WE’RE WHAT LABOR USED TO BE
Personally, I have always had a problem preferencing the far right first.
Photograph via smh.com.au.
Labor’s commotion around preferencing the Greens last would give first preference to parties like Family First – which think homosexuality is a sin; the Shooters and Fishers party – which last month won support from the NSW Government to open up shooting in national parks; or the Coalition – which would try to dismantle so many environmental and human rights wins we’ve forged through this parliament.
And they call the Greens ‘extremists’.
Three hundred and thirty eight bills have passed through both Houses of this Parliament. The Greens have pushed and pulled, discussed and debated, and together we have brought in some impressive reforms, including putting a price on pollution; half a billion dollars for dental health; $20 million towards developing high-speed rail and $5 million for the most disadvantaged childcare centres.
Two private members’ bills introduced by the Greens and supported by the government include compensation for fire fighters if they contract certain kinds of cancers linked to their dangerous work, and restoring the rights of territory governments to prevent the Commonwealth overriding their laws.
‘Dangerous’? ‘Gutless’? ‘Extremist’? Hundreds of bills passed. One we blocked. No, we haven’t agreed on everything. Why should we?
I think it’s quite clear why some members of Labor now feel threatened by the Greens.
We reflect the ideals that Labor used to stand for. We’re not stealing constituents, we’re gaining them. I have worked very successfully with many Labor MPs in the past – I am proud of the good work Bob Carr and I did together.
I served my time in the New South Wales parliament with a full 16 years of Labor government under various premiers and I saw in that time a degeneration from a great deal of cooperation to a loss of personality and a loss of expertise on the part of the government, as they went through successive premiers, and until they crashed disastrously in 2011.
I challenge anyone to look at my record on committees, my diligence in estimates and what I believe to be a respectful working relationship with the government, particularly in the early years when Labor was more creative and reformist.
Now, the most curious of all the attacks the Greens have sustained is for being ‘too moral’.
Politicians have always been called cynical, but has our political opinion sunk so low that members of the ALP – failing to defend their own policies – dismiss our ideas for being too good?
We’ve been attacked a lot lately on our approach to asylum seekers. Protecting asylum seekers is not an easy task.
It’s easy if all you care about is ‘stop the boats’ – it’s easy if you don’t care about endangering people’s lives, insulting Indonesia and whipping up hysteria around guns, diseases and boat people and making outrageously insensitive claims that asylum seekers are ‘un-Christian’ (according to Tony Abbott) and unpatriotic (according to Alexander Downer) for fleeing their war-ravaged homes. It’s harder to find a solution to the very real concern that many people are risking their lives fleeing desperate situations.
We, the Greens have always stood by our policy of assessing the claims of people seeking asylum onshore. It is an absolute core policy.
We’ve been attacked for being ideologically ‘pure’ – again interesting that this is used as an insult by cynical politicians and pundits – we simply stand by the right thing to do.
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31 Responses to this article
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Carolyn July 20, 2012
I used to be a Labor voter but now vote for the Greens. Why? Ian has hit it on the head – the Greens demonstrate the values that Labor once stood for, Bob Brown won my respect for always being true to his principles and there are few from either side of politics who do that. The recent assault by Labor on the Greens has only served to goad me from being a passive voter into wanting to be more active in helping the Greens grow so it will have the experience that Sandra Nori criticised it for lacking – governing and implementing policies.
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alan July 20, 2012
Totally agree Ian I find my labor values better represented in Green’s policies than I do in labor. I feel physically ill when I see strutting nobodies like Howe and dastiaryi bagging the greens. The latest attack on greens will only guarantee a liberal win with a return to work choices and a narrow conservative social agenda. Look at Queensland if you want a preview of Abbott. Annuliing same sex marriages and now considering banning the teaching of climate change science. It will just go on and on. Why labor wants this to happen is a mystery.
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amd July 20, 2012
Unfortunately, not quite true. The Labor party used to listen to the people and act for the people – now of course they are mostly just not as right wing as the right wing party. The Greens believe they know what is best for us and are willing to force that upon us, even if the majority disagree. They used to get my second preference, but no more.
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Relle July 20, 2012
I totally agree with Carolyn’s response.
