Public intellectual Kim Rubenstein promises a new brand of politics. The well-regarded constitutional and citizenship law expert, one of the Financial Review’s ‘100 Women of Influence’, has announced her bid for the Senate as an independent candidate.

Her party, Kim for Canberra (KIM4CBR), promises a truly collaborative and engaged parliament that listens to experts; to bring Australia into the 21^st century through constitutional change; and to stand up for the ACT. Climate change, gender equity, citizenship, refugee policy, economic and cultural renewal, and a First Nations Voice to Parliament are on her agenda; so are allowing dual nationals to stand for parliament and making Australia a republic.

Announcing her bid yesterday, Professor Rubenstein is running as an independent, not as a party member. She wants to move away from the ‘duopoly’ of Labor and Liberal parties, which assume they will get one Senate seat each, and instead “strengthen the sensible influence of the crossbench, searching for consensus and co-operation”.

“Having an independent voice in Canberra means that the needs of the Canberra community are directly in parliament, as opposed to having to convince the parties what Canberrans want,” she said.

As one of Australia’s leading experts on active citizenship, Professor Rubenstein has spent the last 25 years encouraging people to be thoughtful about how they engage in society. She helped draft the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, reviewed the Citizenship Test in 2008, and has been a pro-bono lawyer in citizenship cases. Citizenship, constitutional law, and gender equality, she says, have been shown over the COVID period to need greater attention.

“I feel it’s time to take it into parliament to really use that in a way that benefits the nation.”

The last 18 months, she said, have seen bushfires, the pandemic, sexual harassment and misconduct in parliament, claims of corruption, and growing disparities of treatment among the citizenry. There has been a frustrating lack of progress on key issues like climate change and gender equity, hampered by the toxic nature of federal parliament, with its boys’ clubs, powerful corporate lobbyists, and party machines.

“Parties are important, but what we’ve seen particularly over the last 18 months is that parties have been the stumbling block for us to really achieve good policy. We need more independents who can bring out the best in the parties. At the moment, we’re seeing the worst from the parties.”

Kim Rubenstein needs 1,500 members to join her party to register for the Australian Electoral Commission. New amendments to the Electoral Act mean that only registered parties are placed on an equal footing with the major parties above-the-line, she said. Voters can join the party, offer to volunteer and show their support by visiting www.kim4canberra.com.au.

She launched her party only this morning, but trended 19^th in Australia on Twitter, and people have reached out to her, saying she has given them hope during lockdown.

“That’s very affirming, but I want to do more than lift spirits; I want to lift the nation, and really make sure that we can move into the 21^st century with really good policy for the whole country.”

Professor Rubenstein will hold a webinar this evening, Wednesday 18 August at 8pm: Improving our Democracy: Lessons from Independents. She will be joined by Independents Helen Haines MP, Dr Kerryn Phelps AM, and Zali Steggall MP.

Kim Rubenstein’s policies

Professor Rubenstein would work towards three major constitutional changes. First, a First Nations Voice to Parliament, as called for by the Uluru Statement from the Heart. “It’s foundational to us moving forward as a nation, to reconcile as a nation.”

Second, to end the prohibition on people with dual citizenship running for parliament; doing so make politics more multicultural. Nearly half the Australian population has a parent born outside Australia, or were born overseas themselves. “They are the Australia of today, and yet they’re not able to be properly represented in Australia.”

Third, to make Australia a republic – a dream since she worked on the 1998 Constitutional Convention.

Professor Rubenstein also wants women’s equal leadership in parliament.

“The more women in parliament, the more of their lived experience will be brought to bear on policy.” That includes parental leave, early learning, and childcare. “Encouraging both parents to truly take and share the responsibilities of parenting right from the start will change the norms and expectations about people’s roles in society.”

Professor Rubenstein also believes it is “absolutely vital” that Australia move towards the UN targets on climate change, particularly given the recent IPCC report. “We need to have a truly engaged discussion about the scientific evidence, not the politics of it.”

Professor Rubenstein wants to change the electoral act to increase the number of ACT senators to at least four.

“Getting me into parliament would be a way of also getting more Canberrans into parliament,” she said. Since 1975, when the ACT first got two representatives, Canberra has doubled in size; during that time, the states have increased their Senate representation from 10 to 12, but the ACT has had no increase. Having more ACT senators would improve the representation of Canberrans in parliament, and allow senators to resist the federal government’s override of ACT legislature.

Why run as an independent?

Parties, Professor Rubenstein said, are more concerned with staying in power, rather than in the best solution for any given policy issue. She cites a recent Grattan Institute report on policy reform that highlighted significant problems in how the political system had evolved over the last 20 to 30 years: governments had reduced their commitment to lead rather than follow a more populist approach.

“The role of independents is to assist us back on track to good policy,” she said.

It is rare, she notes, for the government of the day to have a majority; independents and cross-benchers can put more pressure on parties, ensuring that they “engage with the policy, not the politics”.

“I will not be hamstrung by old party lines, but will make decisions based on reason, collaboration with community members and engagement with the evidence and, most importantly, by genuinely engaging with the many diverse people and communities that make up the ACT.”

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