Will The Greens Be The Opposition After The Next Election?
As we slowly say goodbye to January, there are so many unanswered questions:
- Will Peter Dutton challenge?
- Will the Liberals be able to find a woman prepared to stand in Higgins?
- Will the next Liberal to announce that they won’t be contesting the election be a backbencher or a minister?
- Which will be the first country to say that if we’re going to recognise the opposition leader in Venezuela, then there’s an even bigger case to be made for recognising Bill Shorten as the PM in Australia?
- If a No Confidence Motion is moved on the first sitting day in Parliament, will someone ask if those voting to support the government really have confidence in Scott Morrison or are they just doing it because they were confused?
- Will the government suddenly reverse its policy of not commenting about “On water” matters to announce that they’ve just turned back a boat and the brochures from the people smugglers were clearly stating that a Shorten government will allowing people to drown at sea?
- Will someone point out that drowning at sea is a deterrent to people boarding boats?
- Will someone else ask to see the brochures and, if they are produced, ask why they were written in English and printed by the same company that the Liberals use?
- Will Peter Reith tell us that he has video of himself not saying that children were thrown into the water and his recent Order of Australia is proof that he’s a great guy and that the phonecard thing never happened?
- Will Morrison call off Parliament because it’s full of people who don’t like him and are trying to get rid of him? Or will he hope that these people will be happy to concentrate on attacking the Labor Party?
- Will someone point out that letting John Howard advise the NSW Liberals on campaign strategy is rather ironic giving that he’s the only living PM to lose his seat? It’s rather like taking investment advice from Alan Bond… Ok, you’re right, Alan Bond is dead so that’s potentially less damaging.
- How many days before the Murdoch press run a story about factions in the Labor Party jockeying for positions or leadership tensions threatening to bring Shorten down before the election?
- At what point will someone being interviewed about how Labor’s changes to negative gearing tax concessions will say something like: “We’re not rich, you know. Our income is less than the average wage and this will mean that we have to sell three or four of our investment properties just to keep our kids at Scotch and PLC!”
- Will someone playing drinking Bingo during the Liberal election launch where they have a drink every time Scott or Josh say, “Labor’s mess” need to be rushed to hospital with alcoholic poisoning after twenty minutes?
- Will Barnaby Joyce announce that people are more important than fish and people don’t need water because they can always drink beer?
- Will the AFP raid the offices of GetUp! and make arrests on the grounds that trying to remove the head of Border Force can be considered treason?
- Will Warren Mundine change parties again after the election? Or before?
- Will the Immigration Minister actually do an interview?
- Will Barnaby Joyce clarify his statement about beer and tell us that one can’t always drink beer and that sometimes it’s inappropriate. Not only that, but ALWAYS drinking beer would leave one incapable of doing one’s job…
- Will Tony Abbott say that he doesn’t take anything for granted, but clearly you couldn’t vote for a woman instead of me after Julia Gillard?
- Will Scott Morrison draw another curry analogy on the grounds that one where he compared the defence forces to a curry went so well?
- Will Michaelia Cash be released from protective custody?
- Are Labor favorites in the betting markets because the Liberals have put so much money on them in the hope of making a killing and having plenty of money for the next election campaign?
- Is Scott Morrison their insurance that the bet will pay off?
- And finally, will The Greens be the Opposition after the election because they have more seats than the Liberals?
Yes, the coming three months will answer some of these questions. Stay tuned.
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RomeoCharlie29 -
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Adrianne Haddow -
Anon E Mouse
Return to home pageI am sure Leigh Sales has printed the list off in readiness for her first interview of the new year with Scott Morrison.
Perhaps, I should send it to her!
Michaelia is sticking to what she knows best – screeching about nothing.
Labor’s policy to broaden and strengthen the unfair contract laws, announced on Friday, has been welcomed by small business groups. Michaelia’s response?
Small business minister Michaelia Cash dismissed the planned reform as “another Labor stunt to attract small business support”.
Ms Cash said the government would be guided by treasury’s review of unfair contract terms.
“Unlike Labor, we will not be announcing populist policy on the run,” she said.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/labor-s-unfair-contract-plan-to-level-playing-field-for-small-business-20190125-p50tq1.html
So what was the moving the embassy to Jerusalem thing then?
If you think about politics then you will vote Labor but if you think even more then you will vote for the Greens. As most of the electorate choose to remain generally ignorant about politics then all we will get at best is Labor for two or three terms and an even more right wing LNP after that. Yes dinosaurs like Abbott, Abetz, Cannavan, Joyce, Dutton, K. Andrews and their clones still have a future and the ship of state will continue to sail to the neoliberal right after a few gentle and mostly futile tugs to the left side of the centre right.
