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the green dictator...

 

greens too

Greens’ leader Richard di Natale charting rightward course

  • 9 October 2015


Last month, The Greens’ leader Richard Di Natale sparked internal strife with his “captain’s pick” decision to take away the Tertiary, Technical and Further education portfolios from the more left-wing NSW Senator, Lee Rhiannon.

There have been danger signs about Di Natale since his takeover of the leadership four months ago, such as his deal with Abbott in June to cut $2.5 billion from pensions, and his insistence upon his election on working “across party lines to get things done”.

Many activists in the party see the snub of Rhiannon as the latest move to undermine the party’s Left in the NSW branch.

The left in NSW has been less willing to deal with the Liberals, and much more enthusiastic about the role of social movements, than most other sections of the party. Lee Rhiannon has been involved with demonstrations against university deregulation, the gutting of TAFE, and a myriad of other issues.

Di Natale made the decision unilaterally, without the expected proper consultation either with the full party room or the Greens’ National Council. And it was made on the first day of Malcolm Turnbull’s Prime Ministership, raising suspicions the timing was intentionally chosen to avoid headlines.

He also took the LGBTI portfolio from Senator Janet Rice. Both portfolios, tied to two high-profile campaigns, the fight against fee deregulation and for same-sex marriage, have been given to South Australian Senator Robert Simms.

An early statement from the NSW Young Greens expressed widespread anger in that section of the party, saying “By making this call, the Australian Greens have created a devastating blow to the activists, students, staff and union members who have been fighting fee deregulation, and for free education for many years.”

As well as the demotion of Rhiannon, Senator Nick McKim—who oversaw the closure of schools in Tasmania when he was a Minister in a coalition government with Labor—has been handed the Schools portfolio, as well as small business and attorney general. He used his first media release to praise small business: “The Greens will present an alternative vision for the economy that looks to the innovators, small businesses and entrepreneurs to generate sustainable wealth and prosperity in the 21st Century.”

Greens’ future

Di Natale sees the future for The Greens in exclusively parliamentary terms—using their numbers in parliament to do deals with the major parties in an effort to extract concessions.

But it has been The Greens’ willingness to reject such right-wing politics as usual and stand up on issues like war and refugees that has seen them gain prominence as a left alternative to Labor’s aping of the Liberals.

Di Natale’s politics-as-usual will lead The Greens to the right, limiting their horizons to what is acceptable to the major parties.

The experience of The Greens during their alliance with the Gillard Labor government was a case in point—rather than standing as an alternative to the major parties The Greens were drawn into defending the government and accepting Labor’s useless and unpopular carbon tax.

There is evidence of significant disquiet in The Greens. Behind the scenes, the NSW party is threatening to withhold $100,000 in funds for the federal election campaign if Rhiannon is not reinstated in the Higher Education portfolio. The move will be debated at the next NSW state delegates’ Council.

After a meeting of the party’s National Council discussed the decision, Di Natale offered to split the portfolio to give Rhiannon responsibility for TAFE alone—an offer she declined.

The strategy of the Left inside the party has been to fight the issues out behind closed doors in national decision making forums, and present a unified party to the public. The right has not shown the same consideration, with some using the Murdoch press to anonymously attack the Left in the past.

There is much at stake for The Greens in this. Will The Greens go the way of the Australian Democrats? Or will they seek to be a left alternative to Labor, and win away those disillusioned working class Labor supporters with nowhere to go?

Will The Greens focus on doing whatever it takes to get elected, compromising themselves and undermining the grassroots activism that created the party in the first place? Or will they use their positions in parliament to build the social movements and strikes that we need—and that hold the genuine possibility of transforming politics?

By Amy Thomas

http://www.solidarity.net.au/greens/greens-leader-richard-di-natale-charting-rightward-course/

 

the cactuses are running behind...

