Deb Leonard, Independent By Catherine Watson
I'VE arranged to interview independent candidate Deb Leonard at her campaign office in Leongatha and it’s bedlam. A stream of volunteers is coming and going, collecting election material and consulting rosters, her sister Kate (also her campaign manager) is on a call, Deb is trying to grab a bite of lunch, and a three-year-old is demanding attention of everyone while her mother sits outside with friends having coffee.
Deb takes it in her stride. She’s been campaigning for eight months for an election that could have been held any time between August and May 17. The Prime Minister’s announcement of an election date a couple of days earlier was a welcome relief. The finish post is in sight.
The three-year-old is collected by her mother, Kate is dispatched outside to finish her call and we sit down for the interview. This election I’ve received a lot of background calls, texts and emails about Monash candidates – and they’ve all been about Leonard. I suggest we start with the rumour file first.
I'VE arranged to interview independent candidate Deb Leonard at her campaign office in Leongatha and it’s bedlam. A stream of volunteers is coming and going, collecting election material and consulting rosters, her sister Kate (also her campaign manager) is on a call, Deb is trying to grab a bite of lunch, and a three-year-old is demanding attention of everyone while her mother sits outside with friends having coffee.
Deb takes it in her stride. She’s been campaigning for eight months for an election that could have been held any time between August and May 17. The Prime Minister’s announcement of an election date a couple of days earlier was a welcome relief. The finish post is in sight.
The three-year-old is collected by her mother, Kate is dispatched outside to finish her call and we sit down for the interview. This election I’ve received a lot of background calls, texts and emails about Monash candidates – and they’ve all been about Leonard. I suggest we start with the rumour file first.
Rumour No. 1. Labor Party and Greens members have told me she’s a Liberal Party stooge. True or false?
Leonard says she once volunteered to help a friend who stood for election for the Liberal party. “But I don't have any affiliation to any party and I'm no one's stooge. I’m running because I didn’t feel like any of the parties represented me. I thought I could keep complaining about the situation or I can put my hand up to do something about it.”
Rumour No. 2. A Liberal Party pamphlet claims she’s a Greens stooge. True or false?
“I joined the Greens party for a short amount of time but I felt that they were not the right party for me. I just felt that they still were not listening to normal everyday people.”
Rumour No. 3. Climate 200 will direct her policies.
“No, there has not been any direction to me from Climate 200 or any other organisation as to what my policies have to be or how I have to vote on things. There are no links, there's no contract, there are no requirements on me. I am a grown-up, independent woman, and I can think and make decisions for myself.”
Rumour No. 4. Simon Holmes à Court [founder of Climate 200] is funding the Teal independents because he wants them to vote against a wealth tax. (I was told this by another candidate.) True or false?
She laughs. “That's the first I've heard of that. Not true. My policies are directly linked to the feedback I've received from the Monash community. All that feedback is published on my website.”
The reason for the Deb Leonard rumour file? Her TV and Facebooks ads are driving some people nuts, especially the other candidates. Her face is everywhere. She has literally hundreds of volunteers out knocking on doors and putting up corflutes. And she has a massive campaign war chest – far more than the other candidates combined. No wonder they’re cranky.
So let’s talk about the money. Political donations don’t have to be declared until AFTER the election but Leonard’s website lists donations as they occur. To the end of March she had received more than $800,000 in donations, including seven donations from Climate 200 totalling $383,460.
Climate 200 was set up by Simon Holmes à Court, scion of an extremely wealthy family, to support community-backed candidates whose platforms align with theirs on climate change, integrity and gender equity. In the 2022 election it targeted Liberal–held seats and helped elect six Teal independents, mostly professional women in wealthy inner city seats.
Climate 200 didn’t support Leonard when she stood in 2022. They are this time because Monash is now marginal, mainly due to Leonard, who took 11 per cent of the primary vote last time, most of it off the Liberals.
Several other big donors are listed on Leonard’s website.
But there were also over 500 individual donations, many of them small and many from her volunteers. Leonard says a lot of people just want change. “They realise they can be involved in creating better outcomes for our community.”
Leonard moved to Phillip Island in 2008 after she met her husband, an Islander, and set up a legal practice in Cowes. Island life was no culture shock for this city girl. Her family had a holiday place here and her Phillip Island roots run deep. Like many locals, her first job was at the Grand Prix.
