Debate on post-Kernot politics
BRISBANE — Thirty people gathered at the Resistance Centre on October 29 to hear a discussion about how to build a progressive alternative to the two-party system in the wake of Cheryl Kernot's defection to the ALP. There were speakers from the Greens, Democrats and Democratic Socialists.
Speakers agreed that Kernot would have little or no impact on the pro-big business direction of the ALP even if she helps it over the line at the next federal election. A key point of discussion was the revival of cooperation between the three parties that took place in 1991 through the Green Alliance in the Brisbane council elections.
Drew Hutton from the Greens felt that Kernot's move opened the way for closer cooperation between his party and the Democrats, but was cautious about endorsing a broader alliance. New Democrat Senator Andrew Bartlett ruled out any mergers or alliances.
Sam Wainwright from the Democratic Socialists underlined the need for an alternative party to oppose all the pro-big business policies of the Howard government. In particular, he criticised the Democrats' support of the Coalition's Workplace Relations Act. Bartlett refused to be drawn on the issue.
The Greens and Democrats were criticised in discussion for having directed preferences to the Coalition in previous elections. Hutton conceded that the Greens' direction of preferences to the Coalition in certain seats during the last state election was a failure, but maintained that it was a legitimate tactic for punishing Labor and extracting concessions from it.
Bartlett refused to comment on his party's distribution of some of its preferences to the conservative parties, including to Pauline Hanson, at the last federal election.
Wainwright rejected the idea that playing with preferences could win substantial concessions. He pointed out that the real motor force for progressive change was the mobilisation of people. The Democratic Socialists see the main goal of electoral activity as being to promote people's active involvement in politics.