Why Independents and Minority Government?

Major political parties have an important role in our democracy. They provide a necessary structure to form stable governments, but governments led by any party majority rarely yield the best results. When parties are forced to share power under minority government conditions, a few principled independents can provide the oversight and constructive pressure necessary to ensure every budget and every piece of legislation is formed and tested in the open, and stands on merit.

Unlike our Federal Government, Victorian Members of Parliament are elected to serve fixed terms. This means a hung parliament is an opportunity, not a liability. The major party Members are forced to spend their full four-year term earning the right to pass legislation. A minority government in Victoria guarantees four years of forced negotiation. It locks the major parties in the room and requires them to work constructively with the crossbench, ensuring that power is balanced and legislation is scrutinized, not rushed.

While a minority government with a few sensible independents can create balance, a minority government without them leaves Victoria vulnerable. If the major parties are forced to rely solely on minor parties to form a government, policy becomes a game of political ransom. Instead of decisions being made in the broad public interest, government policy can be pulled to ideological extremes. This means Independents are a safer option because they are free from rigid party demands and answer directly to their local communities.