This is my political commentary in Q3 2026

This covers

Introduction

Smaller Party Alternatives

Why Our Democracy Is Good

Beyond Politics

Introduction

For many Australians, there is a growing feeling that the major political parties no longer represent ordinary people in the way they once claimed to.

For decades, the Liberal Party has traditionally been associated with business interests and the Coalition’s relationship with the “top end of town”, while the Labor Party has historically been connected with workers and the union movement. However, many voters now feel that both major parties have become increasingly focused on governing within the same political and economic system rather than challenging it.

This has created frustration and a search for alternatives.

Some voters have turned towards figures and movements that present themselves as outsiders or challengers to the political establishment. Pauline Hanson and One Nation, for example, have attracted support from people who feel ignored by traditional politics. I believe it’s worth asking, is she an establishment elite plant, placed there so people can feel like they’re protesting the system, while in reality they are still supporting the system?

The small party alternatives

The challenge for voters is separating genuine policy differences from political branding.

The Greens have attracted support for policies such as expanding Medicare coverage, including proposals around dental care, and stronger environmental and social policies. However, the party also carries historical and reputational baggage with some voters, which influences how people view its policies.

For those looking beyond the major parties, there are a range of smaller parties and independents with different priorities.

The Fusion Party brings together several smaller political movements, including groups such as the Pirate Party and Future Party, with a focus on areas including democracy reform, technology, privacy, and evidence-based policy. Recently they have had a few changes so this may need to be reviewed.

Centre Alliance (Website down at time of writing) has historically focused on issues such as regional representation, practical governance, and a centrist approach to policy.

Conservative Alternatives

For voters with more conservative views, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party has built support around regional communities, agriculture, and local issues. Its supporters often emphasise its focus on practical outcomes rather than traditional ideological divisions.

The Sustainable Australia Party positions itself around ideas of long-term sustainability, including environmental, economic, and population considerations. Australian businessman and philanthropist Dick Smith has expressed support for some of its policy positions.

Progressive Alternatives

For voters with more progressive views, options include the Animal Justice Party, Australian Democrats, the Greens, and others depending on individual priorities.

A number of independents associated with the “teal” movement have also moved towards creating a new political organisation, Community Strong Australia, focused on community representation and governance.

Specific Purpose Alternatives

For First Nations Australians and supporters interested in Indigenous representation, the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia provides another political option focused specifically on Indigenous voices and issues.

For those focused on drug law reform, harm reduction, and cannabis policy, Legalise Cannabis Australia is another option that places those issues at the centre of its platform.

There are also other issue-focused parties and movements that may appeal to voters depending on their priorities, whether that is animal welfare, civil liberties, regional representation, environmental issues, or democratic reform.

The important thing is to understand what each group actually stands for, rather than simply voting based on a label.

Why our democracy is good

We’re lucky to have one of the best voting systems in the world. In the House of Representatives, we use preferential voting: you number the candidates in the order you like them. If your first choice is knocked out, your vote moves to your second choice, and so on, until someone has a majority. That means you can put a small party or independent first without helping the party you like least. You get to vote with your heart and your head.

The Senate goes further. It uses proportional representation, which is why small parties and independents can actually win seats there, and why the Senate is often where the major parties get held to account.

One thing to watch is preference deals. Parties hand out how-to-vote cards that suggest an order, and sometimes the deals behind those cards say more about backroom arrangements than about what a party believes. You don’t have to follow them. Look up the order yourself, or number the boxes your own way. In the House you number every box, and in the Senate you can number at least six above the line or at least twelve below it.

Going beyond the politics

While political parties matter, politics alone cannot solve every problem.

A healthy society is not built only through elections. It is also built through the organisations and institutions people create together.

For many Australians, frustration with the current system comes from feeling like they have little control over essential parts of their lives such as housing, healthcare, financial services, energy, and local services.

Housing is one example where this tension is clear.

I understand why many Australians become landlords. In a system where retirement security, financial independence, and family stability often feel tied to owning assets, property can feel like one of the few reliable pathways to security.

However, that also highlights a bigger systemic issue. When people feel they need to become property investors just to protect their future, it suggests the system is not providing enough other pathways to security.

Research using Australian Taxation Office data has shown significant concentration within the investment property market. Reports in 2023 found that around 1% of Australian taxpayers owned nearly a quarter of all property investments in the country. While many property investors own only one investment property, a smaller group of investors with multiple properties hold a large share of investment properties.

The question should not simply be “are landlords good or bad?” Many are ordinary Australians trying to secure their own future. The deeper question is: why has personal financial security become so dependent on accumulating private assets?

This is where alternatives such as cooperatives, mutual organisations, community-owned businesses, member-owned financial institutions, and other forms of collective ownership become important.

These models are not about removing individual freedom. They are about creating more ways for ordinary people to have ownership, influence, and security.

Imagine a society where people can access affordable services because they are members, not just customers. Where workers have ownership in the businesses they build. Where communities can invest together and keep value within their local area.

Politics is one way to create change, but community ownership is another.

The future should not only be about choosing who manages the system. It should also be about building better systems ourselves.

Join the conversation at Australia 2028

I don’t think good ideas should only come from parties. That’s why I share my own policy ideas and project proposals for Australia on Australia 2028. Have a look, tell me where I’ve got it wrong, and share your own. With 2028 getting closer, the site may soon need a new name, but the aim stays the same: politics for the people, built by the people.