Don’t fool yourselves that Labor are a progressive party even though they may sometimes look that way compared to the current LNP disaster.
Michael Cash does a wonderful masquerade of a brothel madam ….
Barnyard Joke has just survived the Tamworth Country Music Festival where the limited Tamworth water supply was stressed by the large number of Festival visitors. Perhaps he will get the Morriscum misgovernment to fund a pipeline from Malpas Dam near Guyra to Tamworth (about 130km) to alleviate the Tamworth water crisis because “people are more important than tomatoes”?
Perhaps Tamworth Regional Council could “sweeten the deal” by making a small political donation to the National$ you have for a 19th century future, just as the broad acre farmers in NW NSW and SW Qld do to get immunity from prosecution for ‘stealing’ MDB environmental water flows for mainly cotton production, and ruining downstream agricultural enterprises and communities.
[Edit function did not work on above post]
VOTE ANYONE BUT NAT$ & SAVE MDB COMMUNITIES
Unfortunately for the greater environmental/progressive cause, overall the Greens are currently being (partly self-) labeled as a compartmentalized packet containing an extra-flaky jumble mix of salty/sour and syrupy-sweet cookies.
Like many things, I hope that changes.
New England Cocky
I keep telling you, you must go to the wrong brothels if you think Michaelia Cash is like a brothel madam
I more see Michaela Cash as social aspiration brought unstuck by a 4th glass of complementary house wine.
From when Michaelia was allowed to speak at the Press Club (it seems so long ago)…..
Ms Cash also expressed her admiration for Julie Bishop, describing her as “stylish” and admitting she has “a bit of a passion” for the Foreign Affairs Minister.
Yes Michaelia…we can tell. Less focus on hair and fashion and media and more on policy would be good.
The first priority of an elected Shorten Labor Government will be the re-election of a Shorten Labor Government. That’s to be expected. Trump bet the rent on a wall and now that now looks like a very bad wager. What will be Labor’s signature policy? If the economic team of Bowen, Chalmers and Leigh have their way, it’ll be about managing the economy – with a (bigger) budget surplus being their crowning glory.
Can’t see education being on centre stage because there’s only the Catholics to be bought off – again. You see for the Catholics, education funding is a vote changer and both Labor and the LNP know that. Not so for those voters whose offspring attend public schools – they have no-where else to go. And besides it’s just so easy to put the blame on the States. A ready made back-door.
Health is always a big issue and the fear of an unfunded, personal health crisis is there to be exploited. Labor usually wins here but who knows what surprises the LNP will conjure?
Some interesting times ahead. Perhaps we might see the promise of a wall – a big beautiful wall – but probably not – even though a wall is likely to be just as effective as non-nuclear subs and planes that don’t fly.
Andreas Bimba,
The Greens are hardly progressives either. Bob Brown lost me when he and his crew chucked a wobbly against Rudd’s ETS and voted with the Libs. The Greens have voted with the Libs for some alarming stuff – far from leftist progressives they like to pretend they are. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/18/marathon-senate-debate-ends-with-bill-on-voting-changes-passing-36-votes-to-23
Like attack dogs of the Libs, too often the Greens go after Labor and cuddle up to the Libs. Then their infighting and sexism…
Greens are too far right for me, but they may well be the opposition as I can imagine a few of the decimated Libs jumping ship to bolster the Greens numbers.
Photo: “Hur…hur…look at me, I have taked…duh…my thumb from…grunt…my bum…it smell funny…and I can…duh…make a thumb…look at me Beetroot…grunt…dah…in the air sign.”
Will Peter Dutton challenge? Our credulity or the leadership IF he doesn’t get the chop?
Will someone point out that drowning at sea is a deterrent to people boarding boats? I’ll never take the Manly ferry again after reading that.
Will Barnaby Joyce clarify his statement about beer and tell us that one can’t always drink beer and that sometimes it’s inappropriate. Not only that, but ALWAYS drinking beer would leave one incapable of doing one’s job… You won’t get an answer, he’s too busy counting how many cartons of beer he has left to drink before the election.
Will Michaelia Cash be released from protective custody? I hope not, my ears are still ringing from the last time she screeched.
Kaye Lee, it doesn’t matter how “stylish” Bishop is she still looks like a vulture wearing makeup and a dress.
I’m off to bed, keep falling asleep.
well said mouse glad to read someone else thinks the diludbransimkims are a waste of space as a non-pragmatic party there is hardly a nose left on the boys. they may hang on to a seat but a big effort against the melb boy might see him on a pension.
See the full page ads for fox news election?? How about daily doses of toxic election bullshit?? bolt at 1630 and credlin at 1730
Going by the category of having sided with the coalition to vote in odious legislation the ALP have hardly kept an unblemished image recently either, especially with regard to draconian security measures.