Welcome to the Australian Greens Policy hub. The full policy platform (below) was last reviewed in November 2012. At the bottom of the page are initiatives from the 2013 Federal Election and you can also read our full election platform document for more information. State Greens websites may also have State based policies. 

http://greens.org.au/policy

 

And for your information, Solidarity person, the Carbon Tax was a carbon pricing that was helping greener policies... It was far from being useless. Global warming is real. The Greens did not help Rudd get his ETS, because of a small technicality and then the Greens did not help the Malaysia solution which would have terminated a lot of "boat people" problems by providing a tough but so far the most humane solution against people drowning at sea, short of the government providing safe passage and by-passing people smugglers... It would have helped at 10 to one the immigration and refugees to this country. Not the ideal solution but far better than the Navy doing the dirty at sea on our behalf and having some camps in Nauru and other places where people are not safe and kids are in detention. 

And so far the Greens are more successful than the Socialists...

the cartoon conundrum...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-03/cartoon-exhibition-puts-freedom-to...

 

Here on YD the cartoons are somewhat less intelligent than those of the other publication. Gus is crass. But that's okay. 

the green vote is cactus...

One thing that has been made abundantly clear is in NSW given a choice between long suffering refugees, millions of dollars of funding for vested interests, political point scoring, wedging political opponents, and political slogans the Greens have allocated the refugees a position in their priority list.

Last.

How proud the membership must be…

 

Read more: https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/greens-vote-against-helping-refugees,8446

 

See toon at top.

 

On conflicting issues, the Greens don't want to be part of policies they would be responsible for. 

the fish-tomato man...

 

Richard di Natale is the parliamentary leader of the Greens, and he is also a trained scientist.

He is not the first in the position; the party’s founding father, Bob Brown, is, like di Natale, a qualified medical doctor.

But is it is fair to say that Brown is a more passionate, emotional individual. He observes and respects the scientific method, but if its conclusions go against his political instincts, he is willing to set them aside.

Di Natale is more hard-headed: evidence is evidence, science is science, and it must be pursued whether convenient or not. And it is that uncompromising rationalism that has brought him into conflict with many of his followers.

Too often the Greens accept science only when it suits them. There is no doubting the science of climate change, for instance: the world is warming, the seas are rising, the glaciers are melting, the weather is getting more extreme. Sceptics, denialists, log rollers and conspiracy theorists must be rejected with scorn and loathing.

But the Greens are far more divided about science when it comes to fluoridation, or, far worse, vaccination; and a large majority are firmly against all forms of genetic engineering, which is di Natale’s current problem.

Genetic engineering is not a new idea; the Incas bred the useless (in human terms) guanacos to produce llamas and alpacas, and turned the poisonous lupin into a nourishing grain. Similar scientific selection has been routine for many generations.

But gene technology, although no more than a logical extension of selective breeding, is considered something different, and with some justification; although we are assured that the human genome is about 60% identical with the genome of a banana, there is something mildly discomforting about the idea of inserting, for instance, the gene of a fish into that of a tomato.

This, the Greens assert, is unnatural; and so it is. But that is just the point. All applied science involves the manipulation of nature: it is about changing things, not leaving them as they are.  From the scientific perspective there is no real difference between splicing one gene into another genome and adding carbon to iron to produce steel. If the process improves the product, it is worth doing.

Read more: https://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/mungo-maccallum/2016/18/2016/1453078269/di-natale-vs-greens

 

One can say that the greens have been highjacked by some agent infiltrators...

Selective breeding is not GMO

The GMO manipulation of genes by gene splicing is:

a) dangerous by the possibility of eliminating NATURAL antecedents

b) contaminant by polluting organic pollens

c) increasing the risk of resistance to stronger and stronger poison that could wipe out other similar natural life-forms.

d) do not provide extra cropping capability except on an industrial scale that eliminates diversity, poison other life forms such as pollinating bees.

e) provide some unnecessary variations of life, like creating a fish that swims like a tomato.

Di Natale is wrong for the Greens. He should be in the Liberal (CONservative) Party of profiteers, science or not.

 

See toon at top.

 

the carrots are stupid...

The Turnbull government would seize a rare, absolute majority in the Senate if it finalises a deal on voting reform and calls a double-dissolution election, according to two experts on the preference system.

