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00:00THIS FEELS LIKE THERE IS AN EVEN MORE SEISMIC SHIFT WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE STREETS AND TALK TO PEOPLE NOW. DO YOU THINK THIS COHORT WILL HAVE A TRACTION TO GET IT OVER THE LINE? KERRYN: YOU ARE VERY RIGHT ABOUT THE TEAL INDEPENDENCE OR SO-CALLED TEAL INDEPENDENCE, BECAUSE THESE CAMPAIGNS ARE INDEPENDENT AND THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CAMPAIGN COLORS THAT THEY HAVE CHOSEN. BUT THIS REALLY IS THE INSPIRING STORY OF THIS ELECTION CAMPAIGN. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS A RESPONSE TO THE FRUSTRATION WITH POLITICS AS USUAL. WE ARE SEEING CAMPAIGNS THAT ORGANICALLY GROWING FROM COMMUNITIES AND THEY ARE CONSULTATIVE, ENGAGING, INTERESTED IN ISSUES OF NATIONAL AND LOCAL IMPORTANCE. AND INSPIRING PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS, MANY OF THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME OR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A VERY LONG TIME. AND THERE ARE AT LEAST 23 OF THESE COMMUNITIES IN THE CAMPAIGN. AND SEVERAL OF THEM WITH A REAL CHANCE OF WINNING. HAIDI: CLIMATE AND GENDER EQUALITY ARE TWO OF THE ISSUES THAT THE COALITION GOVERNMENT HAS REALLY BEEN HEAVILY CRITICIZED OVER THIS TIME OF GOVERNANCE. IS IT SORT OF ANY SURPRISE TO YOU THAN IT THAT WE SEE THESE STRONG WOMEN CAMPAIGNING ON THESE TWO ISSUES? KERRYN: ONE IS THERE IS A FRUSTRATION AMONGST WOMEN THAT WE SHOULD BE ACCORDED TO SELECT GENDER PARLIAMENT SHOULD BE IGNORED. THEY HAVE NOT PROGRESSED TO THE EXTENT THAT WOMEN WOULD HAVE LIKED TO OF SEEN THEM PROGRESS. WE DO NEED TO SEE ACTION IN PARLIAMENT. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE FRUSTRATING, THINGS LIKE AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE, THE GENDER PAY GAP AND THE SEPARATION GAP. IMPORTANT, THE FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. THIS IS WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ALSO VERY ENGAGED IN THE OUTCOME OF THIS ELECTION, BECAUSE THEY SEE THEIR FUTURE DEPENDENT ON ISSUES LIKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE. WE HAVE HAD POLICY PARALYSIS ON THIS ISSUE FOR ABOUT A DECADE NOW. AND THE PERFORMANCE A COP 2016 MOST RECENTLY WAS EMBARRASSING FOR A LOT OF AUSTRALIANS WHO ARE LOOKING TO A FIGURE FOCUSED ECONOMY THAT SHAPE FUTURE FOCUSED ECONOMY, A HEALTH FOCUSED ECONOMY AND FUTURE FOR OUR COUNTRY AND ARE NOT SEEING THAT. THE OTHER FRUSTRATION THAT IS BEING EXPRESSED IS THE REFUSAL BY THE CURRENT LIBERAL NATIONAL COALITION TO INTRODUCE ANY INTEGRITY COMMISSION AT A FEDERAL LEVEL. EVERYONE OF THESE INDEPENDENCE HAS INTEGRITY AS ONE OF THEIR TOP THREE ISSUES THAT THEY WANT TO PROGRESS IF THEY ARE ELECTED. SHERY: AS AN EXPERT YOURSELF, YOU MENTION HEALTH POLICY BEING ISSUE. HOW HIGHLY HAS ACTUALLY FEATURED IN THIS CAMPAIGN ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FUTURE POLICY OUT OF THE PANDEMIC? KERRYN: FRUSTRATINGLY, COVID HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH OF THE FOCUS IN THIS CAMPAIGN FOR MY LIKING CERTAINLY, AND I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN PUBLIC HEALTH CAN INDICATION FOR MANY DECADES. I ' M A GENERAL PRACTITIONER MYSELF AND THE FALLOUT OVER LACK OF ACTION ON COVID PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS IN AUSTRALIA. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE ALMOST 400,000 ACTIVE COVID CASES IN AUSTRALIA AND IT IS ONE OF OUR LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH, SO IT SHOULD BE A FOCUS OF THE FUTURE GOVERNMENT AFTER THE ELECTION TOMORROW. WE HAVE SEEN SOME TALK ABOUT COVID THIS WEEK WITH ANTHONY SAYING THAT A SUMMIT ON COVID MANAGEMENT WILL NEED TO BE A HIGH PRIORITY. ONE OF OUR FORCE PRIORITIES. AND I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT MOVE. WE HAVE ALSO SEEN A MOVE JUST TODAY WITH THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTION COMMISSION HAVING TO INTRODUCE AN EXPANSION OF THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO VOTE BY TELEPHONE IF -- SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO ISOLATE AND NOT PUT OTHER PEOPLE AT RISK. HAIDI: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE ONE GREAT CONTRIBUTION THAT THE ELECTION OF ANY OF THESE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES CAN BRING TO THE POLITICAL SYSTEM INTO THE POLITICAL CLASS IN AUSTRALIA? KERRYN: I THINK THE REALLY BIG CONTRIBUTION OF THE END UP IN A CAMPAIGN MOVEMENT IS THAT IT HAS ENGAGED PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN POLITICALLY ENGAGED EVER OR FOR A LONG TIME. IT IS ALSO BRINGING IN YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING TO SEE A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING POLITICS. IT IS A REAL SHAKEUP FOR THE MAJOR PARTIES TO SEE THAT THERE IS THIS REALLY SIGNIFICANT NEW FORCE IN THE AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL SCENE. AND SEVERAL AS I SAID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY WIN IN SOME OF THESE TRADITIONALLY CONSERVATIVE IT ' S AROUND THE COUNTRY. THERE ARE ABOUT 23 OF THESE CAMPAIGNS ON THE WAY AND A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT IN MARGINAL THINGS AT ALL. THEY ARE IN SEATS THAT ARE HELD BY INCUMBENTS. BY A VERY LARGE MAJORITY. BUT THEY ARE KNOWN TO CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE FOR THE SELECTION, BUT IMPORTANTLY, WE ' RE GOING TO SEE FUNDAMENTAL SHIFTS IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS WHEN WE SEE MORE OF THESE INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGNS POPPING UP AROUND THE COUNTRY. GIVING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES REPRESENTATION AND THE ABILITY TO HAVE THEIR VOICE IN THE US TRILLION PARLIAMENT.

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Fmr Independent Member Phelps on Australia's 'Teal' Election Candidates

Former Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor & former Member for Wentworth Kerryn Phelps, discusses a new force in play at Saturday's Australian election: the so-called 'Teal' independents. She speaks with Haidi Stroud-Watts and Shery Ahn on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia". (Source: Bloomberg)

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