Zali Steggall expected to launch teal party after months of secret talks | Australian politics

Zali Steggall is poised to launch a new political venture as soon as this week after months of secret talks about the future of the teal movement.

But it may be a party for one, at least initially, as the prospect of a “teal party” continues to divide crossbench MPs.

A month after reports emerged of advanced talks between teal MPs about forming a new political alliance, Guardian Australia has been told an official announcement is expected as soon as this week.

As first reported in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Steggall last week briefed teal MPs and prominent members of the independents movement about the case for banding together.

The Warringah MP’s presentation included polling and an explanation of the benefits of operating in a party structure, according to sources briefed on the project.

The discussions started after Labor and the Coalition last year teamed up to legislate new electoral laws – including spending and donation caps – that disadvantaged independents.

But the talks have intensified over the past six months as the rise of One Nation forces MPs to consider the best approach to remain relevant in the shifting political landscape.

Steggall declined to comment when contacted by Guardian Australia.

The winter Olympian laid out the case for a new party in an opinion piece last week for the AFR, arguing “Australians have changed, and our politics needs to keep up”.

“The success of the community independent movement suggests voters want politicians who are more accountable, more local and more responsive to their needs.

“The next chapter may not be about choosing between independents and parties, but combining the strengths of both.”

The structure of the mooted alliance is unclear although Steggall’s op-ed suggested it would differ from the “top-down” model of the major parties and candidates would be chosen by their communities.

Any party would likely target seats in the Senate, where crossbenchers have a greater chance of holding the balance of power and therefore influencing legislation.

Guardian Australia has been told Steggall’s fellow Sydney-based colleagues – Allegra Spender, Sophie Scamps and Nicolette Boele – are open to the idea without publicly committing to it.

But Monique Ryan and Kate Chaney are firmly against.

Ryan reaffirmed her position when asked on Monday if she would join the “teal alliance”.

“Look, I think Australians are understandably really fed up with political parties and that’s why they’re looking for other alternatives. I don’t have any intention of joining a party. I’m very, very happy as an independent,” the Kooyong MP told Nine’s Today Show.

Boele said she would have a “genuinely open conservation” with voters in her Sydney seat of Bradfield about whether her policy goals – particularly on climate action – were best pursued as an independent or as a member of a party.

Teal sources expect Steggall to make the announcement herself but leave the door open for others to join closer to the next federal election, which is due in early 2028.

The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, mocked the imminent announcement by claiming the teal MPs had long operated as a de facto political party.

“They were launched years ago. They’ve been around for a long while,” he said.

The independent MP, Andrew Wilkie, who is not considered a “teal”, also ruled out joining the party.

“Joining a party is not how I roll. All strength to those who might start a party, and I hope it is a success, and I hope it brings more political power to the crossbench, and can more effectively hold the government to account. But again, it’s not how I roll,” he said.