She stepped away from her legal practice last August when she was selected as the Voices for Monash candidate. Since then she’s been working virtually full time on the campaign, with the backing of her extended family.
After her earlier campaign, Leonard is well known in Bass Coast, but the big question is whether she can make an impact in Warragul, Drouin, Moe and Leongatha. Her election tag is “More for Monash”. If the cards fall the right way (she is elected to a hung Parliament), she could be in a position to negotiate a good deal for Monash.
Do you see the rise of the independents as the end of the two party system or is this just kind of a moment in time?
There's a place for the parties, but I think the rise of the independents and minor parties is part of bringing politics back to the centre, bringing it back to being community focused and focused on people rather than party interests. I hope that parties on both sides will wake up and realise they've got to do better if they don't want to lose all their voting base.
You've received almost half your funding from Climate 200 for this election. How can you describe yourself as independent?
Because I believe in transparency, I've been disclosing all my donations up front. The parties aren't getting criticism because they're not making any disclosures, but after the election, we'll find out who did donate to them. the major parties receive millions of dollars from Gina Reinhart, from Anthony Pratt, from gambling corporations, from the major supermarkets, from a whole lot of different corporations, and they don't disclose that before the election.
Your three main issues?
Cost of living, climate, and more federal funding for health services and other things we need in our community. Monash has missed out for so long. We've been neglected on roads, we've been neglected on health services, massive waits for doctors and specialists, and there are no mental health services.
Your previous community engagement?
Philip Island Board Riders Club, the Bass Coast Refugee Sponsorship Group, I’m very involved in my kids' school and kinder. With my business I've done a fair bit of pro bono and legal aid work.
Do you consider the government's emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030 to be too low, about right or too high?
Too low. It's not in line with what climate experts recommend. I'm committed to evidence-based policy. We should listen to the experts and make policies based on that, not on political objectives.
Do you believe the carbon credit scheme is effective in reducing emissions?
So far it hasn't been but it could be if the loopholes were closed.
What steps would you take to address coastal erosion?
Listen to coastal erosion experts on the best way to protect our coast, to protect communities. Also obviously address climate change, but that doesn't help the people down at Inverloch or Silverleaves at the moment. We need a national coastal erosion strategy.
Do you support nuclear power as part of Australia’s energy mix?
I have a lot of concern about nuclear power. If there's a nuclear accident, what's the plan for the people of Moe and Morwell and Traralgon? How are our roads going to deal with 40-ton trucks carrying toxic waste? Where is the water going to come from?
Given rising power costs, what would you do to keep manufacturing competitive and household power bills affordable?
Provide subsidies so every household and business and school has access to solar power and battery backup. It’s a cost-effective measure to bring costs down. People in rentals and apartments could have access through community batteries and shared solar systems which would create microgrids that also protect us against power outages.
What would you do to help low-income people afford housing?
I would fight for more public and social housing to be built in our region. That would bring down the cost. Also raise rent assistance to keep up with the costs of rising rents.
Do you believe the current approaches will solve the housing life crisis?
The government’s housing future fund has built something like 10,000 houses. I think 32 of them are in Bass Coast. It's a crisis and there needs to be more money invested, including in regional areas. We need infrastructure for regional areas so that we can grow and build more houses. We need more schools, better roads and better health services to support people in the area.
Do you believe Australia should pull out of the AUKUS Alliance?
If we can, without major consequences. I think it's not right for Australia right now, and that's what I've been hearing from a lot of the community. People don't think we should be spending billions of dollars of our taxpayer money when that money could be better spent on housing and easing the cost of living for people.
Should Australia raise defence spending to 3% of GDP?
I don't think I'm in a position to answer that because you'd have to consider what funds it takes away from.
Should Australia continue to provide military and other support to Ukraine?
I believe we should. We need to support other countries where they need support and we would expect the same if we were under threat.
A big part of your platform is community consultation. How would you do that if you’re elected?
I want to have regular consultation with the community through town halls, through newsletters that explain what I've been doing and what decisions are coming up. Like this office here, we have walk-in Wednesdays and people can walk in and have a chat. I want to be accessible to people to deal with issues as they come up. People shouldn't have to wait till the next election before they start getting heard.
How will you decide on contentious issues?
