussions highlighted extreme  weather events and community impacts, the  power that  united communities can harness for change, and the huge community  independent impact  on the 2022 election.  

The human Trim Tabs  concept was explained. Small collective actions in the right place, at the right time can change the course of Australian politics.

This is a must listen:  Can Trim Tabs save democracy?

My main take aways from the evening were: 

• Mainstream political parties are barriers to change, not enablers 

• Climate leadership starts with us

• Power of community together

• Active, committed community groups ensure good candidates and vice versa; together we are human trim tabs 

• Change takes time. Nothing happens overnight. We learn by competing.

The responsibilities of an elected member to parliament in order (as if we didn’t know):

• Mainstream parties - career, faction, party, donors, branch, and then constituents

• Community Independents: community!