The Greens - who are negotiating with the Coalition to end "preference harvesting" among minor parties - would likely lose two of its current 10 senators if it agrees to support reforms and both houses of Parliament are dissolved.

A review of voting data by Graham Askey and Peter Breen, veteran players in minor party preference negotiations, forecasts the Coalition would win 40 Senate seats - a gain of seven - while Labor would remain anchored at 25 under the proposed changes being sought by the government.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/coalition-could-clean-up-in-senate-if-vote-reform-deal-is-finalised-20160216-gmvpqz.html#ixzz40KNekSmSFollow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

The Greens would loose out here, because their complicity in this arrangement will be exposed. But it would not be the first time the Greens made cosy arrangements with the dreadful Libs (CONservatives) to sell the country down the tube... They are full of their own stupid carrots.

not a true-blue green...

Greens leader Richard Di Natale is under pressure from within his own party, the union movement and the party's supporter base not to allow the Turnbull government to run to a double dissolution election on the back of controversial Senate voting changes which could wipe out the crossbench.

Greens senators are unanimous in their support for voting reforms, which have been a long-held ambition for the party since the Bob Brown era, but some senators are worried at the prospect of a double dissolution.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/richard-di-natale-under-pressure-over-greenscoalition-deal-on-senate-voting-changes-20160301-gn7gue.html#ixzz41cx5crMd
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

One wonders if Di Natale is a true blue Green... Most likely he is a political animal with a tendency to the right. Presently NO-ONE should support changes to the voting system nor any major reforms from the Liberal (CONservative) government... 

the greens are smelling of liberal bullshit...

 

Describing the Greens as more moderate under Richard Di Natale, Mr Kroger left the door open for Liberals to direct preferences to moderate Greens.

"I think it's unlikely that in this modern era that you actually do a preference deal with anyone much. You may have loose arrangements with various parties," he told Sky News.

"You've got a doctor [Di Natale] who owns a farm who doesn't come from this mad environmental background. He's helped the government get legislation through the Federal Parliament. So you look at the Greens through a slightly different lens these days because they're not the nutters they used to be."


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/theyre-not-the-nutters-they-used-to-be-liberal-party-open-to-greens-arrangement-20160310-gnfy0q.html#ixzz42USqIb5y
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

When this appreciation is coming from Michael Kroger, you know that the Australian "Greens" have been highjacked by the Libs, in the person of Di Natale...

Back in Europe, 1950s, I have witness many left political parties being infiltrated by the right and the fascists. It takes a while to bubble to the surface and the CON-artistry is clever, but then your party has lost its reason d'être.

You quit in disgust but it takes another ten years before you can rebuild something politically decent. The Australian "greens" have cooked their goose... Their salad is putrid. 

 

 

Meanwhile in Europe the real "Greens" are preparing for the revolution...

a novel way to bypass the new senate voting system...

As the Greens and Turdball want to change to voting system on the senate papers, in an effort to eliminate a few cross-benchers, here's the way for them to respond.

 

The cross benchers all become members of each others "party". On the list say for the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, Muir is listed at the top of his party. Below Muir, say is the name of David Leyonhjelm, for the Liberal Democratic Party and the other cross benchers in whatever order... Then on the Liberal Democratic Party ticket, the name Muir could be second and soforth for each of the cross benchers. For example the Palmer United party could have the present senator, then the others (Muir, Leyonhjelm) listed as members of the party... Thus we would end up with a number of ALIGNED independents for the purpose of being re-elected... The names of the cross-benchers would thus appear several times on the ballot... 

 

Would this be legal? I don't see why not.

 

Not that I like any of them, apart from Lazarus and Lambie who make more sense than an exploding packet of chips, mind you. But I don't like the way democracy has been shoved by Turdball's innovationing and the Greens zucchinis. 

the silent green sludge...

 

Another said "the party crucifies anyone who speaks on the record" and that secrecy was "deeply entrenched" in the culture.

The Greens have the most restrictive rules around media access to party debates and internal processes.

