(Greens Election Special) Australia’s New Peoples Party

Note this is the first in the series of articles written by party supporters designed  to act as partisan guides to the forthcoming election.  

Humanity faces increasing environmental degradation, higher levels of social injustice and an increasing sense of dissatisfaction with the world around. People are becoming more disconnected with each other and recent studies have shown that increased wealth and ownership in the western world has not lead to an increase in happiness and wellbeing. We have reached a turning point: we can either continue to go down this path that has been paved out with over-population, climate change, water and food shortages, not just looking likely but being described as inevitable by organisations such as the United Nations and IMF*. Or we can quickly move towards a more sustainable, socially-just and happier society.

The majority of Australians agree on the need for immediate and intelligent action on these wider social issues. However, come election time the average Australian does not vote accordingly. The confusion coming from a media-induced mix of political propaganda and party policy, in combination with our complacency, means we neglect these larger issues. This is not wise. Everything we do has a wider impact and we cannot simply ignore what is happening around us much longer. The time for action is now.  

It is the role of  the Government to monitor society as a whole and ensure the best decisions are made for society long-term. It’s very difficult and unnecessary for each individual to see the whole picture. So we elect people to do it for us. Right now, Australia’s two major political parties are not focusing on what is better for wider society long term. We are seeing policies from Labor and the Coalition that are shortsighted and purely plugged to win votes. When we are lucky enough to get policies.

Politics has become economy and publicity based, to the point where it has degraded social services and education. Only one ‘major’ party, the Australian Greens, have been brave enough to stand up in parliament and fight for what’s right. The media likes to portray them as left-wing environmental radicals, and when they started that is what they were. But the Australian Greens have developed around the basis of strong environmental policy and activism to become a mature party with over 150 costed policies. Including; Small Business, Industrial Relations, Economy, Housing Affordability and Homelessness, Education, Boosting Science and Research and more. These policies, amongst values of transparency, inclusive democracy and grass-roots activism have created a party that can be called nothing less than ‘The People’s Party”. The Greens have long term vision and are the only party in the chaos of election time that have focused on governing, not personal publicity and negative debate. Since election was called earlier this month, the Greens have submitted 39 policies to be costed whilst Labor have submitted 5 and the Coalition none.

It is time that The Greens got the media coverage and representation they deserve. It will be a long-term revolution to a strong, Greener Australia, but it will happen because The Greens are going about democracy the hard way: by building community support and using volunteers to man polling booths and forums. Expensive, large-scale advertisements and paid booth workers may buy you many votes quickly but they sway easily. It is that and slogan politics that is pushing people away from the major parties. The Greens are the Peoples Party. Australia just doesn’t know it yet.

Marc Waugh

*See:

International Monetary Funds Report – “Turn Down the Heat – Why a 4oC warmer world must be avoided.”

United Nations – “Food and Nutrition Security: Comprehensive Framework for Action”