2021-05-11 00:49:55
Clarifying my relationship with RDA:
Someone has asked me this today. In response I note that:
Since mid-December 2020 my focus has been the lower house contest in the federal parliament (and then a contest in the Victorian parliament). See this news report: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/i-can-do-a-hell-of-a-lot-of-damage-former-victorian-official-plots-antilockdown-political-movement/news-story/586b91fcd1c2afc5ac6abd897d5262fb
In late January/ early February I conceptualised a third front (a team of smaller parties to fight the big parties) and IMOP soon joined the front. RDA was managing various events of this front (e.g. at Greg Hunt’s office, Dan Andrews’s office) since Monica was fully supportive of this strategy and was going to join LDP along with me if LDP was so interested.
But after the Dan Andrews office event in early March 2021 (which IMOP President Michael O’Neill came down from NSW to attend) Monica informed me that she was no longer interested in joining any party or even being a candidate. She would, instead, support good candidates through the RDA – which apparently did a similar thing in the past during local elections in Victoria.
I told her that I believe the third front is a viable concept and I will continue the project. IMOP is a valued member and I have established relations with few other parties to ensure seat sharing. (Btw, the third front is now called Freedom Team since Monica felt that the term Team Australia was confusing her supporters – I agreed to the name change since the name is not the important issue here).
Since Monica had gone completely apolitical (at best supporting independent candidates) and LDP was not going to contest lower house seats, I was forced to look for a new party. I picked up the phone to Peter Harris in end-March 2021 to ask him how to set up a new party. After all, he had set up Family First. The same day, Peter had come to the view from his Standup Australia Tour in WA that there is a huge demand for a new party, and he agreed we need a party in the middle.
His proposal for a new party (deep representative democracy) was brilliant and I agreed to progress it with him, particularly also given his extensive political experience. Australia’s Representatives therefore came into being in end-March 2021. (just for accuracy, a number of other names were tossed up initially, till this name was settled upon).
I immediately mentioned this to Monica in the hope she might change her mind and get involved, from early April. I offered her and Morgan a detailed verbal briefing on 7 April 2021 but she asked me to send a detailed email, which I did. I kept briefing her at every stage about the development of Australia’s Representatives.
It seems she is now setting up her own party. I know nothing about it and have never been consulted.
In summary, re: the question: “I thought you were working with reignite Australia with Monika can you tell me how that’s different now and why you’re not working with her any more” - since I don’t know about Monica’s strategies except that she declared that she was no longer political after the Dan Andrews event, the question should perhaps be posed to her.
I have remained consistent – I want a clear cut political solution. Everything I have done is consistent with what I have been saying from day 1.
I have formed a very positive view of Peter Harris, his integrity, his strategic vision and capacity, and am supporting him in developing Australia’s Representatives, in which I believe the answer lies.
Hope that helps!
303 viewsSanjeev Sabhlok, edited 21:49
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