Community movement ‘Voices for Nicholls’ launched

Daughter to Pastor Sir Doug and Lady Gladys Nicholls, Aunty Pam Pedersen gave an Acknowledgement of Country to kick off the event, followed by a lively discussion between Cathy McGowan and Dr John Hewson.

Community movement Voices for Indi eventually led to the election of independent candidate Ms McGowan to Federal Parliament in 2013, the first time the seat was wrangled from a conservative since 1931.

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“We'd taken so many people who were cynical and disillusioned in politics . . . and gave them a chance to make it better,” she said.

“The wonderful thing about what Voices for Nicholls is undertaking is you never know what the outcomes will be.

“While I certainly hope (Voices for Nicholls) will make the seat an independent seat, the very fact the community is getting together and talking about these important issues will make a change.”

There are now 31 "Voices For" movements brewing across the nation, with varying objectives and modes of engagement.

Mr Hewson said he wouldn't be surprised if movements like Voices for Nicholls continued to gain traction in federal politics — particularly if they backed independent candidates.

He said independents would be valuable in pushing for key issues like water policy and climate change in the next election.

“Major parties do tend to take their votes for granted,” he said.

“An independent can carry a lot of weight . . . it's silly for a sitting candidate even in a safe seat to think people are just going to continue to turn up and vote for them.

“Taking the vote for granted has been a mistake from both parties for quite some time and you're starting to see protest movements gain momentum . . . over time, you're going to see it reflected in the ballot box.”

So far, the seven Goulburn Valley figures heading Voices for Nicholls are playing their cards close to hand.

“Voices for Nicholls is a group of community-minded people who expect and demand high standards of representation from our elected federal member,” the group's website reads.

“We actively seek the thoughts and opinions of communities throughout our electorate on a range of issues.

“We wish to establish open communication with our representative, support them with our data, and hold them to account to vote accordingly.”

Voices for Nicholls does not describe itself as a "political party" and is not yet slated to put forward an independent candidate in the next election.

“The aim of the group is to truly hear the voices of the people in our electorate and represent these to our political representatives,” their website reads.

“We will talk to all political candidates regardless of their party politics to help them understand the voice of this community.”

Members of the group are diverse — ranging from teacher Rob Steer to GV Hearing Clinic executive manager and chartered accountant Sarah Thompson.

“Voices for Nicholls isn't about telling people what to think or who to vote for, it's about encouraging people to get active in our democracy,” Mr Steer said.

“It's about amplifying our collective voice and holding representatives accountable to our electorate.”

Education and multicultural worker Neha Samar moved to Shepparton seven years ago and hoped Voices for Nicholls would be a "powerful community voice for people, by the people".

So far, ages of participants are varied.

Greater Shepparton Young Citizen of the Year and Young Volunteer of the Year Tom Saxton joined as he was "passionate about achieving better outcomes for youth".

The group has raised more than $2000 from Nicholls community members on top of internal committee funding.

It won't accept funding from outside the electorate.

The next step for Voices for Nicholls is a series of Kitchen Table conversations working through key issues and community demands.