Who’s really a true “Independent”?

In this Council election there’s been a lot of comments about what it means to be “independent”.

Some independents are current or former members of big political parties, others are actively supporting a major party by swapping their 2nd votes with them.

For example, someone claiming to be a "true independent" is a former member of the liberal party and they will give each other their votes. So be careful who you vote for - they might be a blue shark in independents' clothing.

Another candidate claiming to be an independent is a member of the Labor Party - who is giving his votes to Liberals and Greens - so what happened there?

And then we have Mayor Michael Regan – who has no history in politics except for working positively with the big players - and whose group, “Your Northern Beaches Independent Team” vote independently. So, who’s really a true "Independent"?

Michael reinforces that his group registered as a political party purely for election day. “The major parties set up a system that favours them” says Michael. “We’re just locals who want to keep council free of the political fighting the major parties bring. So by registering as a party we levelled the playing field. We pool resources and ideas for election campaigns and get a group name on the ballot paper. But in between elections, we vote as individuals. The public can check this for themselves by looking at the Council meeting minutes - our track record proves our Councillors don’t always vote the same way.”

We have demonstrated our independence time and time again. Look up our differing opinions and voting records for:

Dogs on beaches
Synthetic fields
The Office
Bulky Goods Collection
The Urban Night Sky

They're just the ones that spring immediately to mind.

What is important as trusted Independents is to engage with the community, and the experts, to be respectful and to get the best outcome for all cohorts in the debate.

Michael likens the “Independent Team” to a national athletics team – “We’re made up of individuals with distinct sprint, marathon and strength skills but we’re united by our common values of protecting the environment, putting the community first in decision making, supporting local businesses and enhancing our quality of life.”

We don't want big outrage-inducing, top-down-pressured, fear-mongering politics. We need collaborative, expert, community-first people who show leadership and respect to our local community through a level-playing field, which is what we demonstrated through covid.

When Narrabeen ward resident Ruth Robins decided to run for council, she was adamant she wanted to be independent so she reached out to Michael Regan’s group. “I just want the community to have a voice – to have a representative that is answerable only to them; who will put the community’s interests first, not their party bosses” says Ruth.

Michael Gencher, running in Pittwater ward, made similar observations.

“I will make my decisions according to expert advice, community feedback and my own perspectives and values,” said Michael Gencher.

“With this group, I could see there is no block voting. They are not answerable to party bosses in Macquarie Street or Canberra – just to the people of their local area!! This is essential for building and protecting our community and environment.”

Ruth and Michael are offering a fresh independent alternative in Narrabeen and Pittwater wards.

To contact them and any of Your Northern Beaches Independent Team to ask them how they will represent your individual needs, visit www.yournorthernbeaches.com.au