This is exactly why I vote for the Greens. And Sandra Nori’s article is exactly why I won’t vote for the ALP again in a hurry. If they spent as much time talking positively about issues rather than bagging the Greens, they might start to resemble the ALP that once was and I might start to respect them again. -
Janet July 20, 2012
Try joining our Facebook group so that we can make sure that the Greens are strong and Labor takes them into account. https://www.facebook.com/groups/328165553937740/
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Ro. Watson July 20, 2012
What is sick about Labor is calling Greens loopy…
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Juliet July 20, 2012
I find it so utterly mystifying and distressing that the Party that acts with integrity, has moral positions (based not on any religious viewpoint but the fact that acting morally is a human necessity and responsibility) and acts with concern and care and compassion for its own citizens and those of the world at large, is considered the RADICAL party? Really? Compassion and the desire for a future that is as positive and healthy and enviromentally and economically sustainable for as many people as possible is EXTREMIST?
Conservatism and the regressive nature of conservative politics as rightly pointed out as is happening in Queensland should be seen as the extremist party. Self interest and promoting the views of people who wish to exclude, marginalise and demonise should be those we dismiss as fundamentalist nutcases!
Conservatism is self-defeating and condemns the people and the planet to a sad end already in sight.
The Greens have my vote for putting people and the planet first and for acting with integrity. -
Leesa July 20, 2012
Yes. That’s all, just Yes
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Judith Rubbish July 20, 2012
Yes Carolyn, yes Leesa, yes!
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Carol Huish from the Valley July 20, 2012
Our whole family 3 generations all former Labor voters all vote Green. Thank you Ian.
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liza July 20, 2012
What has happened to the person who thinks that we are all lefties ?Good to see the depth of opinions on the refugees. Hopefully the Committee set up with Green encouragement will take Abbott out of the equation and we can work out a system whereby Many more folk are processed and THEN brought through to live amongst kind and generous Australians.
There never was a queue so we must make one . Everyone then will know that they may move up and have no need to jump on leaky boats -
Heather July 20, 2012
Much as I respect many things about the Greens policies, I won’t vote for a party that prevented the ETS from getting through parliament. That was a disgrace and has led to the whole Carbon Tax debacle.
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Annie Also July 20, 2012
I have interspersed my vote between Green and Labor depending on the chance on who will win…Always with Greens put first for the senate.
Now after the removal of a legally voted PM being removed because ‘he was too hard to work for’ and the rising power of the narcissistic few to sway the way Labor is heading, the Greens have my vote always from now on.
I too was disappointed in the failure of the ETS getting up, Heather, and still don’t understand what happened…but I can’t won’t reward the immoral Conservatives or the Wayward Labor Party for one slip up by the Greens. -
mikey July 20, 2012
i was pretty cut up by the greens rejecting rudd’s ets too. then i found out he refused to even talk to them about it… all he had to do was negotiate a bit instead of being a control freak.
labor have dug their own hole. they need to show some self respect before the electorate will respect them. every flyer i get from labor mps, talking about their wonderful work, fails to mention which party it is. they even shun from using red, just promoting themselves like the party is an embarrassing secret.
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amd July 21, 2012
Australia is well aware that the Greens pushed for the CT to go through against the majority wishes.
It is irrelevant what your political views are – it is simply untrue to say that the Greens are the new Labor when Labor was, long ago, the party who listened to the working class. The Greens have done just the opposite, they have heard what the majority had to say and ignored it. Their beliefs have led them to believe they can justify ignoring the majority. The nation thinks otherwise. Ms Gillard is entirely responsible for her own lie, but Australia is also aware that the Greens pushed hard for her to break the promise that got her elected.
I will not vote for the virgin-loving Catholic, but nor can I reward such a blatant lie with a vote. If Gillard and Abbott are what we are offered I will vote none of the above.
This tax and Ms Gillard combined are political suicide for Labor. Please, Labor, ditch Ms Gillard, ditch the CT the majority voted against, otherwise we will be left to the tender mercies of Mr Abbott. Whatever tiny influence the Greens had been mustering, they have also signed their death warrant over this tax – and they know this, they must accept it and allow it be repealed.
Labor and the Greens have made a huge mistake, they misjudged the mood of the country completely and thought that they would have time to repair the damage the lie did, and the resources to influence Australians to accept this tax. This has not happened..
People are, more than ever, justifiably angry. This will translate to a huge Liberal swing. If Labor and the Greens cannot accept the fact that they have messed up badly, repeal the tax and ditch Ms Gillard (their only hope for re-election), this will not end well for any of us.
