IN the beginning of the Green-Labor Accord (1989) there was light, or at least David Crean.
As a junior member of the Parliamentary Labor Party (PLP) he was assigned as liaison between the PLP and the Green Independents (GIs). He was also to represent, in some capacity at least, the GIs’ view in Cabinet. And he did this in a friendly and co-operative manner.
But this was changed as Alan Evans, the Premier’s right hand man, brought about a much more aggressive and divisive approach to the relationship. And just like the famed dragon Puff, the GIs had to face up to the fact that David would come no more. So there was now no formal way in which the GIs could have their views represented to either the PLP or Cabinet.
Informally, Michael Field and Bob Brown began having weekly meetings where they could exchange views.
And then along came Resource Security Legislation (RSL). Why the PLP came up with this I don’t know, but I assume it was to ‘differentiate’ themselves from the GIs and to further the Evans’ ‘head-kicking’ agenda. It is true that very early in the piece Bob publicly stated that RSL would see the end of Field’s government. It is also true that in the months following this statement, Bob appeared to back away from this position somewhat.
Reasonably conciliatory
Exactly what position was put during their weekly meetings I don’t know. I suspect that both Bob and Michael were reasonably conciliatory, but that neither really understood the other’s position. I think they heard what they wanted to hear.
The final straw was the police investigation of Alan Evans, which required him to step aside in his duties at a critical time. I think his approach was flawed but I do not believe he would have allowed the situation to unravel as it did. Alistair Scott was left as the chief political advisor.
If Bob had believed that Field would deliver something he could support he must have felt severely disappointed and let down when the RSL finally was released. It became quickly apparent that the Greens could not possibly support this document.
Just how Field could so badly misread the situation puzzles me to this day. I can only assume he didn’t really understand the legislation and the effects it would have.
And so Parliament House hosted a GIs’ press conference that was more like an election launch. Crowds of supporters cheered amongst a room full of shrubbery and the press even complained that they felt intimidated by the showing! But the PLP finally got the message.
Complete backflip
When I heard Field was planning a complete backflip, I felt empty. On the one hand it was everything we could have hoped for, but on the other I could not see how it could be done. But it wasn’t our decision and we could do nothing but support it. Thus the crowds went to see the fall of the Government but instead watched in amazement as Field backed down and the Speaker Michael Polley said ‘that’s all folks’ and scurried out the door.
I must admit to enjoying the next few days as we allowed ourselves to believe it had actually happened. The press lauded Bob and mocked the PLP. And therein lay the problem — the PLP could not hold the line. They came under immense pressure inside and out, more so because the GIs were seen to have ‘won’. As individuals they were physically and verbally abused. Eventually Field was forced to backflip on his backflip and the RSL was passed with the support of the Liberals.
Parliament was let out for summer and they never returned, an election called instead.
The fact that Bob so quickly accepted that he could not support the RSL when he actually saw it, coupled with the backdown from Field when he realised the GIs were serious about voting against him, leads me to see the eventual fall of the Government as a failure of communication and process. Obviously a compromise could have been found given the right circumstances. And I am certain that compromise could have been sold to the public if it had been made away from the hurly burly of the parliament.
To use this ‘experiment’ as any kind of indication of the possible future success of any kind of minority or coalition government is ridiculous. As the song says, we’ll ‘never have that recipe again’. It was an odd time, with odd issues and even some odd people. And it delivered an odd outcome.
Brian Kohl was economic advisor to the Green Independents during the Accord years and has been involved in green/left politics on several occasion since that time, but not at the time of writing.
He added this footnote: For a much more in-depth assessment of this issue, read papers by Peter Hay and Tony McCall, academics and ex-staffers (Labor and Greens respectively) during the Accord years.
