A response to: McKim’s stable government
The Greens, sitting on the cross benches, enabled two minority governments to govern Tasmania during the 1990s – with no cabinet positions. Brown as Leader. Then Milne. I know they worked like slaves to achieve whatever they could from those situations, because I witnessed every moment.
It’s interesting that during those intense periods they suffered a lot a disillusionment from Green voters anyway, because those minority governments generally kept on governing as if in majority. When the government of the day needed votes for distasteful things they invariably got them from across the floor, from the other major party, and thus whatever power the Greens theoretically had was not all that much. All the same, they made some gains along the way, more so than they would have under majority government. And, importantly, they never stopped saying it as it is.
Came the last election the Greens had a choice of repeating the same pathway, but chose a different one, to accept ministries. They did, and once again many Green voters become automatically disillusioned because Greens in government still have more theoretical than actual power in the scheme of things.
As an aside, by far the best outcome from that election aftermath would have seen a Liberal-Labor coalition government formed and this would have left the Greens unshackled from the horrendous work burden of being in government and thus enable them to keep articulating an oppositional voice and an alternative vision for the state. Powerless, yes, but still maintaining the rage. In any event, we know that a major party alliance was never on the cards.
So asking for ministries was probably worth a try. But that could only be brought about on the promise of stability.
In the messiness of multi-party government it appears the Green MPs are trying to gain small wins through their portfolios, but they get little credit for those. In the meantime they are receiving receive much chagrin for not being able to achieve bigger things. Minority government with ministries offers some opportunities but those are few and far between. It’s a lot of frustrating hard work for pathetically little reward.
They do have another choice: to prove for once and for all that minority government is inherently unstable and bring the government down over a range of issues in the broad public interest. But to do so, having promised stability, would completely ruin their credibility and honesty and indelibly impress in the voters’ mind that the only workable government is a majority government – exactly what the major parties have been saying since the year dot.
It seems that even progressives tend to prefer the cleanliness and clarity of majority government than the messiness of minority government. The Greens receive little kudos for trying and their work burden is actually depriving them of the head space to articulate a vision that people want to hear.
And this gets me to what I do think is an unfortunate failing on McKim’s part: maintaining a progressive vision for the future of Tasmania. If we go back to the origins of the Green political movement, its rock solid cornerstone was to provide an alternative economic vision for Tasmania and relentlessly push for it, day in and day out. All during the 1970s and 1980s Richard Jones, Norm Sanders, Bob Brown and other leaders argued the case for the end of hydro-industrialisation, a broadening of the state economy, one that was intelligent, brains based and design based and didn’t rely on trashing our natural assets.
Nobody did more than Christine Milne to build this message to another higher level. Even under the gruelling minority Liberal government, day in and day out Milne as Greens leader articulated the case for a ‘clean and green’ economy. Not a day went by without that mantra being spelled out. The vision was always there, up front and forceful.
That economic alternative provided real dividends in the much more diverse economy we now have, with much greater participation from fine food providers, ecotourism providers and the wide range of design-based industries that Tasmania now boasts.
I see a huge problem for Nick McKim’s team that, in the absence of such a sustained positive messaging, the default projection of the Greens is that they are fundamentally economy wreckers. They are known primarily for their opposition to icon projects like the pulpmill and Ralph’s Bay and such. In the meantime, what kudos can the Greens bring to the job whilst their ministerial duties require them to make austerity cuts to health and education? Who can blame people for asking “what are they in there for?’
Should they have stayed on the cross benches and not accepted portfolios? Maybe. But more than likely that would have precipitated another election. Was it worth trying to see if taking ministerial portfolios could deliver something of worth? Yes. Could they have knowingly gone that pathway and then spat the dummy? Yes, but with zilch integrity?
What can they do now, with an election still some time away?
Realize that there is an expectation in the community that is not being fulfilled. Accept that this is leading to immense frustration and disillusionment. Acknowledge this fact openly. Own it. Accept that the Green vision fallen off the radar screens. Do everything they can to bring it back on. Come clean with the electorate. Empower voters, once again, with a vision for change and an agenda that is meaningful.
It’s either that or wait for an inevitable election debacle and ever so slowly build up credibility from the bottom again. We know you’ve got an immense workload and a huge responsibility on your shoulders, Nick, but you’ve still got the chance to grasp the nettle. Grab it whilst you still can.
