Candidate Selection is Complete

Voices of Bean has selected a candidate who will be announced on Saturday 30 November: please come along!

Candidate Selection Process

Voices of Bean is a community group that has been actively listening to the people of Bean throughout 2024 and at every opportunity has asked what qualities people want to see in an independent candidate. Conversations with over 800 people formed the basis for the selection criteria.

Expressions of interest were opened in May and closed on 22 October 2024. The EOI form was advertised on the Voices of Bean website and social media, a card delivered to a large number of letterboxes in Bean, as well as in a full-page advertisement in the Canberra Times. Voices of Bean also met with people with standing in the community who were suggested to us, to explore whether these people would apply or could suggest others who might make a good candidate.

Thirteen applications were received from people across the electorate and with an even spread of genders. The Voices of Bean core group formed a sub-committee which appointed a selection panel from among its members and the broader Voices of Bean community, to assess the applications. Six applicants were interviewed, of whom three were shortlisted.

The three shortlisted applicants presented at an online candidate forum on 28 October, which was held on an in-camera basis. The forum was attended by people from the Voices of Bean mailing list, and those not able to attend had a brief opportunity to view the recording. Those who attended or watched then submitted a feedback survey, rating their most preferred candidate against a number of criteria, as well as their views of the strengths and weaknesses of the prospective candidates. The survey was anonymous but separated responses based on whether the respondent lives in Bean, so that the panel could weight them differently. The responses were used by the selection panel in making their final recommendation, which was then ratified by the Voices of Bean sub-committee.

The sub-committee is grateful to the selection panel for its diligent work and congratulates and thanks all applicants for stepping forward for consideration!

The Voices of Bean–endorsed candidate will be announced at an event on Saturday 30 November to which everyone interested in better representation for Bean is warmly invited.