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You're kidding right Thy?  How many seats were lost to the right in the last election?

It's all good. We need this to be a real threat to force the two major parties to focus on what the people want, rather than imposing a dupoly on us. It also helps to turf them out if it becomes necessary.

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Actually, a lot of it comes down to tradition, not the contitution. As I understand it, the constitution does not even mention the role of PM.

There are precedents. Check the general board.

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Were you unaware which party the Greens or Nats would side with?

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This is true. I vote Green, but this is more a reflection of my low opinion of Labor and Liberal than support for Green policies. Some Green policies I support - at the moment the ones I consider most important and the ones the two major parties are failing miserably on. I support them for the legislation they actually introduced in parliament. But plenty of their other policies I object too.

However, as the Greens become more powerful, they will become more mainstream in the pursuit of power. If they become too powerful they will either have to get better policies or people will turn away from them because they are too dangerous. While they are only in a position to get one or two laws through they can't do much harm. Also, the major parties will just copy their good policies and leave them with the bad ones.

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The denialism runs far deeper than Howard. It was not Howard who dumped Turnbull for Abbott.

Dnarever wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2010 at 7:53pm:


And the Greens slavishly supprot labor who give a very small amount of lip-service to environmental issues and then do precisely nothing. ON environmental matters, the opposition acheived just as much as the labor govt! so why do the Greens support labor 100% and without even wavering on the notion?

freediver wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2010 at 10:19pm:


The Greens support the coalition? on the occasional (and VERY occasional) policy perhaps - eg net filter. but in any meaningful way they support Labor. they give them their preferences and therefore ensure labor wins election they couldnt otherwise win. this current electoral impasse would not be here if Greens gave their preferences 50/50 (since no preferences are ridiculously not possible!) The Greens MP has promised to vote for labor as part of his first speech. Bob Brown says Greens will negotiate with the coalition but it seems the rest of his party has differnet ideas and clearly Brown is a figurehead an not the real leader.

longweekend58 wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2010 at 10:25pm:


Geeze Louise, I suppose that Abbott is just a figurehead (or puppet) to - since I've heard some inconsistent commentary from them too...

Malcolm Turnbull certainly didn't stick to the official party line on Q&A tonight, Bates - I suggest that you watch it!

longweekend58 wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2010 at 10:46pm:



You could try.
Then when you're done you can teach some advanced algebra to a set of monkeys as well.

Stalinists and perspective are not good bed fellows.

laborfornever wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2010 at 3:50pm:


I think you could be right, but I dont think that means our voting system is flawed, on the contrary, I think this is what our parliament is meant to look like.
For years the old parties have bullshitted only they could govern, and the plebs voted for them believing it.
Now we have educated people, like the GREENS voters and independent voters who are not old party sheeple, its good for democracy that the two party monopoly is broken.

longweekend58 wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2010 at 10:46pm:


His opinions aren't worthless, but as you say he is a figurehead and has to listen to the members of his party also. They are ambitious and as many are reasonably young - they want to do deals - as any political party would. Even the Independents are being forced into this.

Until recently - the Greens have always split their preferences evenly between both parties, but as the favour has never been reciprocated, they have had to move on and to do this their ideology has to be compromised a little.

If they can get their act together on the more serious issues facing Australia - they could end up being on an equal footing with Labor.

They can't be sidetracked though and need to focus on the bigger picture.