Voices of the Top End

01/11/2026

Democracy works best when our political representatives hear what matters most to us.

So let’s get talking! 💬

Join us next Wednesday for a Kitchen Table Conversation (KTC), share what matters to you, listen to others, and help shape the conversations our representatives need to hear.

📅 Wednesday 4 November
📍 Nightcliff
👉 Find out more and join the conversation: https://www.voicesofthetopend.com/ktc_nightcliff_20261104

31/10/2026

After reading the origin story of the community independents movement, The Indi Way: how a rural community sparked a social and political movement (2023) recently, Ian Howells was moved to write a review of it and send it to us.

“Perhaps the most valuable lesson is that politics is not merely something done to us by political parties and politicians. It is something we create together through conversation, participation, responsibility and a shared sense of what we are trying to achieve as a society.”

Ian's review is available here in full https://www.voicesofthetopend.com/indi_way_review

Highly recommended reading! The Indi Way is available for loan from Darwin and Palmerston public libraries.

29/10/2026

Join us for the FINAL PALMERSTON MARKET OF 2026!

There’ll be more great food, great music, and great people.

Come and say hello, tell us what matters most to you, and sign our petition to Tax the Gas and ensure Aussies get a fair return on the resources that belong to all of us.

See you Friday night, from 5PM!

28/10/2026

What would Helen Haines do?

In this excellent article in The Saturday Paper, Cathy McGowan writes: “The Indi Model.. This is local people doing politics differently – it is democracy working at its best. It is people who share a firm belief that they can be the change they want to see, and that their work delivers. They know this approach means better candidates, better politics, better outcomes, better representation, and critically, where communities use their power, this builds stronger, more resilient, capable, engaged and more connected communities.”

She asks “Do we have the courage.. to commit to being our best selves, to listening courageously, to respectful engagement, and to take individual responsibility to bring about the change we want to see?”

And in closing, Cathy writes “We cannot let violence win. Out of this terrible tragedy, there is an opportunity to ensure the legacy of this attack on Dr Helen Haines results in a stronger, more vibrant and effective democracy.”

Cathy McGowan is the former community independent member for the rural Victorian seat of Indi from 2013-19 and was a director of the Community Independents Project from 2021-2024.

See The Saturday Paper (Edition 623) for a full copy of the article https://trib.al/J5O5Tcp

26/10/2026

Have you joined a KTC yet?

Kitchen Table Conversations are a model of civic engagement built on open and honest dialogue.
They create a safe, inclusive space where people can share what matters most, listen deeply, recognise the wisdom in others and build understanding across different perspectives.

KTC's are small, respectful, facilitated conversations between 4-8 people, hosted at someone’s home or in a comfortable public place.
They are a forum for listening, not for changing the opinions of others.
Among other questions, we ask, "what matters to you and how would you solvers these issues?"

We guarantee you really enjoy it, everyone does!

22/10/2026

It's been a difficult week for our sister Voices for Indi community and our own with the deeply troubling assault on Dr Helen Haines MP.

As her predecessor Cathy McGowan encouraged, "We cannot change what has happened, but we can choose how we respond with the same compassion, the same kindness, and the same unity that Helen has always led with."

One way that we may honour Dr Haines and the legacy of her community who have inspired us is to "commit to ourselves... to not get involved in negative political argument. To "be more like Helen" by listening "courageously, to respectful engagement, and being the change we want to see".

We’re therefore reminded of the importance of the values that unite the community independent movement: community, kindness, respect and integrity.

Helen represents the very best of us and our thoughts are with her.

There is an Australia-wide candlelight vigil for her at 6.30pm NT time tomorrow. We'll be at the Palmerston market in Goyder Square with others at Waterfront Lagoon, Darwin with candles burning. Please join us.

22/10/2026

22/10/2026

"Politics should be a contest of ideas, not who can whip up the most hate or spread the most misinformation...The current two-party system is letting us down.

I want to say to people who are disappointed, disillusioned and sometimes even angry with politics - there IS another option. One that does not involve violence, hatred or division.. Our political system IS capable of doing a better job of putting people first.

But that means electing politicians willing to LISTEN to Australians, and LISTEN to experts, to come with solutions, not slogans. People willing to adopt evidence-based answers to address the root-cause of the problems that we're facing and to think long-term.. We're not making decisions like we plan to be here for a long time. And that has to change.

We are facing a political systems that too often puts powerful interests ahead of people.. We need people from outside politics putting their communities ahead of everything else, including party positions.

It's time we took the next step towards a more representative democracy.. of community independents holding balance of power and governing in minority.

It's time for people to take their power back. “

https://www.youtube.com/live/rsd5G0vZFQo?si=-hDlY-0SS0J86YeW

20/10/2026

We had some great conversations with locals in Palmerston last week! 💬 And the majority we talked to agree that Australians deserve a fairer return on our gas exports.

A 25% gas export tax could raise an estimated $17 billion a year to help fund the things Australians need most — schools, hospitals, housing and cost-of-living relief.

Support for a gas tax crosses party lines!

Haven’t signed our Tax the Gas petition yet? Add your name, and help build the case for a fairer deal for all Australians: https://www.voicesofthetopend.com/tax_gas