By Louie Cina, Riverine Herald, 13 November 2026
One woman, five seats, 100,000 sq km
How does one person get people across an area of more than 100,000 square kilometres passionate enough about a contest most people don’t think twice about?
It’s a question independent upper house candidate Kate White is asking, and it turns out the answer shares the name of a popular Beatles' song — with a little help from my friends.
The choice to run without a party apparatus behind her is one that Ms White admits puts her at an inherent disadvantage, but the way she sees it, she doesn’t have another choice.
“The very simple answer is if I felt sufficiently aligned with any of the parties, I would have joined them because it would have been a much easier path,” she said.
“But I don’t, and I do believe strongly in the power of an independent.
“I think particularly regionally, people are so tired of feeling like their voices are largely unheard and that when it’s up to parties, it doesn’t actually matter what the locals feel and how the regions may be impacted differently (to the rest of the state).”
Her mission is twofold: provide Northern Victoria with an independent representative to hold the government to account and educate Victorians about the importance of the Legislative Council and the role it plays in the state’s democracy.
“I think people have a fairly low understanding of the upper house, whether it’s state or federal, and the pathway it provides, given legislation has to pass both houses,” she said.
“The upper house is typically a house of review, and it’s also typical the government doesn’t have a majority in the upper house, which means there can be more extensive and animated debates often before a bill can pass.”
Ms White said she didn’t have the same name recognition as some recent high-profile independents, relying on contacts across the electorate to get her name out.
She nominated a running mate, Alex Green, just to ensure her name would appear above the line on the ballot, something major parties don’t have to worry about.
Even then, while parties appear above the line with their logo and their name, the slot beside Kate White’s name — whose group will be second on the upper house ballot — will appear blank.
Ms White said she and several other upper house independents had asked the VEC to include the word ‘Independent’ next to their names, but had their requests denied.
“The current system certainly doesn’t encourage independents particularly well,” Ms White said.
“In the upper house, we’re already going to have every major party represented, so why not add some strength to the crossbench?
“It can only advantage you by having voices in parliament who are not beholden to a party, can genuinely look at things on their merits, and consult with you about how you feel about it.”
With social media only adding more heat to the political fire, Ms White said she’d been accused of bias from every side of the political spectrum.
“People can’t seem to take anything candidates say on face value any more,” she said.
“I’ve had people ask me who I’m going to preference and when I tell them as an independent I won’t preference anyone, they come straight back and tell me I’m lying.
“I’m trying to bring people’s attention to the fact there is another option.
“Even if you’re a rusted-on party supporter, you have five people to vote for in the upper house, so you can absolutely have your cake and eat it too.”