Week 11: The Greens
Welcome to the fourth and final instalment of our special focus on Australia's four biggest political parties. Today, I'll be talking about The Greens, Australia's third-biggest political party by primary vote. Enjoy!
History:
The Australian Greens were founded in 1992, ten years after State-based green parties and environmental activist groups gained national prominence during the Franklin Dam Crisis in 1982. At the time, the Tasmanian State Government intended to build a hydroelectric dam on the Gordon River. Led by the future leader of the Greens, Bob Brown, protestors blockaded the river, preventing workers from entering the dam work site. The issue was resolved following Labor’s federal election win in 1983. The new Hawke Government opposed the dam and introduced legislation to protect the Franklin River. Today, The Greens boasts nine Senators, one federal MP, and a primary vote of approximately 10%.
Ideology:
Four fundamental principles govern The Greens' policy positions: ecological sustainability, grassroots democracy, social justice, and peace and nonviolence. Initially born out of a focus on environmental conservation, The Greens' remit has expanded considerably in the last decade, with economic inequality, First Nations rights and immigration policy forming core policy pillars alongside environmental sustainability. In 2020, The Greens laid out their plan for a Green New Deal, a government-led investment plan to build a clean economy and address growing inequality, through ambitious policies including jobs guarantees and free university, TAFE, and childcare.
Key Figures
Bob Brown came to national prominence in the early 80s during the Franklin Dam Crisis, before entering State politics shortly after founding the Australian Greens, and eventually Federal politics as a Senator in 1996. He was the de facto leader from the party's founding until officially assuming the role in 2005, holding the position till 2012. Brown’s popularity exploded following the 2010 election, where a hung parliament resulted in The Greens entering a governing coalition with Julia Gillard’s Labor. Brown’s support for Labor at the time was conditional on several high profile policy commitments, most notably the eventual price on carbon, also known as the carbon tax.
Core Constituents:
The Greens enjoy most of their electoral success from voters aged 18-34, whose core policy concern is the environment. Additionally, those with higher education levels are more likely to vote for The Greens than those with lower education levels. Perhaps surprisingly, The Greens tend to attract voters in similar proportions across the income scale, with their primary votes concentrated in inner metropolitan seats across the country. The sole seat in House of Reps held by the Greens is the Electorate of Melbourne. However, the party has high hopes for similarly metropolitan seats, including Cooper and Wills in Melbourne's inner north.
Landmark Policies:
2012: Clean Energy Act
The Greens support for Julia Gillard’s Labor was contingent on Labor committing to adopt a suite of policies. These policies included the establishment of a carbon price, the creation of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), increased emissions reduction targets, and the adoption of a Renewable Energy Target (RET). Many of these policies are still in place today and have been instrumental in driving Australia’s world-leading scale of investment in renewable energy.
Conclusion:
Now you should be familiar with our four biggest political parties, and most importantly, what makes them all different. Hopefully, you'll feel a little bit more informed when it comes to voting or having an opinion on the next big issue.
From next week, we're gonna shift our focus to other actors in the political arena who exert considerable influence on the way politics runs in our country, starting with the role of Prime Minister and Cabinet. See you then!
