Posted by: sustainadelic
on 16 Apr, 2012
Will the Greens fade away with the departure of Bob Brown as leader?
No, for one simple reason: because they have what every succesful political party needs: a "big idea".
In other words, they actually stand for something. Unlike the Democrats.
And, it's tempting to say, unlike Labor. Labor used to be the workers' party; one that stood for trade unionism, public ownership and public services funded by progessive taxation. These days, it doesn't seem to really believe in any of these things. That's why it's support is waning.
The problem for Labor is the world has changed.
The key progessive "big idea" in politics today is not class war, liberty or equality. It's the environment. It's increasingly obvious that if we don't stop damaging the environment, nothing else will matter.
Hence the rise of the Greens. Let's not forget Australia's Greens are part of awell-established global movement, now two decades old. There are green parties throughout the world, all growing steadily. Greens have a committed support base and elected representatives everywhere from Tasmania to Scotland
Posted by: sustainadelic
on 14 Aug, 2011
It seems the Greens were right to reject Kevin Rudd's emissions trading scheme and CPRS (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme) and hold out for a better deal. According to an assessment by climate-change think tank Climate Works, based at Melbourne's Monash University, the Gillard government's current carbon tax and Clean Energy Future Plan will generate double the emissions reductions of Rudd's package.
Posted by:
on 19 May, 2009
The Greens have won a landmark victory in a West Australian state by-election, capturing the Labor stronghold of Fremantle with 54 per cent of the primary vote.
Posted by:
on 22 Jan, 2009
Charting the history of the Australian green movement led me to reflect that there are two types of political movement - those that represent paradigm shifts and those that simply rearrange the furniture. Reaganism, Thatcherism, new Labour in Britain, Ruddism (if there is such a thing) and the Democrats are all examples of the latter type.
