Two teal MPs have joined forces to create a new political party in Australia, but the fledgling group will not have a leader, with neither putting up her hand.

Sydney independents Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender announced they would create the political party Community Strong Australia following weeks of speculation they would band together.

Steggall said the organisation would be centrist but led by the communities they represented.

“We are still focused on our core pillars, pillars around sensible economic management, climate action, integrity, equality,” she told ABC Radio on Thursday.

“Australia is at a crossroads politically, where many people in our communities feel really unheard and feel that the major parties are out of touch.”

Community Strong Australia will not have a formal leader in Canberra. Spender said that could change if more MPs joined its ranks.

“The constitution of the party basically says, until there’s 10 … members of parliament, we’re not going to put in this sort of leadership structure,” she said.

“That may evolve over time, but really we’re starting together. We really want to build it from the ground up.”

Steggall rejected concerns a lack of leadership in the planned party would hinder the organisation.

“It’s a bit of a media construct of always thinking about leadership and power,” she said.

“This is not about that. This is about having more voices at the table, so we can have better policies and better outcomes.”

She and Spender said they would work together to develop policy but would retain a free vote and prioritise the views of their communities.

An application to register Community Strong Australia as a political party is expected to be finalised by October.

The pair also confirmed Climate 200, the fundraising movement that has backed them and other independent candidates, is not involved in the party.

Steggall previously expressed concern that political donation laws and spending caps had made it more difficult for independents to get ahead and entrenched the incumbency of major parties.

She and Spender said disaffected Liberal MPs could also join the party.

“We are trying to build a broad church of people, but I think that they have to be really aligned to the values, and they also have to be really connected to community, because that’s where we’ve come from,” Spender said.

Fellow Climate 200-backed independent Nicolette Boele congratulated the pair, saying she expected to work with Community Strong Australia on policies covering the economy, climate action and integrity.

“For now, I am remaining independent,” she said.

“That is the mandate [the voters of] Bradfield gave me and any decision to change that belongs to my community, not to a press conference.

“I am still working through what this party would allow me to do for the people I represent that I cannot already do as a community independent – and until I am certain, I will not pretend otherwise.”

Opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said Community Strong Australia faced a difficult challenge.

“I wish them all the best, but if they can’t even convince the teal MPs in parliament to join their party, I think they’re going to really struggle to convince Australians to vote for their party,” he told Sky News.

“The truth is that teals operate almost exactly the same as a political party, that they share a very common philosophy.”

-AAP