New No Fibs citizen journalism project: The CSG social movement

By Margo Kingston 7 October 2013 I knew I wanted to do journalism differently after experiencing the disconnect between the reality on the ground and the closed world of insider political reporting while covering Pauline Hanson’s 1998 election campaign. My idea was to live in the north western NSW town of Bourke to report rural and […]

McGowan to apologise to Indi Aborigines: Transcript of her victory press conference

Margo: So it’s the end of the beginning for the member for Indi Cathy McGowan. Wayne Jansson has kindly transcribed her answers to reporters’ questions at yesterday’s victory press conference. McGowan announced that she would end the hurt created by Ms Mirabella’s boycott of the Stolen Generations apology by making a formal apology on behalf of Indi next Sorry Day. Wayne discovered […]

The sociology of how Cathy won Indi, by @ktbar0

[clear] By Kate Sleeman 12 September, 2013 Life in regional cities and towns is often perceived by our city cousins to be a step back in time; dull, slow, backward and socially conservative. However the election result in Indi has hopefully changed their perceptions and highlighted the power of real communities. They are beginning to […]

Cathy McGowan on her #Indivotes journey

[clear] Sal Kimber performs a Indi version of “From Little Things Big Things Grow” at the end of the campaign launch on August 4. Original version of “From Little Things Big Things Grow” was written by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody.     The Indi Orange Movement seen through the lens of local Citizen Journalist […]

How Indi got itself on the map: The blueprint

By Ben McGowan 29 August 2013 Drive 40 minutes north of Melbourne, cross the Great Dividing Range, and you will drop into the electorate of Indi. Keep driving north and you’ll travel another three hours before you cross the border in NSW. Indi is an electorate of catchments – the King River, Ovens River, Kiewa […]

‘The night I got politically engaged’: How @TomAnderson62 found himself live tweeting #Indivotes

By Tom Anderson @TomAnderson62 I have always been fascinated with politics, especially elections. I guess that started when I worked as a ‘Polling Clerk’ at 15 at a booth at Mont Park in Macleod back in about 1977. How did a 15 year old get a job that had a prerequisite of ‘must be enrolled on electoral […]

Mirabella under siege in Indi

By Wayne Jansson, 7 August, 2013 Now that the election has been called, it’s time to give my first seat update on Indi. The campaign period wasn’t even a day old when the first shock came through – independent candidate Alan Lappin pulled out after suffering a heart attack. Alan received 5.84% of the primary […]

Chasing involved democracy in Indi: @Indigocathy v @SMirabellaMP

  Margo: Cambell Klose has volunteered to do media for Cathy Mcgowan, a community candidate challenging Sophie Mirabella in the safe Liberal seat of Indi at the federal election. His piece is the 4th in our series on new political activists. Those of you who read Not Happy, John! know that grassroots democracy is very […]