The Greens and the budget
Just before Prime Minister Paul Keating flew off to Washington, he dismissed the attacks on his budget in the Senate as "sport" preventing him from governing in the national interest. But the Green and Democrat senators' resistance to the budget has helped to expose the fact that the government's pro-big business policy does not have the support of most people in Australia. Keating's visit to Washington was preceded by US media reports on his unpopularity at home. The US National Public Radio said that Keating's declining popularity ratings made Clinton look good. Most Australians consider Keating untrustworthy and believe he does not care for the people; 86% say he is arrogant, NPR reported.
"The Greens want us to lop half a billion dollars off defence, to scrap the submarine program, to lift the company tax rate, to put a surcharge on incomes", Keating grumbled. "That's not compromise, that's an alternative budget ..."
Treasurer John Dawkins said that the Greens' proposals were "very much at odds with the government's economic and social strategy" — and the Greens agreed. An alternative budget rather than a few minor changes is what is needed.
The WA Green senators have been more successful than the Democrats in exposing Keating's budget because they have refused to give it any credibility by supporting it. The budget, even as revised after Keating's much-reported negotiations with the Democrats, is not one which anyone with a concern for social justice could support, the Greens have declared.
In contrast, Democrat leader Cheryl Kernot has stressed her party's "responsible" approach and its acceptance of the government's "deficit reduction plan"— the latest euphemism for the conservative economic "rationalist" strategy, which seeks economic recovery by putting more money into the hands of the corporate rich.
The Green senators are limited in what they can do in parliament. They do not have the power to bring in an alternative budget. The big business media's hype about the possibility of elections being forced is a beat-up aimed at frightening the Greens out of criticising the budget.
The WA Green senators say that they will "seek to ameliorate the worst aspects of the budget by amendments in the Senate and hope that the government may change its mind in the forthcoming weeks". However, without a mobilised public opposition to the budget — in meetings, rallies and demonstrations — the Keating government is unlikely to give further ground.
The Democrats have already gained as many changes around the edges of the budget as is possible simply by playing the parliamentary game. This strategy underestimates the widespread revulsion felt by most people at this style of politics.
The Green senators have said that they are interested a "new politics" and that they want to "devolve power to the people". This goal could be advanced by mobilising a broader political movement outside of parliament for an alternative, progressive budget.
Making new politics and real democracy concrete involves organising the sectors injured by the government's course and building alliances. With the old social movements at ebb, this is a big job. But for those committed to social justice and urgent environmental action, is there any real alternative but to start now?