In late 2023 a group gathered in a local living room to discuss their desire to do something positive, something more effective and constructive than individually ‘yelling at the television’. They shared their frustrations – lack of action on climate change was certainly one – which centred on a general feeling of not being well represented. In a system where the people elect a representative who voices their concerns in the national parliament, there was no sense that this was happening; instead the representative’s party would set their agenda and then try to sell it to constituents at election time.

From that meeting came Voices of Bean, inspired by similar groups which had first elected a community-backed Independent in the Victorian seat of Indi in 2013, then in Warringah NSW in 2019, and finally at the recent election, a host of electorates in three States plus Senator David Pocock right here in the ACT.

Voices of Bean spent 2024 going out and chatting with people in the electorate of Bean, rapidly gaining an understanding of the most important issues and the sense of neglect in the community. Building in numbers, by the anniversary of its forming in late 2024, Voices of Bean had received multiple expressions of interest from potential candidates for election and through a process that involved community participation selected their choice. The other short-listed candidates threw their support behind her – one became her media advisor.

Jessie Price was announced as the Voices of Bean-endorsed candidate on 30 November 2024 and was quickly surrounded by new volunteers wanting to support the movement for change and better representation. Through an intensifying program of doorknocking, letterboxing and chatting to people at local shopping centres, volunteers in orange Jessie Price shirts made sure that their previously unknown candidate was gaining profile in the community. Corflute signs started popping up in front yards and when the election was finally called on 5 April, support was mushrooming across the electorate of Bean.

The very factor that made people feel so neglected – Bean being a very safe Labor seat – was actually the strength of the movement. All the previous election wins by community independents had been in safe seats where voters were unheard and lacking a viable alternative. But they had all been Liberal seats, and Labor didn’t see it coming until suddenly on election night it seemed that Jessie Price had won, only for votes coming in later from people voting outside the electorate to tip the balance back to the big party brand. Bean had gone from being one of Labor’s safest seats to its most marginal.

As the initial excitement turned to disappointment, the Jessie Price volunteers gained comfort and renewed purpose from the enormity of their achievement, a purpose that had replaced their sense of powerlessness and frustration. Bean was the shining light of what a small group of committed and positive people could do, in the face of a Labor landslide that threatens to delay any progress on all the major issues that concern the people of Bean and Australia more broadly.

Team Jessie Price has dedicated itself to using the period until the 2028 election to deepen their engagement with the community, to continue advocating for the people of Bean and to continue as they started – unrelentingly positive in bringing the community together, to being heard, and to finally get the representation we deserve. We invite you to join in.