Greens gain ground (The Australian - opinion)
"A DOUBLE dissolution would very likely give the Greens more Senate seats.
I suspect this is the real reason why we will not have a
double-dissolution election. In Queensland, for example, at the last
election the Greens had just over half a quota before preferences and
hence would have a senator in a double dissolution even on those numbers,
let along the swing predicted by current polls. With a stronger Greens
presence in the Senate, a Labor government has two options to get
legislation through if it's not widely supported: make it more
conservative to appeal to the Coalition, or more progressive to appeal to
the Greens. Does Labor want such clear options? I doubt it. As it stands,
the ALP can make a big deal of trying to push through legislation that
You may wish to post a comment at The Australian online via the above
link. Some points you might like to note:
* More than one million Australians voted for The Greens in the 2007
federal election - that is not an insignificant number - and support has
grown exponentially since then.
* As well as representing constituents, the Greens speak on behalf of
those who wouldn’t otherwise get much of a say inside parliament:
children, refugees, students, individuals and families living in poverty
and, of course, our natural environment.
* Across Australia there are currently Greens representing at every level
of government (five Greens Senators in the Federal Parliament, 23 Greens
Members in State Parliaments and more than 100 Greens councillors working
in local communities.
* The Greens are much more than an environmental party. While promoting
meaningful and smart solutions to ensure future generations of Australians
have clean air, clean water and clean soil – the Greens are also working
in many other areas to champion integrity, decency and fairness.
***
#penrithdebate: O'Farrell 1, Democracy 0 (ABC - The Drum)
"OMFG what a clusterf*ck! This morning's supposedly-but-not-really
world-first Twitter debate between NSW political leaders was confusing and
pointless. Inevitably."
A review of yesterday's Twitter debate. Some good points made - its pretty
clear Twitter isn't a great avenue for real debate - but you may wish to
post a comment here noting that The Greens would most likely be pleased to
participate in a real debate - they just need to be invited!
1 comment:
Dear Editor (Courier Mail and Australian)
I am surprised at the venom in some of the commentary on the Greens. The feeling seems to be that the Greens can afford to be "pure" and
"sanctimonious" because they don't have anything politically to lose. However surely that is the point. Unless Greens policies on real issues are heard and debated will they ever really have anything to lose?
Current polls show up to one in six Australians are keen to hear more, so shouldn't the national media listen to those voices? There is more to real
democracy than the (largely similar) views of the two major parties. The Prime Minister may refuse to hear from Green senators but it doesn't give you an excuse. Go on, step up.
Yours sincerely
Australian
***
Post a Comment