Looked at in the broader context of Australian political history a better characterisation sees them as a modern version of progressive liberalism. The rise of the independents in this election campaign recalls the rise of the Australian Democrats under the leadership of former Liberal minister Don Chipp in the 1970s. Chipp, a Liberal moderate, left the party during the Malcolm Fraser era.

Under his leadership the rising Australian Democrats brought together various new political movements opposed to the conservatism of the dominant Liberal Party. One strand was the Australia Party, led by businessman Gordon Barton from Sydney, which was opposed to the Vietnam War. Another was the reformist Liberal Movement in South Australia, led by Steele Hall, former South Australian premier, who later became a Liberal senator.

The Democrats were a force in the Senate for more than two decades. Their role was associated with Chipp's slogan, "Keeping the bastards honest". They declined for various reasons, including internal splits and the rise of the Greens, during the Howard years. The Greens have taken their place as the third force in Australian politics, but they are located to the left of the Labor Party not in the centre.

No consistent force has yet replaced the Democrats in the centre ground. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon from South Australia captured elements of the Democrats approach for a while and his group eventually morphed into the Centre Alliance. In turn it split again, producing independent senators such as Rex Patrick. Its remaining federal representatives such as Rebekha Sharkie, MP for Mayo (SA), are now effectively independents too. Other manifestations included Liberals for Forests, which grew out of the environmental movement in Perth.

The 2022 independents can't be all explained as centrists like the Democrats. Some are rural independents challenging the Nationals in the spirit of previous local government representatives responding to neglect by the major parties. Others have a background in Labor circles.

Their emergence is also a reaction to the rise of the right, including the religious right, within the Liberal Party. The recent splits in the party have come on the right not on the left. Senator Cory Bernardi from South Australia departed to form the ill-fated Australian Conservatives. Craig Kelly from Sydney resigned to join the United Australia Party and George Christiansen from Queensland is now standing on the One Nation Senate ticket.

Senator Matt Canavan from Queensland is such an unbending internal critic of the government that he has relegated himself to the back bench and Senator Alex Antic from South Australia has furiously attacked the state Liberal Party under former premier Steven Marshall.

The progressive Liberal MPs have stuck within the party; but it has become an uncomfortable place for them.

Those who have jumped ship to become independent candidates, however, include several of the next generation, descended from prominent Liberals.

Kate Chaney, the niece of former Fraser government minister Fred Chaney, is standing in Curtin in Western Australia. Allegra Spender, independent candidate for Wentworth is the granddaughter of Sir Percy Spender and daughter of John Spender, so comes from a blue-blood Liberal family. Kylea Tink, candidate for North Sydney, is the daughter of former state Liberal MP, Andrew Tink.

Behind the scenes there are others. Rob Baillieu, son of former Victorian Liberal premier Ted Baillieu, is volunteer manager for Monique Ryan, the independent candidate for Kooyong. Something bigger than just random generational change is happening.

The independents have not chosen to form a political party, but many of them are in loose alliance. Whatever happens in this federal election perhaps a new movement or party is in the offing. Even if that does not occur, what they represent is a direct rejection of major party politics as represented by the Liberal-National Coalition government. It is also an indirect rejection of all major party politics, including the Labor Party.

There are many recognisable links between Chipp in the 1970s and the independents in the 2020s. Some are about policy and others are about new ways of doing politics.

One is clearly an environmental politics strand. Government inaction on climate change is an important motivator. The Democrats were an early green party. Zali Steggall is the current independent MP most closely associated with this strand, which powered her defeat of climate sceptic Tony Abbott in Warringah in 2019.

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Another is a reaction against the insider politics and corruption within both major parties. Chipp objected to the role of big business in the Liberals and big unions in the Labor Party. "Keeping the bastards honest" captured not just this principle, but the parliamentary role of the independent crossbench. Helen Haines in Indi is the current MP identified with this strand through her role in pushing for an anti-corruption commission.

A third strand is the Voices movement, the community activism associated with the previous Indi independent Cathy McGowan (2013-2019). The Democrats tried to make its party politics more inclusive, through mechanisms including voting for party leaders and policies by the party membership.

All this shows that interpretation of the movement represented by the modern independents benefits from a longer perspective of anti-party and pro-democracy politics in Australia.