In brief
- Allegra Spender and Zali Stegall have launched a new political party: Community Strong Australia.
- Some experts and online commentators question whether the name could weaken their political strength.
While former teal independents Allegra Spender and Zali Steggall were launching their new political party to voters, many online were focused on something else entirely — its name.
Dubbed Community Strong Australia (CSA), Spender and Steggall say they hope their teal-branded party will become a home for community-backed candidates that offers a centrist alternative to One Nation. Still, online, the name has been roundly criticised by members of the public.
"I was pretty underwhelmed and I think a lot of people would be, but I also really sympathise, it was a tough job" ANU professor of politics Jill Sheppard told SBS News
She said the pair had had to avoid "stepping on the toes" of the teal independents who had not yet joined their party, and they had to avoid sounding too much like the 'voices for' political movement.
These factors ruled out "teal" and "voice" as possible party names.
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The party's creation had been rumoured for weeks when it launched on Thursday.
Speaking to the ABC, Spender said CSA was unlike any party that had come before it because it prioritised community representation above all else.
"That's what people are really asking for, they want politicians to put their communities first, but at the same time people want [politicians] to work collaboratively," she said.
Sheppard said this was a complex vision to shoehorn into a name, given that they needed to take their parliamentary colleagues into account.
"You're trying to build a brand from nothing, and you're trying to not step on the toes of people that you've been working with over the last two terms of Parliament," she said.
The new party also had to stand apart from Labor and the Liberals.
"It didn't leave them much wriggle room."
"That leaves them with not too many places to go, but they really obviously want to emphasise this community aspect."
The party has no leader and will give its members a 'free vote', meaning they can vote issue by issue in line with what their constituents want them to.
A political party would likely be able to manage campaigning resources differently and support multiple candidates, as opposed to independents.
In a statement to SBS News, CSA said the "strength of the country is based on the strength of our communities."
"Community Strong has come out of the community and will build on achievements of community independents to give Australians an alternative to the two-party system that has let them down."
Sheppard said the new party was trying to differentiate itself while also squeezing into a very small spot "on the political map."
"There's obviously an electorate out there for a centrist party that cares about the environment, but it's not a huge part of the electorate, and I think their name reflects how difficult that is."
What's in a name?
An expert in political marketing at ANU, Dr Andrew Hughes said the importance of political branding had shifted over the last ten years, making something like a party's name "more important than ever."
"The right name can really tell a story, and that's what it's all about in the digital age: storytelling," he said.
How did CSA stack up?
"I wasn't too impressed to be honest, the name really doesn't resonate."
He said 'Community Strong Australia' left a lot open to interpretation, and that might be what was causing concern for voters.
"Community Strong doesn't really have that sense of what you might stand for — it could mean a lot of things."
He said time would tell if the name proved to be an issue for the party, which could rebrand down the track if required.
"In general, Australia has always favoured really clear, dynamic names — think of the Sex Party, The Animal Justice Party," he said.
"'One Nation', 'Labor', 'Liberals', 'Greens' — they're all one idea, basically one word, and they clearly reflect what they represent," he said.
"You want your name to be what you stand for and what people can connect with, no matter who they might be in society and the community."
Until recently, strong policies, strong messaging, and what Hughes called "pure politics" explained elections, but thanks to the growing influence of social media, he said marketing prowess was increasingly driving political movements.
"It's becoming more noticeable now that a lot of the bigger campaigns will run marketing teams now all the way through — not just during election times — but all the way through the term of government or even opposition," he said.
"And if you don't, you're behind the game."
Both Sydney-based, Spender has held the seat of Wentworth since 2022 and Steggall won Warringah from former prime minister in 2019.
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