“There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead” The words that sunk a party: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApCwoj35d3M
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amd July 21, 2012
Apologies for double post. Not sure what happened.
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Mez July 21, 2012
Please don’t apologise, it’s worth repeating.
The ALP is on the point of oblivion because of their unholy alliance with the Greens.
The Greens are NOT what Labor ‘used to be.’
They are far left economic and social vandals without an ounce of logic or common sense.
The spotlight on the Greens is long overdue and Australians can now see them for what they are.
The ALP NEVER protested outside Australian businesses because of the owners were Jewish!! The hypocrite Greens do. Racist, anti-semite behaviour in Australia in 2012 and the media let them get away with it.
The ALP NEVER had a leader who was waiting for the aliens to contact him!
The ALP knows, sorry, knew, that it is BUSINESS that provides jobs. The Greens want business closed and they are terrifyingly successful at it.
I guarantee if the asylum seekers were Jewish, the Greens would be screaming for them to be turned around.
The ALP were always going to bad mouth the Greens to save themselves. They used them for power without glory and now they are both doomed.
Just hurry up and die, I’m so sick of listening to the death rattles.
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amd July 21, 2012
Australia is well aware that the Greens pushed for the CT to go through against the majority wishes.
It is irrelevant what your political views are – it is simply untrue to say that the Greens are the new Labor when Labor was, long ago, the party who listened to the working class. The Greens have done just the opposite, they have heard what the majority had to say and ignored it. Their beliefs have led them to believe they can justify ignoring the majority. The nation thinks otherwise. Ms Gillard is entirely responsible for her own lie, but Australia is also aware that the Greens pushed hard for her to break the promise that got her elected.
I will not vote for the virgin-loving Catholic, but nor can I reward such a blatant lie with a vote. If Gillard and Abbott are what we are offered I will vote none of the above.
This tax and Ms Gillard combined are political suicide for Labor. Please, Labor, ditch Ms Gillard, ditch the CT the majority voted against, otherwise we will be left to the tender mercies of Mr Abbott. Whatever tiny influence the Greens had been mustering, they have also signed their death warrant over this tax – and they know this, they must accept it and allow it be repealed.
Labor and the Greens have made a huge mistake, they misjudged the mood of the country completely and thought that they would have time to repair the damage the lie did, and the resources to influence Australians to accept this tax. This has not happened..
People are, more than ever, justifiably angry. This will translate to a huge Liberal swing. If Labor and the Greens cannot accept the fact that they have messed up badly, repeal the tax and ditch Ms Gillard (their only hope for re-election), this will not end well for any of us.
“There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead” The words that sunk a party: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApCwoj35d3M
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Matt July 23, 2012
Virgin loving Catholic? Are you for real?
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amd July 24, 2012
What a well thought out response. Would you have preferred anti-abortionist, sometime misogynistic, possibly homophobic Catholic Abbott? I was being polite. I beg the Labor party to remove Ms Gillard and the CT before we are left to the tender mercies of this anachronism. Direct quotes from Abbott:
“I think it would be folly to expect that women will ever dominate or even approach equal representation in a large number of areas simply because their aptitudes, abilities and interests are different for physiological reasons.”
“The problem with the Australian practice of abortion is that an objectively grave matter has been reduced to a question of the mother’s convenience.”
“If half the effort were put into discouraging teenage promiscuity as goes into preventing teenage speeding, there might be fewer abortions, fewer traumatised young women and fewer dysfunctional families.”
“I think that it’s very important that we empower people to reject this kind of rampant sensuality.”
LIZ HAYES: Homosexuality? How do you feel about that?
TONY ABBOTT: I’d probably I feel a bit threatened…“Mr Speaker, we have a bizarre double standard; a bizarre double standard in this country where some-one who kills a pregnant woman’s baby is guilty of murder, but a woman who aborts an unborn baby is simply exercising choice.”
“What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially it’s going to go up in price and their own power bills when they switch the iron on are going to go up, every year….”
” I think there does need to be give and take on both sides, and this idea that sex is kind of a woman’s right to absolutely withhold, just as the idea that sex is a man’s right to demand I think they are both they both need to be moderated, so to speak”
And finally his view on women remaining virgins: ”the greatest gift you can give someone, the ultimate gift of giving.”