Fortunately I am lucky enough to have the local option of an independent candidate for the HoR who not only has a clue but also stands a chance.
As for the senate, that will require more detailed research closer to the race when all candidates have stepped forward.
Royal Commission into Murray/Darling hands their report to SA Governor today.
Desperation and the same tired old election bullshit strategy from a desperate and cow faeces filled gormless “Leader” and party.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pm-warns-australian-economy-could-tumble-into-recession-under-labor-20190128-p50u2s.html
The cretin has contradicted himself (The Donald disease?) Eliminate net debt in a decade BUT still have a net debt of $40 billion in a decade?
“In addition to using the April budget to forecast the first budget surplus since 2007-08, Mr Morrison will also reveal his “goal” is to eliminate net debt within a decade. This year, net debt is projected to reach $351.9 billion and is forecast to fall to approximately $40 billion in 2028-29.”
Yes, you too can get rid of debt in 10 years and still have debt with the LNP Magic Spell of Debt-Away.* It comes with the Scroll of It’s All Labor’s Fault as an extra bonus.
* May require large doses of gullibility.
Well, shock, horror, golly gosh, and gee whiz Batman, who’d a thunk it would be otherwise?
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/budget-focus-now-on-saving-government-not-the-bottom-line-says-deloitte-access-20190128-p50u2o.html
Did I add “Duh, no brainer”?
Nahh, Hiisy-Fits Sales has been practising her “question-interruptus” technique over the break so Willie Shortstuff will never have to get to finish an answer but instead just agree with Hissy-Fits on just about everthing.
Well, aren’t the MSM over-egging the latest specially commissioned Newspoll by The Australian as a victory for Morrison, especially Channel 7. The way I read this “special” poll, the 2PP has remained much the same but the primary vote has improved a couple of points for the L-NP.
The MSM is extolling it as a victory because this apparent within striking distance of an L-NP election-winning poll has come on the back of Liberal ministers quitting. Go figure.
Andreas: The Greens are neoliberal also. Only a few micro parties such as the fledgling Real Democracy Party https://realdemocracyparty.net.au/ are clearly not Labor lite.
Its possible that Labor has learned some lessons though the rhetoric from Chris Bowen sounds ominous in that he has repeatedly stated that the budget surplus under Labor will be larger than the Coalition. We both know the emphasis is misplaced and even damaging unless the economy becomes red hot.
I sincerely hope I am wrong.
According to Chris Kenny in the OZ the opposition will be the Labor Party. He enequivocally states that with the right policies and a concerted attack on Bill Shorten the Coalition could still scrape over the line. Don’t know what the man takes for recreation but I would sure like to know, it has to be the top gear with thinking like that.
The Greens policies are actually progressive if you bother to read them and are available on their website and Labor have adopted many of them such as phasing out negative gearing and the super contributions concession and CGT discount for the wealthy.
Many perceive their elected representatives as not being radical enough for example the Rhiannon vs Di Natale stoush but given the chance to implement policy this would soon change in my view. Having some influence in the Senate cross bench as well as raising issues provides limited opportunities to effect change.
When the Greens vote with the LNP which is very rare, one needs to also consider the reasons presented by the Greens and not just Labor’s sniping. As Corvus Boreus wrote, Labor don’t have a good track record when voting with the LNP, such as on data encryption, civil liberties and privacy, defence issues, FTA’s and refugee abuse as well as our nation’s neoliberal drift.
Even the Greens fiscal policy is relatively progressive as they want to INCREASE the federal deficit to speed the transition to sustainability as well as reduce tax evasion and concessions and increase tax on the wealthy and big business. Increasing deficits is the only really effective method of reducing unemployment under our current circumstances.
Rudd’s ETS was a crock of shyt and a carbon tax and full dividend as suggested by global warming activists James Hansen and Bill McKibben and the Citizens Climate Lobby makes a lot more sense. In any case Abbott would have trashed any policy on global warming.
No Labor need to lose more inner city seats to the Greens so that they don’t keep shifting to the right of centre politically and continue to trash the environment or ignore animal welfare (hi Simon Crean) nearly as much as the appalling LNP. The Greens are also trying to gain ground in blue ribbon seats but it is a big hurdle to win a majority. Unfortunately micro parties really struggle to get established no matter how worthy under our voting system for both the Senate and House of Reps – which is designed to favour a duopoly. Most Greens voters preference Labor candidates in any case so the chances of a LNP majority next federal election are negligable on current trends.
Labor has lost me. They are both as bad as each other…umm..on second thoughts, LNP win that race…but not as bad is not good enough.
