Psephology and the Labor/Greens affinity

Now, this is a twisty-turny calculation by psephologist Antony Green.  He has examined last preference allocations in the last NSW election. 

The conclusion?  ... amongst Labor voters only 2.3% put the Greens last, while amongst Green voters, only 1.8% put Labor last. Voters clearly view the two parties as ideologically close.

Can't help wondering if this closeness (and my guess is this conclusion fits for the whole of Oz) can also mean that the dissatisfaction of so many Labor voters with the Labor opposition - because of their poor history (since 1992) on the subject of  refugees and Labor's lack of sensible forward thinking and planning on Climate Change - will make it easy for Labor voters to switch to the Greens and thus provide a substantial increase in the Green vote - and perhaps more House of Reps seats - at the 2015 face-off.

Should Labor talk to the Greens?

Open Labor is holding a debate in Melbourne to-night. The question is Should Labor Talk To The Greens?

Miss Eagle has written to Open Labor letting her views be known.  Miss E is dyed in the wool Labor - but is rather selective. Miss E was once, but is no more, a member of the ALP.  She is a twice-failed Labor candidate but bears no animus re that. It was a significant experience and it led to her becoming an organiser with the AWU - the first female organiser in Northern Australia and only the second female organiser in its history.  

Miss E still has quite traditional Labor views on many topics, particularly on work, labour, and workplace rights - but feels she has nothing in common with Labor in relation to its ambiguous stance on environmental matters and its progressively harsher stand on the matter of refugees and asylum seekers since 1992.   Both of these items, in Miss E's view, are highly moral in nature and values.  Labor's attitudes on these policy matters do nothing to attain the moral and advantageous high ground.  They send Australia and Australians deeper into a vandalistic and inhumane mire.

In light of these views, Miss Eagle has written to Open Labor as follows:

Dear Open Labor,

My view is that The Greens should enrol in the ALP and immediately establish a faction.  It's the only way I can think of for environmental concerns to get an authentic guernsey in the development of a collective environmentally concerned mind within the ALP.  

Under Rudd and Gillard, Labor made a mess of their attempts at being 'green' i.e. the pink batts (policy would have been helped by consultation with a relevant tradesman but where are they in the ALP - does anyone even sleep with a tradie anymore?) and giving tradeable electricity to homeowners (more to the rich and the middle class) instead of including renters (clearly don't give a darn about low income people, let alone pensioners and the unemployed, who rent! And completely ignore the situation of people living in public housing).  Should I mention here how a Victorian Labor Government upgraded public housing and privatised a portion of it thus decreasing the quantity of public housing available to Victorians.

The ALP is lagging and conservative.  Its careerist politicians are concerned with the Almighty $ and assuring for themselves lucrative post-politics careers.  I won't name names - but I don't think I need to.  We can all finger Labor politicians who are guilty of this.

I don't think Labor has clearly defined and delineated its role in this post-GFC world.  Without a clear path, ideology, or compass, it means that Labor will wax and wane in its policies instead of defining a clear path, a steady compass forward.

Sincerely,

Brigid Walsh

(once an ALP member; twice an ALP Federal Candidate; once an AWU organiser)​

2013 - The Year of the Conscience Vote; The Age recommends Labor; the spirit of Cronulla comes to Canberra; liberty, justice, equity, compassion, openness.

The Age believes in economic and social progress, in liberty and justice, in equity and compassion, and openness of government. We believe the role of government is to build a strong, fair nation for future generations, and not to pander to sectional interests. It is with these values in mind that we endorse the Labor Party in this important election.

Just wanting to make sure that people did not miss out on seeing this 

from The Age in Melbourne.  

Clearly, the Fairfax Press remains independent considering 

Roger Corbett's display on Lateline a couple of nights ago 

when he spoke, it seemed, directly from

the Liberal politicians' sheet of talking points.

I'm a great believer in natural justice and I believe that we reap what we sow.  Australia is on a tipping point in my view.  We can choose compassion and inclusion or we can demonstrate that we are truly insular and xenophobic and worse.    I believe that leaders of a nation are duty-bound to bring out the best in their people - not to pander and grandstand to bigotry, racism, sexism and greed. To-morrow as individuals we can choose to coalesce around national ideals of decency and a fair go, of honesty and unselfishness.  I know that many who read this will agree with just about everything I have said in this paragraph.  I know there will be some for whom, like me, decisions at this election are fraught.

