Posted by John, August 26th, 2010 - under The Greens.

Tags: Election 2010

The Greens could make the Parliament unworkable until the new Government of whichever conservative hue gives in to some key demands. Here are some non-negotiable claims the party which now controls the Senate could make on Government.

The immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

A super profits tax on the miners to fund denticare, public health, education and transport.

A massive tax on the polluters, with the green cheque to be used to lift the poor out of poverty.

A massive program of green jobs and green retraining as needed.

An immediate price freeze on electricity costs.

An end to demonising boat people both in words and actions and their processing onshore and release into the community.

A viable same-sex marriage regime.

The abolition of the anti-worker Fair Work Act and the Australian Building and Construction Commission and the empowerment of unions in the workplace and of their struggles to win better wages and conditions and protect and create jobs.

An end to the racist Northern Territory intervention, recognition of prior aboriginal sovereignty and the signing of a treaty, coupled with more spending under the control of communities to address aboriginal disadvantage.

An immediate increase in pensions and other social security payments by $100 a week.

An immediate increase in the minimum wage of $100 a week.

A massive program of Government solar and wind farms and other renewable energy programs to generate enough energy to turn off the coal fired power stations by 2020.

Huge tax increases and new taxes on the rich to pay for these socially necessary spending programs.

Rigorous price controls over big business.

Nationalisation as necessary of the big battalions of the economy if they threaten a capital strike in response to these requests.

I know full well the Greens won’t do any of this. In fact, they won’t even make demands.

Here’s how Sue Dunleavy in the Daily Telegraph of 22 August put it:

The Greens refused to outline any negotiating principles they will use in discussions with the major parties. “I’m not a demander, the Greens aren’t into demands, we ‘re into getting the best outcome through negotiation,” Senator Brown said. It was not right to presume The Greens would be asking for a carbon tax to be introduced in return for their support, he said.

It looks like the Greens’ leadership has abandoned its principles even before they negotiate with the Liberals and the Labor Party.

Yes, Bob Brown hasn’t ruled out negotiating with the filth that is the Liberal Party. Even the 3 conservative independents are having their doubts, but not Bob Brown.

The Greens, and the vast majority who voted for them, see the Party as being to the Left of the ALP. With the balance of power in the Senate now is the time to prove it.