In Goldstein, we’ve met them. You’ve likely encountered them too – those entitled, aggressive voices who seem to believe democracy is theirs to command, not ours to share. They’re the ones who stand too close, snapping photos and videos without permission, hurling insults at volunteers who dare to stand for something. They target Team Zoe volunteers and supporters with a particular venom, dismissing Zoe’s work — “She’s achieved nothing” — while tearing down everyone alongside her. We saw them during the Voice referendum, furious that anyone would champion First Nations’ voices seeking fairness. And they’re back now, bristling as community independents challenge the Liberal Party’s once-assured hold on seats like ours.
This isn’t just a Goldstein story. It’s a glimpse of something bigger – a question about the democracy we’re shaping and the messages our behaviour sends to our neighbours, our children, and ourselves. What kind of world do we want? One where intimidation silences decent voices, mirroring the worst of a MAGA-style brawl? Or one where community matters, where disagreement doesn’t descend into domination?
Democracy isn’t a possession. It’s not a trophy for a select few to brandish. Yet there’s an entitlement in these tactics – a meanness that assumes power belongs only to those who shout loudest, push hardest and constantly demean anyone who stands up and wants something better.
At the 2025 federal election, 36 community independents — including seven incumbents — are running, offering a contest of ideas and sound policies. Hurling abuse at us, spreading disinformation and lies, isn’t how democracy should work. Where are the Liberal Party’s policies? When they sneer, “What have the independents done?” we say, “How long have you got?”
They don’t speak for everyone, though. Community Independent volunteers — tens of thousands strong across the country, spanning all ages, genders, and walks of life — care deeply about our democracy. They’re not raging against change; they’re working for it. They knock on doors, listen to concerns, and refuse to let a few bullies define us.
That’s the contrast we face: courage versus meanness. It’s in the sneer of someone who’d rather intimidate than engage, set against the quiet resolve of a volunteer who keeps going despite the taunts. The Liberal Party’s old guard might feel entitled to seats like Goldstein, Kooyong, or Curtin, but the rise of community independents shows that entitlement isn’t enough anymore. People want connection, not conquest.
Simon Holmes à Court put it powerfully in his 2025 National Press Club speech: “These are our communities speaking up for better.” He’s right. From metro seats to regional towns, Australians are saying what we want – representation that listens, not dictates. So why let a handful of aggressive voices intimidate us? They don’t own this place. They don’t get to decide who speaks or who’s heard. We know what we’re after: a democracy where character counts, where power answers to people, not the other way around.
To those who bully and belittle: your tactics don’t make you strong – they reveal your fear. And to everyone else — volunteers, voters, quiet observers — don’t let them drown you out. The world we want begins with how we act, right here, right now. It’s in the choice to lift each other up, not tear each other down. It’s in rejecting a politics of spite for one of possibility.
We’re at a turning point. Community independents are shaking the old order, not because they’re flawless, but because they reflect a hunger for something better. They’re proof that we can build a democracy together – one where courage prevails, and no one’s voice is stifled by a camera or insult thrust in their face. Let’s choose that world. Not a perfect one, but a decent one. We know what we want. Let’s keep showing it.
The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.
Sue Barrett
Sue Barrett is a Melbourne-based business and community leader, go-to-market strategist, and advocate for human-centered communication and sustainability. With over 30 years of experience in business growth, ethical leadership, change management, and social activism, she is dedicated to helping individuals, organisations, and communities build human-centred, collaborative systems for a better and fairer future.