Voices for Forrest is not a political party, it is a local community group in the electorate of Forrest.

At the federal level, political parties usually operate throughout the whole nation. The party advertises for all candidates in all electorates, and controls the selection process for one candidate for each electorate. Candidates who win election become members of parliament for their party, and are required to vote and speak in parliament the way the party tells them to, under threat of losing pre-selection at the next election, as well as losing the confidence and support of their party for the rest of the current term. The party MP reports back to the community based on the party’s national policy, which is the same for every electorate in the whole nation.

In the Voices movement, local people select their candidate without any influence from anyone outside the electorate. The candidate commits to voting and speaking in parliament based on values and policies agreed by the electorate as being the wishes of the electorate, gained by rigorous consultations with the electorate. The Voices movement has no formal or influential links with any person or organisation outside the electorate; it is entirely governed within the electorate. The Voices MP reports back to the community based on the results of consultations held across the electorate, compiling the specific wishes of this electorate.

<thankyou John Sherwood>