I arrived back in Melbourne just in time for a by-election for the State seat of Melbourne (in Victoria). The Greens Party claimed the Federal seat of Melbourne at the last election, and the polls suggested they could potentially take the State seat as well. Cathy Oke (an old friend and current Greens councilor at the City of Melbourne) ran a positive and energetic campaign for the State seat, and it came down to the wire in a race against the Labour party candidate as the Liberal party (currently in power in the State of Victoria) decided not to contest the by-election. In the end, the Greens claimed the largest primary vote with 36% but the Labour party won in the end on preferences after claiming 33% of the primary vote. A number of factors did not go in the Greens favour, including a low voter turn-out and a large number of “donkey” votes, but I think most importantly the result shows the Greens must constantly be reflecting on their key messages and how they frame their role in modern politics.
For me, I think the Greens political approach (and communication activities by many academics working with sustainability) often becomes too conceptual with ideas like livability, affordability and sustainability put forwards. The Greens also tend to be strong on policy in the sense that they present detailed policy plans (although costings are sometimes weak). On the contrary, I think the vast majority of voters focus little on policy (except for very concrete shifts in policy, like funding cuts for education for example) or concepts and more on values and principles, and want to know exactly what role Greens candidates will play in a Parliament, whether it be State or Federal. I also think the Greens need to focus much more on the business case for developing “smart” technologies and industries (and jobs). There are of course many opinions on what the Greens should and should not be doing, like better defining how they are different from the Labour party and not falling into the role of playing "conventional" politics. It's always going to be tough for the Greens, that's why they need to be innovative and proactive.
For me, I think the Greens political approach (and communication activities by many academics working with sustainability) often becomes too conceptual with ideas like livability, affordability and sustainability put forwards. The Greens also tend to be strong on policy in the sense that they present detailed policy plans (although costings are sometimes weak). On the contrary, I think the vast majority of voters focus little on policy (except for very concrete shifts in policy, like funding cuts for education for example) or concepts and more on values and principles, and want to know exactly what role Greens candidates will play in a Parliament, whether it be State or Federal. I also think the Greens need to focus much more on the business case for developing “smart” technologies and industries (and jobs). There are of course many opinions on what the Greens should and should not be doing, like better defining how they are different from the Labour party and not falling into the role of playing "conventional" politics. It's always going to be tough for the Greens, that's why they need to be innovative and proactive.
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