I'll make decisions based on three things. It has to align with community values. It has to be evidence-based. Listen to the experts, look at the facts. And I have to be able to sleep at night. Not everyone's going to agree with the decisions that I make but hopefully they can understand how I came to a decision.
If you’re elected, who will you support if it’s a hung parliament?
It depends on who's there and how many seats each party gets. I think it'll be a really powerful position to have an independent in the crossbench in a hung parliament. In any negotiation you don't show your hand. That’s when we're going to see real results for our community. I'll be open about it too. I'll say these are the offers on the table and this is how I've made my decision.
Candidate responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Deb Leonard policies: https://www.debleonard4monash.com.au/policies
Leonard says she once volunteered to help a friend who stood for election for the Liberal party. “But I don't have any affiliation to any party and I'm no one's stooge. I’m running because I didn’t feel like any of the parties represented me. I thought I could keep complaining about the situation or I can put my hand up to do something about it.”
Rumour No. 2. A Liberal Party pamphlet claims she’s a Greens stooge. True or false?
“I joined the Greens party for a short amount of time but I felt that they were not the right party for me. I just felt that they still were not listening to normal everyday people.”
Rumour No. 3. Climate 200 will direct her policies.
“No, there has not been any direction to me from Climate 200 or any other organisation as to what my policies have to be or how I have to vote on things. There are no links, there's no contract, there are no requirements on me. I am a grown-up, independent woman, and I can think and make decisions for myself.”
Rumour No. 4. Simon Holmes à Court [founder of Climate 200] is funding the Teal independents because he wants them to vote against a wealth tax. (I was told this by another candidate.) True or false?
She laughs. “That's the first I've heard of that. Not true. My policies are directly linked to the feedback I've received from the Monash community. All that feedback is published on my website.”
The reason for the Deb Leonard rumour file? Her TV and Facebooks ads are driving some people nuts, especially the other candidates. Her face is everywhere. She has literally hundreds of volunteers out knocking on doors and putting up corflutes. And she has a massive campaign war chest – far more than the other candidates combined. No wonder they’re cranky.
So let’s talk about the money. Political donations don’t have to be declared until AFTER the election but Leonard’s website lists donations as they occur. To the end of March she had received more than $800,000 in donations, including seven donations from Climate 200 totalling $383,460.
Climate 200 was set up by Simon Holmes à Court, scion of an extremely wealthy family, to support community-backed candidates whose platforms align with theirs on climate change, integrity and gender equity. In the 2022 election it targeted Liberal–held seats and helped elect six Teal independents, mostly professional women in wealthy inner city seats.
Climate 200 didn’t support Leonard when she stood in 2022. They are this time because Monash is now marginal, mainly due to Leonard, who took 11 per cent of the primary vote last time, most of it off the Liberals.
Several other big donors are listed on Leonard’s website.
- The Regional Voices Fund, which supports community-backed independent candidates in rural, regional and remote electorates, has donated $29,995.
- Keep Them Honest Pty Ltd (a Sydney couple, Fred Woollard and Therese Cochrane, who have supported other Teal candidates) gave $16,900.
- The Vida Impact Fund donated $10,000. The group describes itself as supporting independent female candidates with strong gender equity platforms.
- Name Withheld has made five big donations totalling $105,700.
- Tony and Jenny Leonard – the well known Bank of Mum and Dad – have donated $75,000.
But there were also over 500 individual donations, many of them small and many from her volunteers. Leonard says a lot of people just want change. “They realise they can be involved in creating better outcomes for our community.”
Leonard moved to Phillip Island in 2008 after she met her husband, an Islander, and set up a legal practice in Cowes. Island life was no culture shock for this city girl. Her family had a holiday place here and her Phillip Island roots run deep. Like many locals, her first job was at the Grand Prix.
She stepped away from her legal practice last August when she was selected as the Voices for Monash candidate. Since then she’s been working virtually full time on the campaign, with the backing of her extended family.
After her earlier campaign, Leonard is well known in Bass Coast, but the big question is whether she can make an impact in Warragul, Drouin, Moe and Leongatha. Her election tag is “More for Monash”. If the cards fall the right way (she is elected to a hung Parliament), she could be in a position to negotiate a good deal for Monash.
Do you see the rise of the independents as the end of the two party system or is this just kind of a moment in time?
