Greens push for new electoral alliance

By Bill Mason BRISBANE — A proposed alliance between parties like the Greens, the Democrats and the Women's Party could pose a threat to the major parties, according to Queensland Greens spokesperson Drew Hutton. Hutton delivered a talk at the Queensland University of Technology on the topic on October 17. Several polls have shown that about 35% of the population would seriously consider voting for a "third force" party. Hutton said that if these progressive parties formed an alliance, "we could move from saying that no major party could win government without our preferences to saying that no other party could form could form a government without the support of alliance MPs". "This is a politically difficult path to tread — and it would require immense skill to put such an alliance together — but it is not impossible and it would give the forces of social and environmental reform a great deal more power than they now have", Hutton said. "It is certainly a much more productive strategy direction than living perpetually under the Labor umbrella." Hutton said the Greens were improving their parliamentary presence and strategic position, with 11 members of state and federal parliament and many local government councillors. He said having an independent strategic direction was more defensible than one oriented to Labor. Traditionally, conservation or social justice-based movements had identified Labor as the main parliamentary force for change. Hutton said it was frustrating when movements continued to orient to Labor, even though it was not committed to reform, because of the lack of another major party of reform and the Liberals and Nationals' reluctance to address environmental and social justice concerns. The Queensland Greens caused a furore among mainstream conservation groups during the last state election when it went against traditional preferential support for Labor in five seats. Out of the 23 seats it contested, preferences went to 23 Labor, four coalition and one independent candidate. The ALP lost several crucial seats in the region south of Brisbane due to anger at the South East Tollway. Following his alliance call, Hutton said he had been contacted by a number of disenchanted left-wing Labor Party members. "ALP members have ... suggested that if such an alliance could be formed they would be interested in becoming part of it." Meanwhile, Greens national spokesperson Dr Bob Brown said on October 23 that it was inevitable the Green Party would merge with the Democrats to form a new political force. Brown, who was launching the Greens Senate campaign, said he hoped the two parties could put aside their rivalry and form the new alliance. However, Democrat deputy leader and environment spokesperson Senator Meg Lees accused Brown of "flying the red flag" and attempting to replace Democrats with Greens in the Senate. "Bob Brown is reinventing the wheel to help him win a Senate seat against our Senator Robert Bell in Tasmania", Senator Lees said on October 30. "They've adopted our platform and our policies almost word for word — the only disadvantage is we don't have green in our name." Lees said the Democrats had an outstanding record on environmental issues and were concerned the Greens would split the vote. Brown denied the Greens were antagonistic towards the Democrats, but noted that "[the Democrats] feel somewhat threatened by ... the quickly rising vote for the Greens". He said recent criticisms by Democrat leader Senator Cheryl Kernot had made a merger "temporarily more difficult", but that it was inevitable. "The reality ... is it's going to take a few more Greens in the Senate ... for [the merger] to come about", Brown said. "We have tried before and we will make a very conscious effort to establish a working relationship with the Democrats and like-minded independents in the House of Representatives to establish an alternative green power in the parliament." Former Democrats leader Senator John Coulter, who has recently announced his retirement, lamented the loss of his party's focus on the environment and said he was disappointed by the rivalry between the two parties. The possibility for a future alliance will be discussed at the launching of a new book, The Alliance Alternative in Australia: Beyond Labor and Liberal, edited by Bob Leach, at the Workers Club, 2 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, on November 14 at 7pm.