Well said, Andreas
http://carbonmarketinstitute.org/labor-greens-pact/
Apparently, Gladys said that she cared more about people than fish.
Ok, I did attribute the sentiment to Barnaby, but I’m still going to claim this is yet another time that satire is being outdone by reality. Let’s be clear here, Barnaby was a ridiculous figure even before we moved into this Trumpian world, you’d think that a Premier in election mode wouldn’t be so cavalier about millions of dead fish stinking up the waterways…
Rossleigh, fish don’t vote or give donations.
George W Bush “I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.”
Oh jeez, can you imagine the fun you could have with that statement. Things like “The Popular Front of Sardines for Bigger Cans” or headlines in Piscine Daily “Angler Fish Demand Rights to Fish for Humans.” The list could go and on. “Flying Fish to Carry Angry Crabs as Bombs.”
Andreas Bimba, the Greens do not impress me. Di Natale has said that he is more aligned to the Libs. The Greens are starting to remind me of the Democrats under Meg Lees.
If, as you say, the Greens policies are being adopted by Labor, surely that is a good thing, so why do the Greens in-election-mode go after Labor. They attack and target Labor seats. Then like to suggest that they are actually left leaning.
I am not impressed with Shorten, but the Greens lost me with Bob Browns hissy fit against Rudd. The Greens like to pretend that they are ideological based, centred on the environment (some are but not many any more), when in reality they have become just another political party intent on winning the next election and doing “whatever it takes”.
So, I am sorry but I do not trust the Greens. I trust them less than Labor, but slightly more than the Libs. Sad hey?
Well said, Andreas.
So many hearsay stories about the Greens being told by so many people, and you can usually trace them back to the source of the Murdoch minions, or the heavily influenced (by extractive industries and multinational corporations) conservative government ministers.
Many comments regarding the Greens’ lack of policies but those commenters never seem to visit the Greens’ site where policies are listed and explained comprehensively.
I’m not that fond of Di Natale as leader, but he does play the game in the same way as the other two party leaders. So it’s maybe an attempt to demonstrate they are not all latte drinking hipsters.
I think the reason for the continued bad press re the Greens’ is the fear of a third party rising to challenge the cosy duopoly of Lib/Nat and Labor.
(Cringing, waiting for the anti-Green backlash.)
Adrianne, maybe the Green’s bad press is because of issues like sexism and bullying, and even because in the quest for political points they have strayed from their alleged ideology.
Regardless, if the Greens keep attacking Labor instead of policies and the woeful effort of the Lib/Nats, they may actually deliver a new round of a Morrison govt. Scary thought.
I was pleased to see the Greens also speaking out on the Murray Darling issues, but SHY seems to do an awful lot of heavy lifting under some very difficult political circumstances.
Anon E Mouse, the Greens fought for water releases for environmental purposes way back in the early days of the Murray Darling fiasco, and were roundly scolded by the usual suspects in government and MSM for daring to suggest the environment and health of the rivers might suffer from that plan.
I don’t mean to be adversarial, but can you please provide evidence of the Greens attacking Labor policies?
I know they have the temerity to run in some Labor seats, but so do a number of independents without the angst and finger pointing that the Greens seem to attract. We do, supposedly, live in a democracy.
As for the sexism and bullying, I have seen reams of print regarding the Greens’ two issues, far more than I have seen with the Libs or the Nats and their many indiscretions.
New Matilda have had anti Jeremy Buckingham articles up for months. While he may be guilty of the accusations and has been censured by the party, the same behaviour by members of other political parties has disappeared and been forgotten in a week or two.
Yep, I notiiced that the Greens have fought for water releases, as I would hope they would given the ideological stance they run with. Pity that in the negotiations with Turnbull et al. on changes to the senate, among many other things, they didn’t use their bargaining power to that end.
Re sexism and bullying, some people may forget the issues of other political parties, but I don’t.
I am cynical, and possibly hold our well paid politicians responsible for the supposed job they do in representing voters in governing the country. Re New Matilda, I rarely even scan the headlines (I don’t have the time), but I think you will find that all sorts of things get regurgitated in the news especially at election time.
Perhaps if you have seen reams regarding the Greens it is because you are interested in the Greens as a party. The biggest issue in the JB case was the way that it was handled within the party hierarchy.
Old whats his name who thought he was a sugar daddy that didn’t have to pay, got a lot of attention until he left the stage. And a unverifiable rape allegation against a prominent leader continues to resurface (I have no idea if it is true or not but it has been investigated). It is not simply the Greens.
I am not going to get into a tit-for-tat with you. I merely stated my opinion of the Greens. I would very much like them to be better, but then again I would like all of the political parties to be better and start taking responsibility for their actions and how they affect Australian peoples.