Monthly Meeting April 2022

David Stonier-Gibson

With a federal election on the horizon, there is much speculation about the large number of independents putting their hands up in predominantly government held seats. At the last election in 2019 Tony Abbott was famously ousted from his “safe” northern beaches seat Warringah by former Olympic athlete, Zali Steggall. In Indi in northern Victoria, Cathy McGowan took on the sitting LNP member Sophie Mirrabella in 2013, and won. A new movement has emerged, Voices of. [electorate] in many LNP held seats, while climate activist Simon Holmes a Court has started an organisation called Climate 200 to fund pro climate action independents.

The April monthly meeting will be special in many ways:

• We have a very special guest, Zoe Daniel, who is the Voices of Goldstein independent candidate in the upcoming federal election. You may remember her as an ABC foreign correspondent in Washington and other trouble spots around the world. I am also, at time of writing, trying to secure another high profile guest. I will be discussing what the Voices movement means, what influence it would have in Parliament, what their party leanings are, etc. All members will of course be welcome to ask questions.
• We are going back to in-person attendance. The meeting will be in the Moorabbin club rooms on Wednesday 6th April at 7pm. You can also Zoom in, if you wish, but that means missing out on the socialising.
• The format will be different. After the break, instead of more talking heads we will switch to socialising mode with BYO drinks and nibbles. We will do a raffle, so bring a fist-full of cash. The club coffers need a boost!

I feel that after all this time we probably all need a bit of human social interaction, so please do yourself a kindness and attend in person if you can. We will require proof of full vaccination. Masks will be optional.

We will wind up at about 9pm, and those who are interested can move on to WAFL (Wine And Fine Food SIG) at Fong’s in Bentleigh.

Note: If by some horrible chance there’s a last minute surge in Covid we will have to fall back to Zoom only. So watch your email and/or Yammer:All Company for any last minute announcement.