Charlotte Mortlock, a former Liberal Party candidate, is making the case that Australian politics needs to move beyond traditional ideological divisions, arguing she can build a coalition that appeals to voters as disparate as One Nation supporters and Greens voters by focusing on shared values rather than partisan lines.
Charlotte Mortlock, once a candidate for the Liberal Party, is staking out an unconventional political position — one that rejects the conventional left-right spectrum in favour of what she describes as a unifying approach to Australian politics.
Mortlock's central argument is that the ideological divisions that have long defined Australian political life are increasingly out of step with the concerns of ordinary voters. She contends that both One Nation and Greens supporters, despite sitting at opposite ends of the political spectrum, share underlying anxieties about economic security, community cohesion, and distrust of established institutions.
"It is time for Australia to leave the left-right ideology behind," Mortlock has said, framing her pitch as one focused on what brings Australians together rather than what divides them.
The ambition to bridge such a wide political gap is notable. One Nation, the party founded by Pauline Hanson, draws heavily from socially conservative, regional, and working-class voters who feel left behind by globalisation. The Greens, by contrast, command strong support among inner-city progressives, young voters, and those prioritising climate action and social justice. The two groups rarely find common cause.
Yet Mortlock is not the first politician to identify a potential crossover constituency. Analysts have long noted that voters at the extreme ends of the spectrum sometimes share a common scepticism of mainstream political parties, major corporations, and what they perceive as an out-of-touch political class.
Her background in the Liberal Party adds another layer of complexity to her pitch. The Liberals have traditionally occupied the centre-right of Australian politics, and her departure from that fold positions her as a voice willing to challenge the establishment from an independent or cross-bench perspective.
The source material for this article, drawn from ABC News reporting by David Marchese, does not provide detail on whether Mortlock is seeking elected office or leading a broader political movement, nor does it outline specific policy platforms through which she intends to pursue this cross-ideological appeal.
Nevertheless, her framing touches on a genuine tension in Australian democracy: the growing number of voters who feel unrepresented by the major parties, and who are increasingly turning to minor parties, independents, and teal candidates at federal and state levels.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The rise of political independents and minor parties at Australian federal and state elections suggests a real appetite for alternatives to the major party duopoly — Mortlock's pitch, however ambitious, taps into a documented trend.
- If a coherent cross-ideological movement can be built, it could further erode the two-party preferred vote that has underpinned Australian electoral politics for decades.
- The framing of "post-ideological" politics is increasingly common globally; how it plays in Australia's preferential voting system will be closely watched.
Background
Australia's political landscape has undergone significant disruption over the past decade. The 2022 federal election saw the emergence of the 'teal independents' — largely former Liberal voters in affluent urban and suburban seats who backed community-backed candidates on platforms centring climate, integrity, and gender equality. This cost the Liberal-National Coalition its hold on several previously safe seats.
At the same time, One Nation has maintained a persistent presence in the Senate and in state parliaments, particularly in Queensland, by channelling discontent from regional and working-class communities who feel abandoned by mainstream economic policy. The Greens, meanwhile, have expanded their lower house presence, winning inner-city Brisbane and Melbourne seats from Labor in recent elections.
The result is a Senate and, increasingly, a House of Representatives that requires complex negotiation across a fragmented cross-bench — fertile ground for politicians willing to work across traditional lines.
Key Perspectives
Charlotte Mortlock: Argues that ideology has become an obstacle to solving practical problems, and that voters across the spectrum share enough common ground — particularly distrust of big institutions — to form a new political coalition.
Established major parties (Labor and Liberal-National): Likely to be sceptical, viewing cross-ideological pitches as either naive or a stalking horse for preference harvesting rather than genuine policy convergence.
Critics/Skeptics: Political scientists may question whether the overlap between One Nation and Greens voters is deep enough to sustain a durable political movement, or whether the differences on climate, immigration, and social policy are simply too fundamental to bridge with rhetoric alone.
What to Watch
- Whether Mortlock formally registers a party, runs as an independent, or leads a civic movement — the vehicle she chooses will signal how serious the political ambition is.
- Upcoming state or federal by-elections that could serve as a testing ground for her cross-ideological appeal.
- Polling on voter dissatisfaction with major parties, which would indicate how large the potential audience for her pitch actually is.