Greenwash Political Action Party and Urban Grassroots Movement for the Green Party

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Rescue the Senate

With Thursday 2 March marking 10 years of John Howard, it is worthwhile reflecting that there are bigger fish to fry.

The real challenge for progressive politics in Australia is not getting rid of John Howard, but rescuing the Senate from conservative control.

For this to happen, the Coalition must win only two of the six Senate spots in at least 2 states (or one territory and one state) at the 2007 election. A swing of less than 5% in key states can make this happen.

Of course the Greens are key to such a result. We are the only viable force capable of tipping the balance, but we must reach new people and lift our support.

Let’s use this horrid anniversary to ignite the campaign to Rescue the Senate.

The ongoing and interminable debates about who will succeed John Howard actually misses the point for progressive Australia. When the Prime Minister changes, so does the country -so the famous saying goes. Which seems as true as ever now with many people saying they feel ashamed of what Australia has become under his leadership. But there are more ways to change the country than that.

Imagine the conservatives having another term with the Senate under their control. The current wave of reforms being proposed will look like a picnic. And even if the ALP were to win this election or the next, how many progressive initiatives would pass the parliament if the Coalition still had Senate control?

Yet imagine a Senate with the Greens – not Family First or Barnaby Joyce – in balance of power after the next election. We would see a wealth of positive progressive initiatives, ideas and debates taking centre stage in Australian life.

And this is something within the grasp of the Greens, and something almost wholly for us to determine. Lifting our current support by a few percentage points could deliver this. If our party and Senators can produce the goods over the next two years and bullet proof ourselves from the attacks better than we have in the past, then it matters little who is the leading the Federal Coalition.

Rescuing the Senate

At the next election - the Greens vote must ensure that the Coalition does:

a. Not win 4 of the 6 seats available in any state (last time they won 4 seats in Queensland).

and either

b. Not win more than 2 of the 6 spots available in at least two states.

or

c. Not win more than 2 of 6 spots in any one state and lose a seat in the ACT (the two Territory seats are elected for a three year term only and are 'spilled' at each election).

Bob’s 10 year anniversary too

By the way - it is also 10 years to the day since Greens parliamentary leader Bob Brown was elected.

He has outlasted 10 other party leaders... Lees, Kernot, Stott-Despoja, Bartlett, Grieg, Hanson, Harris (One Nation), Beazley (first time round), Crean and Latham have all been and gone during that time.

So it's just John Howard and Bob Brown still standing.

posted by Ben Oquist # 6:00 AM 3 comments