By Julie Brown
PERTH— Greens (WA) Senators Dee Margetts and Christabel Chamarette declared on September 10 that, "As it stands, the federal budget is not one which anyone with a concern for social justice could support, and the government's unwillingness to respond to any requests for change indicates a profound disrespect for the plight of hundreds of thousands of Australians".
At a press conference, the Greens (WA) released a background document outlining the proposals that had been discussed with treasurer John Dawkins. These included:
- A top-up tax of 5% on incomes over $100,000.
- Company tax to be increased to 36%, following the recent reduction from 39% to 33%.
- Deferral of the increase in the sales tax on wine for one year pending an inquiry.
- Removal of the second 1% increase, scheduled for 1995, in wholesale sales tax.
- Holding defence spending at current levels.
- No higher HECS charge for students taking more than the minimum time for course completion.
- No changes to student assistance for 16-year-olds.
- A $3 per week increase in payments for social security recipients from January 1994.
- No change to the retirement age for women.
- Maintaining the urban public transport program and reducing road funding.
Dawkins rejected all the Greens' proposals, despite Treasury calculations showing their package would further reduce the deficit. He stated in a September 8 letter to the senators that "the approach underlying your proposals is very much at odds with the Government's economic and social strategy".
Margetts said, "Unfortunately, this is true. This Labor Government's social strategy is in tatters. They no longer have a commitment to the lower income earners or welfare recipients in our society. Nor do they have a clear economic strategy which stands up to scrutiny ...
"We have always said that we would support an equitable strategy to reduce the government deficit in the medium term, in a way that does not undermine the government's revenue base."
The two senators do not expect to gain the support of the Coalition or the Democrats for all of their proposals and will cast their votes for the most favourable options offered. "The outcome", they said, "will be determined on the floor of the Senate ... We 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."
Establishment media response to the Greens' stance bordered on the rabid. Laura Tingle, political correspondent for the Australian, wrote on September 11 that the senators intend to "hold the country to ransom in pursuit of some fruitloop ideas", while condescendingly describing as naive and well-meaning the Greens' clear concern for the poor.
"Our objective is to secure the best outcome for the people of Australia, not the best outcome for ourselves or our party", Chamarette and Margetts said. "We will persevere in attempting to do politics differently."
Asked by Green Left Weekly what people outside the Senate could do to show their support for the senators' stance, their main suggestion was for people to lobby their local parliamentarians.