Independents Group

Defunct political party in the Australian Capital Territory

Independents Group

Founded| 3 December 1989
Dissolved| c. 1992
Preceded by| No Self Government Party
Legislative Assembly|

3 / 18

(1989–1990)

The Independents Group was a short-lived Australian political party operating in the Australian Capital Territory. They briefly served as part of the Alliance government, alongside the Liberal Party and Residents Rally.

When the 1989 election was held, the No Self Government Party emerged as the larger of the two anti-self-government groups in the Assembly, electing three members, Craig Duby, Carmel Maher and David Prowse. However, unlike Dennis Stevenson's Abolish Self-Government Coalition, the No Self-Government Party's focus soon began to change from their original single-issue basis.

The first vote of the new Assembly saw Prowse voted in as the Speaker by the members. In late 1989, Residents Rally, who were supporting the Follett Labor government, began discussions aimed at forming a coalition government with the Liberals. They then turned to the No Self Government Party, who accepted the offer. However, as opposition to self-government itself was a core basis of their party, and it would have been seen as somewhat odd for them to then join a government, Duby, and Maher disbanded the party, and reformed as the Independents Group. Prowse joined the Liberal party in July 1990. The new party then became the third member of the Alliance government, and Duby, the old party's former leader, became Minister for Urban Services.[1] Prowse retained his position as Speaker.

Whilst Duby was a vocal member of the government, and was often heard in the Assembly and media, Maher tended to be a less significant player in ACT politics. Nevertheless, the party were vital in sustaining the Alliance government for its eighteen-month lifespan. As long as the Alliance survived, however, they nevertheless maintained influence in decision-making. This was to end when the Liberal Party and Residents Rally fell out in late 1991, causing Residents Rally to move a no-confidence motion in the government. The Follett Labor government with Residents Rally and independents support returned to power. Prowse retained the Speakership.

Soon after, on 19 November, realising that the Independents Group was effectively dead, Duby quit the party to form the Hare-Clark Independent Party. With her influence in the Assembly reduced to practically nil, Maher continued under the Independents Group until the 1992 election. Both Maher and Prowse retired at the election, and though Duby contested the election with his new party, he lost his seat. By the 1995 election, the Independents Group was entirely dead, with none its members playing any further role in ACT politics.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Andree Coelli (8 December 1989). "'Business-like' Ministries" (scan). The Canberra Times. p. 2. Retrieved 16 January 2022 - via Trove.

* v
* t
* e

Defunct political parties in Australia

Major parties|

* Country and Progressive National
* Democratic (1940s)
* Emergency Committee
* Free Trade
* Fusion Liberal
* Liberal (WA, 1910s)
* Liberal and Country League
* Liberal and Democratic Union
* Liberal Federation
* Liberal Reform (NSW)
* Liberal Union
* National Labor
* Nationalist
* Progressive (NSW, 1900s)
* Protectionist
* United Australia

Other parties represented
in federal or state parliaments|

* A Better Future For Our Children
* Abolish Self Government Coalition
* Australia Party
* Australian Conservatives
* Australian Family Movement
* Australian Liberal
* Australian Motoring Enthusiasts
* Australian Party
* Australian Progressive Alliance
* Blackburn-Mutton Labor
* Centre (Tas.)
* City Country Alliance
* Communist
* Country-National Organisation
* Country Progressive
* Conservative National
* Democratic (1920s)
* Executive Country (WA)
* Family First
* Glenn Lazarus Team
* Hare-Clark Independent
* Illawarra Workers
* Independent Labor Group
* Independents Group
* Industrial Socialist Labor
* Labor (Non-Communist)
* Lang Labor
* Lang Labor (SA)
* Liberal (1922)
* Liberal Country
* Liberal Movement
* Liberals for Forests
* Majority Labor
* National Alliance
* National Liberal
* New Conservative Group
* New Country
* New Liberal Movement
* No Self Government
* North Australia
* North Queensland Labor
* Northern Country
* Northern Territory Nationals
* Nuclear Disarmament
* Progress
* Progressive (NSW, 1920s)
* Progressive Labor (Vic.)
* Protestant Labor
* Queensland Labor
* Redistribution Liberals
* Reform the Legal System
* Residents Rally
* Revenue Tariff
* SA First
* Single Tax
* Socialist Labor
* Unite Australia
* Unity
* Victorian Farmers' Union
* Victorian Liberal
* Western Australian

Parties without representation
in any parliaments|

* 21st Century Australia
* Advance Australia
* Affordable Housing
* Aged and Disability Pensioners
* All for Australia League
* Arts
* Aus. First Nations
* Aus. Antipaedophile
* Aus. Better Families
* Aus. Commonwealth
* Aus. Defence Veterans
* Aus. Fishing and Lifestyle
* Aus. Independents
* Aus. National Alliance
* Aus. National Socialist
* Aus. Patriotic
* Aus. People's
* Australian Sports
* Aus. Workers
* Australians Against Further Immigration
* Bill of Rights
* Bullet Train
* Carers Alliance
* Centre (NSW)
* Climate Change Coalition
* Combined New Australia
* Commonwealth
* Commonwealth Centre
* Communist Alliance
* Confederate Action
* Conservative
* Conservative Nationalist
* CountryMinded
* Curtin Labor
* Deadly Serious
* Defence and Ex-Services
* Defence of Government Schools
* Defence Movement
* Democratic
* Democratic Association of Victoria
* Democratic Socialist
* Douglas Social Credit
* Drew Pavlou Democratic Alliance
* Drug Law Reform
* Earthsave
* Engineered Australia
* Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy
* Family Law Reform
* Fair Elections Coalition
* Federal
* Fishing
* Freedom and Prosperity
* Grey Power
* Hear Our Voice
* Henry George Justice
* Hope
* Imperial British Conservative
* Independent Democratic
* Independent EFF
* Indigenous Peoples
* Liberal Democratic (1940s)
* Liberal Reform
* Libertarian
* Lower Excise Fuel and Beer
* Marijuana
* Marriage Equality
* Mature Australia
* Mental Health
* Middle Class
* Mutual
* National Front
* National Humanitarian
* National Socialist
* Nationalist (1958)
* Natural Law
* No Aircraft Noise
* No GST
* One Australia Movement
* One Australia Party
* One Parliament for Australia
* Online Direct Democracy
* Party! Party! Party!
* Pauline's United Australia
* Pensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum
* Pensioner Power
* People Power
* People's (Vic.)
* Pirate
* Progressive Conservative
* Progressive Labour
* Progressive Nationalist Party
* Protestant People's Party
* Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration
* Referendum First
* Reform
* Renewable Energy
* Restore the Workers' Rights
* Rise Up Australia
* Republican
* Save the ADI Site
* Seniors United
* Services
* Services and Citizens
* Smokers' Rights
* Social Democratic
* State Labor
* Stop CSG
* Sun Ripened Warm Tomato
* Tasmania First
* Tasmania Senate Team
* Taxi Operators Political Service
* Together
* United Australia (SA)
* United Christian
* United Tasmania Group
* Uniting Australia
* Victorian Socialist Party
* Voluntary Euthanasia
* What Women Want
* WikiLeaks
* Women's Party (1995)
* Women's Party (2020)
* Yellow Vest
* Young Australia National

* Current Parties
* Politics of Australia
* Politics portal
* List of political parties

This article relating to the Australian Capital Territory is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

This article about an Australian political party is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template