But then, I am sure you already knew all that, anyway.
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Janet July 21, 2012
Oh, give it a break Mez. Your opposition to the Greens has nothing to do with your allegations of ‘anti-semetic’ behaviour. It is simply because you are a libertarian who believes that governments should only have the job of protecting your property, and any egalitariam purpose is ‘unholy’. “Unholy”? The onlly unholy things in parliament are the faces of Tony Abbott and Bronwyn Bishop.
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Matt July 23, 2012
He is right on one point. The Greens in Marrickville did protest outside shops owned by Jewish people. They also supported a blanket ban on Israel. The silence on that topic has been deafening.
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Matt July 23, 2012
The problem with Socialism is that eventually, you run out of other people’s money. For all the grandiose ideas from the Greens, where is the financial accountability? Where is the financial modelling? Bottom line, who and how do we pay for this? Both Labor and Liberal have to do this so why not the Greens?
I realise that the terms economy and finance are dirty words to a party like the Greens but unfortunately it’s a harsh reality of the world we live in.
So sure, demand all these wonderful schemes and ideas but just back it up with some accurate financial modelling at the same time. Show us how you will fund it, who will pay for it and who will miss out because of this extra funding required. Who knows, you may even convince enough people to vote for you to form a government. Until then, thanks for being the sideshow in Australian politics. -
ellenni July 23, 2012
i wont be voting for anyone who doesnt put the good of the country before their party lines. i dont give a toss at how man bills the greens have meddled in. my grandfather and father in law came to this country with nothing and worked all the hours god gave them to feed, house and dress their families no one gave them anything except jobs. i wont vote for bleeding heart policies. every one who comes here must work for what they are given. the illegals need to work and thank their lucky stars they got here. work, pay taxes and show your gratitude to the country who gave you a fair go.
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Rhoda July 23, 2012
I might as well put it on the record that I have no time for the Greens. I have the idea they think we’re giving them monopoly money to play with.
Problem with Labor is that it’s platform doesn’t look so different to the Liberal platform. Brings it down to personalities.
And neither has one LOL
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liza July 25, 2012
Ot looks like no one who writes “Stuff” against the Greens has ever bothered to read their policies. Yes we DO have them written down. Tony Abbott has declared on the ABC that anything he says should not be taken for Gospel.BUT they do not have their policies written down ! Why ? Same with Labour they are made according to public opinion which can be whipped up frequently by Alan Jones and the like.
The Greens have many economists and doctors and lawyers and nurses and teachers so who exactly do You think we are?-
Matt July 26, 2012
@liza: I think the Greens are Lea Rhiannon, Sarah Hanson-Young and people of that ilk. A party born out of Tasmania, a place where after years of Green/Labour minority rule have an economy that is in the toilet and it now relies on Commonwealth handouts for its very survival.
I too am a professional and let me assure you being a Doctor, Lawyer etc is no guarantee of financial competence. I’m not against all Green policies, I do try to take each cause on its own merits but only the Greens have the privileged position of promoting grand plans without ever being responsible for their implementation nor their cost.
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Anomalocaris July 25, 2012
Rhoda, Mez and Matt, These anti-Green slogans that you use, can you be a bit more specific? For example “economic and social vandals”, can you give us some examples, and please don’t trot out the usual “they want to legalise drugs” line or you’ll get laughed at?
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Matt July 26, 2012
@Anomalocaris: The entire point of my post is that the Greens are never forced to economically justify anything. So if we want to get specifics how about you show us where the Greens have come up with a policy backed by accurate financial modelling. You wont find any examples because financials and economics are dirty words to a party who are morally correct 100% of the time.
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Rhoda July 25, 2012
Anomalocaris, I admit to making a throwaway remark but was not being personal and nor did I wish to offend anyone – was merely expressing my own sentiments as others have done. I’m no more anti Green than anti Labor or anti Liberal. I’m a pragmatist – or I try to be.
The trouble with political debate is that more often and not it goes around in circles and gets us nowhere. The Greens have perfectly good policies as do both other major parties. It comes down to how they are to be implemented – if they are affordable at this point in time – if we can trust those in charge to implement policy fairly and competently – etc etc. We each have our own perspective on what is important to us and vote accordingly.
Please be certain that I will never disrespect a point of view different from my own.
