Federal election 2016: Richard Di Natale hasn’t made dent on high-spending

RICHARD Di Natale may have taken the Greens closer to the centre since becoming leader but he hasn’t made a dent on their high-spending philosophy, writes Ellen Whinnett.

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IT’S been a year since Richard Di Natale replaced Christine Milne as the leader of the Australian Greens.

The shift took the Greens leadership out of the hands of the old-school environmental warriors blooded in the Tasmanian forest and pulp mill wars — Bob Brown and Ms Milne — and handed it to a pragmatic former VFA footballer and doctor who lives in the Otways, listens to AC/DC and gets around in a 4WD.

He cut deals with the government on pension reform, changing voting rules in the Senate and restarting indexation of the petrol tax. He focused on preventive health, family violence and public transport. He’s a smart politician and a nice bloke, too.

Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

But even if Senator Di Natale has edged his party towards the centre, he hasn’t made a dent on their high-taxing, high-spending economic philosophy.

The Greens have pledged a staggering $123 billion in commitments since the campaign began. They’ll pay for this by raising another $66 billion in revenue, and by saving $60 billion through spending cuts.

This comes as Australia’s annual deficit sits at $39.9 billion, our debt at $326.6 billion, and as we pay $1 billion a month just to meet our interest payments.

The party’s economic philosophy was laid bare by its Treasury spokesman and Melbourne MP Adam Bandt last month, when he released the party’s “Budget Principles for the 2016 Budget and Federal Election’’.

“We’re unapologetically opposing personal and corporate tax cuts this election and refusing to join a tax cuts arms race that will undermine public education, health and welfare,’’ he said.

“It’s time to stop treating debt like a four-letter word.

“It’s not whether the Budget is in deficit or surplus that matters, it’s the sustainability and justification for the Budget position.

“There’s no point in having a AAA credit rating if you don’t use it.”

Greens leader Richard Di Natale, Greens Melbourne MP Adam Bandt and Greens candidate for Higgins Jason Ball. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

What Mr Bandt appears to have missed is what happens if Australia loses its precious AAA credit rating — and the international ratings agencies have already warned that the major parties are not doing enough to reduce debt, deficit and spending.

The cost of borrowing will rise, and it will take the country even longer to return to surplus as billions of dollars that could be spent on schools and hospitals go instead to pay off international creditors.

If the Greens want to be considered one of the major parties and to govern, either in a minority or, as Senator Di Natale has forecast, in their own right one day, then they need to grasp the basics — you can’t live forever on your credit card, and a nation’s debts must be paid.

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Originally published as Federal election 2016: Richard Di Natale hasn’t made dent on high-spending