The office bearers were all members (and some election candidates) of the powerful Committee of Management (COM) which functions like a state executive.

In a previously unpublished resignation letter one party office bearer didn't hold back, decrying:

...the abhorrent and toxic culture that permeates not just this Committee (although we do a very good job of creating, bathing and indulging our own drama), not just the office, not just the Young Greens, but so much of the party which I have engaged with. Never before have I seen people treat people so poorly, with so little regard, with no respect or time or consideration.

As well as the resignation of the four officials, the party's most senior employee Carole Medcalf remains in a serious industrial dispute.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-20/duffy-inside-the-secret-civil-war-of-the-nsw-greens/7525874

 

 

Me thinks the Green Party has been infiltrated by Liberal (CONservative) right-wing rat bags... But don't tell anyone.

See toon at top. Note date.

keep fighting...

 

As the parliament begins a long parliamentary recess until 8 August, the Greens party room will hold a special meeting to discuss the issue after the signed complaint to the National Council was returned to the party room to deal with as they saw fit.

Rhiannon faces a preselection battle within months to determine whether she will serve six more years as a NSW Greens senator.

“If she was an honourable MP, she would remove herself from Greens and allow a new Greens member to fill her space,” Brown said.

“It is up to the NSW Greens whether they re-endorse her, but in the last two elections thousands of people ceased to vote Greens. If she wins preselection, she is very likely to lose election.”

----------------

People in New South Wales stopped voting Green BECAUSE OF Di Natale....

read also:

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/lee-rhiannon-...

 

proud road kill...

 

Over the past week I have been called a lot of things but the expression "road kill" is probably the most colourful and possibly the most accurate description of my situation.

The term gives a sense of the mayhem that has been left in the wake of the backgrounding by senior Greens sources, my suspension from the federal party room and the party room motion insisting the Greens NSW change its rules.

...

 

 

The Greens NSW is rightly proud of the extent of its internal democracy. The way our state party handled the recent school funding bill was a case for celebration not condemnation. It was an excellent example of Greens members engaging with parliamentary politics and taking a position on how I should vote. What is wrong with that? I don't think all wisdom lies with MPs and I value my engagement with Greens members.

read more:

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-party-room-greens-have-a-bigger-agenda...

 

Read from top...

 

greens in a pickle...

Former Victorian Greens party leader, Greg Barber, is also accused of having a "men's room" in his office — a meeting room that female staff members were not allowed to enter unless invited. 

Earlier this year, it emerged Mr Barber had reached an out of court settlement with a former female staffer who alleged she had been subjected to sex discrimination and bullying in his office.

The ABC can now reveal that woman is former parliamentary adviser, Liz Ingham.

She decided to break her silence after watching an ABC 7.30 program on The Greens mishandling complaints it had received from women about sexual misconduct.

The settlement was reached in July 2017 after Ms Ingham commenced proceedings in the Federal Court. Mr Barber, who is the brother-in-law of Federal Greens leader Richard Di Natale, quit politics two months later.

Mr Barber said his resignation had been planned for several years and had nothing to do with the complaint.

He told the ABC he could not talk about his former staffer's claims.

 

Read more:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-06/former-victorian-greens-leader-accused-of-running-sexist-office/

 

Read from top

going to tend to his family greenery...

Richard Di Natale has quit as Greens leader and will leave politics within weeks in a shock resignation on the first day of the 2020 Parliament.

The former GP told his colleagues on Monday he would resign as leader, immediately triggering a leadership spill, but will remain in the Senate until his replacement is chosen through a casual vacancy.

“The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was really important that we give someone a good opportunity to launch into the next election. And particularly at the moment, when it’s so critical to hold this shocking government to account for their failure on fires,” he said.

But he hinted at a press conference that a “consensus” about the new leader could emerge, avoiding the need for a ballot – as Melbourne MP Adam Bandt quickly put his hand up for the top job. There is even talk of a co-leader from the Senate.

 

Read more:

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2020/02/03/...

 

Read from top.