Independent candidate for Solomon Phil Scott launched his federal election campaign in Darwin on Monday night, flanked by more than 200 supporters, calling his nomination “an alternative for voters” who are sick of party politics as usual.

Mr Scott, a community volunteer, rugby coach and stay-at-home dad, formerly worked in the community development sector and said he is running in federal politics with a focus on integrity and “evidence-based solutions”.

“I am honoured to be offering an alternative to voters in Palmerston and Darwin,” he said in a statement.

“I was inspired by the [independent] people who stood up in last year’s Territory elections, and by the incredible groundswell of support they received from volunteers and from voters.

“This campaign is truly grassroots and there is so much volunteer energy behind this. This is people-powered and I know the community is looking for a better option at the ballot box.”

Mr Scott was one of many Territorians involved in the Voices of the Top End community group in the lead up to the August NT election, which consisted of a grassroots gathering of everyday Territorians who collectively discussed the changes they wanted to see in government.

His key platforms of reducing the cost of living burden, preventing crime by “investing in families”, taking “strong climate action” and building a “smart, sustainable 21st century local economy” was informed by the hours spent attending small-group conversations of hundreds of locals during the Voices of the Top End sessions, he said.

Phil Scott (pic supplied).

“If you’re feeling let down by politics, you’re not alone,” Mr Scott said during his campaign launch speech.

“Look around you. The antidote to despair may be found in community. Right now, dozens of communities across our nation are saying enough of the ‘same old, same old’.”

NT independent Member for Johnston Justine Davis introduced Mr Scott at his campaign launch Monday night. Ms Davis’s campaign for NT Parliament was launched by independent ACT Senator David Pocock last year.

Both Ms Davis and Mr Scott are “community independents”, a group that now has 31 candidates running across the country in the upcoming federal election. The Community Independents Project (CIP) emerged as a movement that organisers said is “people powered” and “values driven and focused beyond the electoral cycle for the greater good of society, the environment and the economy”.

Current federal representatives connected to CIP include Zoe Daniel, Monique Ryan and Mr Pocock.

Mr Scott said he has not received support from Climate 200, which is run by Simon Holmes A Court, but said he was open to any support the group could offer. He said his campaign corflutes are “Arafura blue”.

“We’re truly interested in what works and applying policy solutions that have an evidentiary basis,” he said.

“The independents are achieving so much in Canberra and I think people are really noticing. They put the stage 3 tax cuts for all taxpayers on the table, they instigated the NACC, they are backing Australians’ desire to protect kids from gambling ads, they are calling the government out for dropping environmental reforms they promised, they are pushing for universal childcare, and they are calling for tax reviews to lighten the tax burden on average income earners and close loopholes for multinational tax evasion.”

A date for the federal election has yet to be announced by the Prime Minister, but must be held before May.

Mr Scott will be running against incumbent Labor MP Luke Gosling and the CLP’s Lisa Bayliss in the federal seat of Solomon that includes Darwin and Palmerston.