In case Networkers had not figured it out yet -  I am died-in-the-wool Labor.  I was a member of the ALP for about three decades.  I believe in trade unions - and even in retirement I am still a union member.  My history goes back to the 1970s when I was an activist against the Vietnam War and Apartheid in South Africa. I was the first woman appointed to be an AWU organiser in Northern Australia and only the second woman appointed in AWU history.  I am not a member of the ALP any more and have not been for more than a decade.  I am no longer a member of any political party.  I resigned my ALP membership in the early 2000s because of certain circumstances in my life at the time.  However, if I had not left when I did, I would have soon after because of Kim Beazley and Tampa. In short, I belong to a small - and perhaps invisible - faction: Rusted on Labor that Sometimes Votes Green.

There is no way in the world that I could reward Labor with my No. 1 vote in 2013.  I want to see others mark Labor down for its lack of compassion and its destruction of many Labor values.  I want the ALP to note that there are things that "up with these we shall not put"!!!  So last Friday when I voted early because I will be out of my electorate this week-end, I chose to give my No. 1 to The Greens and my No. 2 to Labor.  (Apologies to Catherine King, Member for Ballarat and Minister for Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories. Catherine is an excellent local member.) 

As perhaps never before - or at least for a long time - this needs to be The Year of the Conscience Vote.  The LibNats have brought our national conversation into disrepute.  The spirit of Cronulla has come to Canberra - not only in the person of Scott Morrison (what a contrast from Bruce Baird) but in bringing the racism, antagonism, bigotry and xenophobia displayed in the Cronulla riots to our national capital and our national conversation.  Since when did it behove Australia's national leaders to stir up such sentiments - and I haven't even mentioned sexism and misogyny?  Perhaps we'd have to go back to Billy Hughes for that.  

Join Richard Di Natale for lunch at the Europa in Ballarat to-day - 12.30pm

Christine Milne hits Ballarat to-morrow - TAFE topix at University of Ballarat in the day' Food policy at St Anne's Winery at night.

From John Stanger:

Hello fellow education advocates!

Meet Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne in Ballarat tomorrow as she meets with students and staff at Ballarat University as part of the Greens’ campaign to stop Labor’s $2.8 billion cuts to universities.  

The Greens have offered the following funded and costed policies for the election so far:

Prioritise TAFE: $1.2 billion TAFE rescue package that is quarantined for TAFE, not private providers: http://www.greens.org.au/TAFE
Investing in Universities: reverse Labor's $2.3 billion uni cuts and increase base funding per student by 10% http://greens.org.au/investing-universities
More school funding sooner: An extra $2 billion over the forward estimates on top of the government's $3 billion to help bring public schools up to the Schooling Resource Standard sooner. Additional funding will be directed to where it is needed most, including better assistance for kids with a disability: http://greens.org.au/school-funding

It's a rare chance to meet the Australian Greens leader Christine Milne here in Ballarat and you're all invited!

Join Christine for her media conference followed by a chance to chat and hear more:

WHO: Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne and the candidate for Ballarat Stephanie Hodgins-May and Ballarat University students.

WHERE: Library courtyard at Ballarat University, Mt Helen Campus

WHEN: 12.15pm TOMORROW Thursday 22 August

FOLLOWED BY: 12:30-1:30pm informal meet and greet with Christine Milne in The Hub Bistro, Albert Coates Building, UB Mt Helen campus.

If that's not enough, feel free to join Christine Milne, Senator Richard Di Natale and Stephanie Hodgins-May to Celebrate Australian Food with a free event at St Anne's Winery in Myrniong. 6:30pm, light food and a complimentary drink (local of course) provided.

Here's the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/557787730947181/?fref=ts

RSVP for the Celebration of Australian Food by email to: foodplanrsvp@vic.greens.org.au

Thank you, apologies for the partisan post but the intention is to connect with you and bring us together rather than spruik the Greens.

Hope you can join us,

Jon Stanger

0415 755 181