BOB Brown has a vision of the Australian Greens supplanting Labor as one of Australia’s mainstream political parties in the decades ahead.
As the Greens leader celebrates 25 years as a parliamentarian and holding the balance of power in both houses of parliament for the first time, with a record 10 Greens MPs, he envisages a much broader political future than the passage of the carbon and mining taxes in the months ahead. “I believe the Greens as a party are in a similar position to what the Labor Party was 100 years ago,” Senator Brown told The Weekend Australian in an interview.
“We represent a widespread view of the community and our support is geographically widespread.
“I think that within 50 years we will supplant one of the major parties in Australia.”
Senator Brown sees this coming week as the basis for a long-term future for the Greens as a mainstream political party and leaving a broader legacy than just environmental achievements. Although the Greens leader believes the growth of his party’s support is a result of taking the votes of both Coalition and ALP supporters who are concerned about the environment, he sees more growth in the years ahead at Labor’s expense.
Senator Brown also sees a much wider role for the Greens beyond being a “minor party” just aiming for the balance of power in the Senate, signalling intent to contest House of Representative seats across Australia.
Labor MPs are divided about what their party’s attitude should be towards the Greens, whom they rely on for preferences to win seats and government. Some urge co-operation but others warn that the Greens will drain Labor’s support and should be fought.
“I think our future is not just as a balance-of-power party in the Senate, but as a party in the House of Representatives,” Senator Brown said.
At the last election, the Greens won their first lower house seat at a general election when Adam Bandt captured the seat of Melbourne, previously held by former Labor finance minister Lindsay Tanner. Four new Greens senators elected at last August’s poll will take their seats in the Senate for the first time on Monday.
The minority Gillard Labor government depends on a formal agreement with Senator Brown on votes of confidence and budget bills, but the Greens reserve the right to vote against individual bills. At the last election, Labor’s primary vote was 38 per cent, the Coalition’s was 43.6 per cent and the Greens’ was 11.8 per cent. According to the latest Newspoll survey, the ALP’s primary vote is at a record low 30 per cent, the Coalition’s is 46 per cent and the Greens’ is 11 per cent.
Senator Brown argues that the Greens’ control of the Senate from Monday is overblown, that the party will have to make compromises on key legislation, including the carbon tax, and recognises that minor parties’ power has to be exercised in proportion to their representation in the electorate.
Full story in The Australian, HERE
• Shaun Carney, Age: Declining Labor may have to tie knot with Greens
• ABC Online: Wilkie repeats warning on minority deal
Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie has again put Federal Labor on notice, amid speculation about Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s leadership.
The Denison MP says he would find it difficult to support a successor if Ms Gillard is ousted from the top job before the next federal election.
Polling published in the Australian newspaper shows satisfaction with the Prime Minister in Queensland has slumped from 41 to 29 per cent.
Mr Wilkie says his deal to back Labor’s minority Government is with the Prime Minister alone.
“When I was presented with a draft of the agreement it actually had the agreement between me and the Labor Party and I had them remove the Labor Party,” he said.
“It is a personal agreement between the two of us and, frankly, I would be hard pressed to support a successor if she was removed before the next election.”
• Geoff Dickinson introduces the new Senators …
Download: New_Senators_2.doc From: HERE
…and says goodbye to the old: HERE