There's a place for the parties, but I think the rise of the independents and minor parties is part of bringing politics back to the centre, bringing it back to being community focused and focused on people rather than party interests. I hope that parties on both sides will wake up and realise they've got to do better if they don't want to lose all their voting base.
You've received almost half your funding from Climate 200 for this election. How can you describe yourself as independent?
Because I believe in transparency, I've been disclosing all my donations up front. The parties aren't getting criticism because they're not making any disclosures, but after the election, we'll find out who did donate to them. the major parties receive millions of dollars from Gina Reinhart, from Anthony Pratt, from gambling corporations, from the major supermarkets, from a whole lot of different corporations, and they don't disclose that before the election.
Your three main issues?
Cost of living, climate, and more federal funding for health services and other things we need in our community. Monash has missed out for so long. We've been neglected on roads, we've been neglected on health services, massive waits for doctors and specialists, and there are no mental health services.
Your previous community engagement?
Philip Island Board Riders Club, the Bass Coast Refugee Sponsorship Group, I’m very involved in my kids' school and kinder. With my business I've done a fair bit of pro bono and legal aid work.
Do you consider the government's emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030 to be too low, about right or too high?
Too low. It's not in line with what climate experts recommend. I'm committed to evidence-based policy. We should listen to the experts and make policies based on that, not on political objectives.
Do you believe the carbon credit scheme is effective in reducing emissions?
So far it hasn't been but it could be if the loopholes were closed.
What steps would you take to address coastal erosion?
Listen to coastal erosion experts on the best way to protect our coast, to protect communities. Also obviously address climate change, but that doesn't help the people down at Inverloch or Silverleaves at the moment. We need a national coastal erosion strategy.
Do you support nuclear power as part of Australia’s energy mix?
I have a lot of concern about nuclear power. If there's a nuclear accident, what's the plan for the people of Moe and Morwell and Traralgon? How are our roads going to deal with 40-ton trucks carrying toxic waste? Where is the water going to come from?
Given rising power costs, what would you do to keep manufacturing competitive and household power bills affordable?
Provide subsidies so every household and business and school has access to solar power and battery backup. It’s a cost-effective measure to bring costs down. People in rentals and apartments could have access through community batteries and shared solar systems which would create microgrids that also protect us against power outages.
What would you do to help low-income people afford housing?
I would fight for more public and social housing to be built in our region. That would bring down the cost. Also raise rent assistance to keep up with the costs of rising rents.
Do you believe the current approaches will solve the housing life crisis?
The government’s housing future fund has built something like 10,000 houses. I think 32 of them are in Bass Coast. It's a crisis and there needs to be more money invested, including in regional areas. We need infrastructure for regional areas so that we can grow and build more houses. We need more schools, better roads and better health services to support people in the area.
Do you believe Australia should pull out of the AUKUS Alliance?
If we can, without major consequences. I think it's not right for Australia right now, and that's what I've been hearing from a lot of the community. People don't think we should be spending billions of dollars of our taxpayer money when that money could be better spent on housing and easing the cost of living for people.
Should Australia raise defence spending to 3% of GDP?
I don't think I'm in a position to answer that because you'd have to consider what funds it takes away from.
Should Australia continue to provide military and other support to Ukraine?
I believe we should. We need to support other countries where they need support and we would expect the same if we were under threat.
A big part of your platform is community consultation. How would you do that if you’re elected?
I want to have regular consultation with the community through town halls, through newsletters that explain what I've been doing and what decisions are coming up. Like this office here, we have walk-in Wednesdays and people can walk in and have a chat. I want to be accessible to people to deal with issues as they come up. People shouldn't have to wait till the next election before they start getting heard.
How will you decide on contentious issues?
I'll make decisions based on three things. It has to align with community values. It has to be evidence-based. Listen to the experts, look at the facts. And I have to be able to sleep at night. Not everyone's going to agree with the decisions that I make but hopefully they can understand how I came to a decision.
If you’re elected, who will you support if it’s a hung parliament?
It depends on who's there and how many seats each party gets. I think it'll be a really powerful position to have an independent in the crossbench in a hung parliament. In any negotiation you don't show your hand. That’s when we're going to see real results for our community. I'll be open about it too. I'll say these are the offers on the table and this is how I've made my decision.
Candidate responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Deb Leonard policies: https://www.debleonard4monash.com.au/policies