Just because it is not going to help the New S0uth Wales Labor Party on this occasion does not mean that the underdog effect should no longer be an important part of election campaigning. It is alive and well and the NSW state Greens have made a mistake by forgetting it.
Bob Brown
Follow Crikey’s latest coverage of Australian Greens leader Bob Brown. Crikey’s Bob Brown coverage includes independent news, blogs and commentary.
That one seat represents more than 1.4 million Australians
The Green extremists are holding the majority hostage, even though they only have one seat, claims the right wing commentariat. But that one seat and voice in parlimanent represents the 11.76% of Australians who voted for them, writes Jeremy Sear.
Political snippets: Dear Labor MPs: remember, we don’t have a majority government
Don’t let the majority rule. Just as there are many in the Liberal and National parties having difficulty accepting that they did not win the last election, there are a fair number of Labor Party MPs who don’t understand that their lot are not in control of the Parliament either. Greens senator Christine Milne put it […]
Political snippets: Costello kicks a goal
Former Liberal Treasurer and now very readable newspaper columnist Peter Costello is learning an important lesson about journalism.
Not quite a gay marriage victory
The Australian has framed news that the Commonwealth will have less power over vetoing state and territory laws as a win for Greens’ Leader Bob Brown on gay marriage. But it goes far beyond whatever power Brown yields in parliament, writes Amber Jamieson.
If we didn’t like the flood levy, how will we take to a carbon price?
Now that a carbon price has been announced, there will be an increased focus on what the community thinks about who should pay, and how much, to deliver a public good through greenhouse action. A good place to start is taxpayers’ response to the flood levy, suggests Drag0nista.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Building houses in build in flood-prone locations
Crikey readers have their say.
Crikey Says: Brown buries the lede
Never let it be said that Bob Brown isn’t good at burying a lede. You don’t need to be a spin merchant to know that using terms like “culprits” and “coal barons” in the days after the floods is not a great idea.
The Bible according to Penbo: Bob Brown is just like Pauline Hanson
David Penberthy, editor-in-chief of news.com.au, decided to take his website’s verballing of Bob Brown seriously and has now compared Brown with Pauline Hanson, writes Jeremy Sear.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Bob Brown has got it totally wrong
Crikey readers have their say.
Brown: a national flood insurance scheme makes sense
Greens supremo Bob Brown has called on the federal government to seriously consider a national flood insurance scheme in the mould of the United States, but has sounded a note of caution over free riders who build houses in risky areas and then expect the state to bail them out.
News.com.au verbals Bob Brown, big time
An interesting headline popped up on the front page of News.com.au over the weekend from Bob Brown: ‘Coal miners caused floods.’ A pretty explosive quote, that’s for sure, minus one fact: Brown never actually said it, writes Dave Gaukroger.
Guy Rundle: Bob Brown supports WikiLeaks, is Phillip Adams in the frame?
Should the government decide that it wants to pursue action around the ‘Cablegate’ material, other Australians involved with WikiLeaks may well be liable for prosecution. The most prominent of these is the broadcaster Phillip Adams who is, or was until recently, a member of the advisory board of WikiLeaks.
Bob Brown to The SMH and Sheehan: R is for Right of Reply
Paul Sheehan is not the only cranky commentator raging against the party, 40 years later, for not confining itself to environmental issues, writes Greens Party leader senator Bob Brown.
The Greens are here to stay
For thirty years our politics has focused on economic management and reform. But voters appear to want something more, and they’re not getting it from the major parties.
Richardson: Gillard has a lot of work to do
Labor bombed on climate change, rushed to the federal election with barely developed policies and then looked surprised when it blew up in its face. Gillard should take a leaf from the Bob Brown book of politics, declares Labor stalwart Graham Richardson.
Wright: Over sideways and under on a (green) magic carpet ride
Bob Brown’s recent Melbourne Press Club address was a soaring stream of consciousness speech that smoothly segued between political issues and talking points. It was like going on a magic carpet ride, says Tony Wright.
Grattan: Coming to terms with the might of Brown’s Greens
The Greens will not have control of the senate until next year but strategists on both sides of the political divide are coming to terms with the party’s dramatically increased ability to influence policy and debate, writes Michelle Grattan.
Kelly: The unethical and dangerous problem of euthanasia
Will the Gillard government become the first government in Australia to authorise legalised killing? They shouldn’t be pummelled into doing something by the Greens that much of the Western world disagrees with, writes Paul Kelly.
Climate committee is better without the Coalition
The Climate Committee announced by the Government yesterday will benefit from the absence of a disruptive and untrustworthy Opposition.
A (climate) change in the air
Crikey media wrap: It’s the first day back at school for all the enthusiastic parliamentary members, even though the class hasn’t voted on a deputy speaker yet. But Gillard turned up with a new climate change policy tucked into her lunch box.
Political snippets: Tyranny of the minority
Two or three per cent of voters who feel so strongly about an issue that they will change the way they vote because of it are far more worrying for an MP than the 97% of voters who, whatever their views on the issue, do not feel strongly enough about it to change their vote because of it.
Greens: flick go the shares when it comes to ABC coverage
In all the talk of new paradigms in the reporting of politics, one thing is surely true: much more attention should be paid to the Greens.
Gillard thanked us for being fair and balanced: The Oz editor
The Australian editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell claims Julia Gillard praised the paper’s “fair and balanced coverage”, dismissing renewed criticism from Bob Brown and press gallery veterans over its editorial agenda.
