Last May, as the world was locked down against COVID, a group of people in Sydney’s eastern suburbs got to work. David and Lyndell Droga and their friends decided it was time to make the Australian government take action on climate change.
The Drogas are the co-leaders of Wentworth Independents, residents who want to get rid of Liberal MP Dave Sharma and replace him with an independent. Sharma holds the seat — which stretches from Bondi in the east to Potts Point and down to the southernmost border of Centennial Park — on a margin of 1.3%.
Lyndell sent an email to her local network inviting people to an “intimate event of early adopters, donors and network builders” the following month.
Wentworth will be one of the most consequential seats in the next election, the letter said.
“We are residents of Wentworth who care about integrity in politics and are sick of politics as usual,” it read. “That’s why we are exploring a way to put Wentworth values on the map by ensuring we are represented by a sensible moderate member of our community who will put our values and the climate first.
“That person could hold the balance of power in the next election and will be front and centre in every policy debate in Parliament. We invite you to join us in changing the shape of politics by changing the face representing Wentworth.
“Imagine if … the major parties had to align with the values of our own community: integrity, respect for women, and sensible climate policy.”
At the evening event, attendees heard from Robert Purves, a businessman and environmentalist who was a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. Purves had been chair of the successful campaign in Sydney’s Warringah to get rid of Tony Abbott and replace him with independent Zali Steggall.
From that first gathering, the Wentworth Independents forged ahead, tapping their networks for money and expertise. They searched for the perfect candidate and, according to the AFR, raised a $300,000 war chest.
Two weeks ago, businesswoman and renewable energy advocate Allegra Spender announced she would stand. The 43-year-old mother of three is Liberal Party royalty — the daughter of former MP John Spender QC and granddaughter of Sir Percy Spender, who served in the Menzies government. Her late mother, iconic fashion designer Carla Zampatti, was also involved in Liberal Party politics.
But as Spender said at Saturday’s campaign launch: “Today’s Liberal Party is not the same party of my father and my grandfather.”
Addressing an enthusiastic 450-strong crowd at the Paddington RSL, she said: “Everyone knows we cannot afford one more electoral cycle of spin, denial and inaction on climate change, inaction on women’s representation, and inaction on the economic opportunities of the green revolution. If the local member is not up to the task then he needs to get out of the way.”
When people asked her if she was tough enough for politics, she said: “Shouting isn’t a strength and talking down to people isn’t clever.”
It was a great launch, hastily relocated from a park in Double Bay after rain had turned the grass to mud. The women company directors club was out in full force, with Patty Akiopantz, Nicola Wakefield-Evans, Catherine Brenner and Sally Herman in attendance. A surprise guest was former head of Australia Post Christine Holgate, who probably has a strong interest in seeing the end of Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Holgate lives in Mosman but looked keen to contribute.
Spender was introduced by her mother’s oldest friend, board director Jillian Broadbent. The chair of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Reserve Bank board member relayed the only criticism she had ever heard Zampatti make of her daughter, who at the time was studying economics at Cambridge University: “She does not seem to think or care about clothes at all.”
She said although Spender had had several important corporate and philanthropic roles, her “second job in life is leaving the world a better place”.
Spotted in the crowd were many of the people who had supported Dr Kerryn Phelps, including ragtraders Andrew and Michelle Michael. Phelps held the seat as an independent for seven months after Malcolm Turnbull resigned but lost it to Sharma in 2019 after the Liberals threw millions of dollars at a very bitter campaign.
But looking at the collective worth and social clout of the crowd at Spender’s launch, if I was Sharma I’d be very worried.
Wentworth is the wealthiest electorate in the country, with a median income double the national figure, according to the last census. It’s also highly educated; almost half the electorate holds a bachelor’s degree or higher. As a result, 40.7% of the electorate is a “professional” — again, double the national figure.
One-eighth of the electorate recorded themselves in the census as Jewish, making it the most Jewish seat in the country. Wentworth is also home to the fifth-largest number of same-sex couples.
Spender was at great pains to temper her climate change rhetoric with pro-business statements: “Wentworth is not radical and I am not a radical at all. But there are those who are trying to paint me and this wave of independents as such.
“To them I would say: trying to protect the environment for our children is not a radical choice; ensuring that our businesses are at the forefront of innovation is not a radical choice; having equal representation of women and men in Parliament is not a radical choice; and making sure that our institutions have transparency and integrity is not a radical choice.”
She also said the electorate was pro-refugees and wanted faster progress on reconciliation with First Nations people.
She would draw on her business experience and develop evidence-based policies, and would campaign for an independent federal anti-corruption commission and a second public high school in Wentworth.
At the end of the launch, Spender took everyone across the road to Paddington’s Reservoir Gardens for a group photo. Some of the crowd then changed T-shirts and headed off to pre-poll for the local council elections this weekend. For some people, the fun never stops.
A revolt from within . . . what better statement can Democracy desire.
If even blue-bloods placing their vote ahead of LNP denialism. May be, Australia ‘can’ return from brink of world disgrace and reel in pending, global disaster?
I wish her success. But, judging by the quotes at the launch, I worry that Spender sounds overqualified in level-headedness & intelligence for our federal Parliament.
Ha! I hadn’t thought of that. If she’s elected, perhaps she can just hang with Zali and Helen.
At least she’ll hang with people she can like. Can you imagine having to spend half your professional life with obnoxious people whom you dislike intensely?
Look past the current little crop of incompetents and think how she would look in the parliament we could and should have.
Margot, thank you for mentioning ‘median income’ and not ‘average income’. And thank you for referring to Ms Spender’s father AND mother.
Indeed, I think that it’s easy to argue that Carla Zampatti has been a more significant figure in Australia’s history than John Spender. It would certainly have been a major omission not to include reference to her, although we should also recognise that Ms Spender should be considered on her own merits, and not those of her parents.
I think she is recognised “on her own merits”, and that she is a very fine individual to take Australia towards a better future than the liberal party is currently capable of doing.
“Today’s Liberal Party is not the same party of my father and my grandfather.”
Such a telling and important comment – and the same sentiment that caused me (after voting liberal since Menzies was its leader) to stop doing so the day Howard became party leader for the umpteenth time.
It is doubtful that Menzies would vote for the shower currently besmirchng the Liberal party escutcheon.
I always prefer using median to average – and it’s hard to avoid the iconic Carla! She seems to have dressed every second woman in public life.
The voters of Wentworth should hang their heads in shame, they had a great member in Dr Phelps. At least she stood for something and actually had a go in the short time she was in parliament.
How they could vote for Sharma is just astounding.
Hopefully this time around the voters have woken up, but somehow sadly i doubt it
With that level of education the Libs should definitely worry. Their ideal voter is someone who doesnt think things thru and responds to lies with a knee jerk emotional reaction. The mob described above dont seem to fit that bill.
They did dump Phelps for the cardboard cutout Sharma, so don’t give them too much credit.