The jostling and lobbying amongst the Greens over who is to replace Brown has quietly continued on in earnest. Tasmanian Christine Milne is Brown’s first choice.

Seen as less of a firebrand than her younger colleagues, Brown hopes that Milne will maintain the camouflage of the Greens radical socialist agenda. A camouflage that has been the secret to the Greens’ electoral success to date.

Milne, however will be more aggressive than Brown in pursuing policies that put Australian jobs at risk. Milne would close down mines, make manufacturing unsustainable, and force farmers off their land.

Milne knows that standards would drop under her extreme climate change agenda - but in the name of progress Milne would say that the ends justify the means.

Also vying for the position is Sarah Hanson-Young, a student politician who under Brown’s patronage enjoyed a meteoric rise from student union president to senator.

Hanson-Young challenged Milne for deputy leader after the last election. In any democratic party, a leadership challenge would be public, and the results would be made known. They do things differently over at the extreme left.

Hanson-Young brings with her the support of Scott Ludlam. Frustrated with the dominance of soft conservationist issues, this duo is champing at the bit for the opportunity to force Gillard into extreme left positions.

To them, soft environmentalism belongs in the Bob Brown era. Their vision of Australia is one where our borders are left unprotected, the ANZUS treaty is torn up and Israel is boycotted as a “rogue state”.

Incoming Senator Lee Rhiannon is ostensibly backing Hanson-Young, but, even the most casual observer will know that Rhiannon wants the leadership and no one including her younger colleague will stop the Lee for Leader train.

The direction the Greens would take under Rhiannon’s leadership is truly frightening. Rhiannon came to the Greens after a long political journey which saw her quit the Australian Communist Party in protest at them speaking out against human rights abuses in the former Soviet Union.

Rhiannon recently clarified that she now condemns the crimes committed under Stalin, but her flirtations with foreign communist dictators continue.

In May 2009, Rhiannon was the main speaker at an award ceremony described by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an “act of allegiance” to Fidel Castro in Sydney.

Whether an Australian political party with no culture of internal democracy can survive the departure of its cult-like leader remains to be seen.  One thing is for sure – Bob Brown’s cult of personality is the only glue currently holding the Greens together.

If Brown does seek another term at the next election at the end of that term he will be older than any currently serving member or senator. Only time will tell if the Greens can survive the turmoil that awaits them upon Bob Brown’s likely imminent retirement.

thats scary. when that lot are let loose we will all be ducking for cover.

All in all a win win situation I say, bring on the retirement :D

In case anyone was wondering, it's an article in The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/no-green-pastures-ahead-in-post-bob-brown-era/.

The cat fight between Milne, SHY and Rhiannon will be spectacular!

remember_when64 wrote on May 9^th, 2011 at 7:12pm:

All in all a win win situation I say, bring on the retirement :D In case anyone was wondering, it's an article in The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/no-green-pastures-ahead-in-post-bob-brown-era/.

that picture confirms my scary thoughts on this... that is powerful scary stuff..

The OP seems overly obsessed with presenting an image of an unstable Greens... Chris Mitchell, is that you???  ;D

astro_surf wrote on May 9^th, 2011 at 8:22pm:

The OP seems overly obsessed with presenting an image of an unstable Greens... Chris Mitchell, is that you???  ;D

They are unstable, thats why i'm talking about it.

Tony Bradshaw wrote on May 9^th, 2011 at 8:27pm:

astro_surf wrote on May 9th, 2011 at 8:22pm: The OP seems overly obsessed with presenting an image of an unstable Greens... Chris Mitchell, is that you???  ;D They are unstable, thats why i'm talking about it.

So all major parties are unstable by your measurements. Turnbull to Abbott, Rudd to Gillard and now everyone and sundry in the Greens to Bob Brown. At leased it's only talk from outside the Party with the Greens.

I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Nick McKim shift to federal politics.

---

McKim is too conservative for Rhiannon, SHY and Ludlam to be allowed anywhere near the federal leadership.

Tony Bradshaw wrote on May 9^th, 2011 at 8:51pm:

McKim is too conservative for Rhiannon, SHY and Ludlam to be allowed anywhere near the federal leadership.

Attacking Ludlam too ... egad you have a major hate agenda.


Now if you have forgotten, Greens work different than the factional faceless men of Labor and Liberal. The Greens are a grass root democratic party and this group will decide the path of the Greens.

McKim has the base and the history to be a strong leader Federally, especially as Greens grow closer to obtaining federal government.

Quote:

McKim has the base and the history to be a strong leader Federally, especially as Greens grow closer to obtaining federal government.

PMSL, not in his political career if ever.

remember_when64 wrote on May 9^th, 2011 at 9:18pm:

Quote: McKim has the base and the history to be a strong leader Federally, especially as Greens grow closer to obtaining federal government. PMSL, not in his political career if ever.

You don't think Nick McKim will be Australia's first Greens Prime Minister?

Tony Bradshaw wrote on May 9^th, 2011 at 7:00pm:

The jostling and lobbying amongst the Greens over who is to replace Brown has quietly continued on in earnest ... http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/can-the-greens-survive-when-bob-brown-heads-off/story-e6frezz0-1226050710098

The author,Michael Ronaldson, is Opposition spokesman for Veterans' Affairs


(Make of it, what you will)

buzzanddidj wrote on May 9^th, 2011 at 9:30pm:

Tony Bradshaw wrote on May 9th, 2011 at 7:00pm: The jostling and lobbying amongst the Greens over who is to replace Brown has quietly continued on in earnest ... http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/can-the-greens-survive-when-bob-brown-heads-off/story-e6frezz0-1226050710098 The author,Michael Ronaldson, is Opposition spokesman for Veterans' Affairs (Make of it, what you will)

LOL  ::)

____ wrote on May 9^th, 2011 at 9:21pm:

You don't think Nick McKim will be Australia's first Greens Prime Minister?

I don't think there ever will be a Greens Prime Minister unless/until the Greens connect with reality at which point they will no longer reflect the current Greens therefore, the "Greens" may well go the same way the Democrats did.