Kernot 'Pleased' with Poll

Not for Profit academic and former Democrats leader Cheryl Kernot has told her supporters she is pleased with the impact her 'Change Politics!' campaign had during the Federal Election despite not winning a Senate seat.

Kernot stood for a Senate seat in NSW as an Independent polling 6742 votes or 0.2% of the total votes. Some of her preferences went to the Carers Alliance, another micro-party that polled 19,608 votes or 0.6% of the votes. Kernot needed a swing of 5% to win the seat in a Greens stronghold.

Kernot began her campaign just three weeks out from the Poll saying the quality and expense of the current election campaign with its narrow, superficial focus and avoidance of the complex and challenging issues facing the nation has led many NSW residents to contact her in despair.

Running alongside Kernot under the banner of ‘Change Politics!’ was Simon Cant, an innovation consultant who has worked extensively in the commercial and Not for Profit sectors.

Both candidates have expressed their desire to use their professional skills to champion the Not for Profit sector.

Kernot is currently the Director of Social Business at the Centre for Social Impact at UNSW. She has also been elected as Chair of the Fair Trade Association Australia & New Zealand. Since December 2007 she has been an honorary board member of Foresters Community Finance which is pioneering social investment in social enterprises, and is also on the founding committee of a UK charity which works to provide shelter and education for street children in Kampala, Uganda.

Kernot took a leave of absence to work on the campaign.

Kernot told her Facebook followers she is pleased with the impact she has had on the campaign debate and election outcome with the caretaker PM Julia Gillard saying that she has heard the message from the Australian people: the need to change the processes of politics.

She says these are the same words and purpose of the Change Politics campaign.