Albanese must reject Greens veto

A demand by Greens leader Adam Bandt for a seat at the table for the Albanese government’s jobs summit underscores Labor’s precarious position in parliament. The Greens campaigned hard to secure the balance of power at the federal election and they have revelled in the fact they now have an effective veto over legislation in the Senate. Without support from the Coalition, the government will be forced to deal with the Greens to pass legislation. The track record of the Greens is of a protest party unwilling to compromise on its hard-core positions. An example of this was the Greens’ refusal to support the Rudd government’s proposed carbon pollution reduction scheme. Kevin Rudd’s failure to deliver on climate change helped to doom his government. By opposing the change, the Greens lost the opportunity for action on the issue they claimed to care most about.

Anthony Albanese has warned the Greens not to repeat the mistake and to support his government’s attempt to legislate a new climate target of a 43 per cent reduction of emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. While there is sure to be plenty of grandstanding on the climate issue by the Greens and special-interest independents, there are bigger stakes at play. The government does not need a legislated target for climate action. But it is vulnerable to opportunism by the Greens across a range of policy areas. The likely demands are clearly spelled out in the Greens’ election campaign manifesto and include higher taxes, increased welfare, a weaker US alliance and reduced defence spending. The Greens have listed their priorities as no new coal and gas, free dental and mental health on Medicare, building one million affordable homes, and better renters’ rights. Free childcare, wiping student debt and lifting income support also were listed as issues where the Greens would exercise their blocking power.

In an opening salvo, Mr Bandt warned the Prime Minister on Tuesday the government would need the Greens’ support to change the country’s workplace laws. Included in the Greens’ workplace manifesto are new laws to reduce inequality in society and to ensure the composition of the workplace reflects the population. The Greens want to set the minimum wage at 60 per cent of the median wage. An assertive Greens team will test Mr Albanese’s claim to have put his socialist tendencies into the past. They will push government to restore public ownership of essential services, abolish student debt and fund lifelong free education for all while guaranteeing every student a liveable income.

How Mr Albanese deals with the Greens’ demands will help to determine the success or failure of his government. Mr Bandt has accused Labor of adopting a hairy-chested, “my way or the highway approach”. He said the Greens were ready to negotiate and willing to uses their blocking powers in the Senate. History shows that attempts to negotiate with the Greens have ended badly for Labor. For Mr Rudd, it was the “hairy-chested” Greens who were unable to compromise. Julia Gillard poisoned her government’s chances when she allowed the Greens to dictate the introduction of a carbon tax against the policies she had taken to voters. If he is genuine about wanting to govern from the centre, Mr Albanese must reject the demands of a protest party. Instead, Labor must work to create good policy that can find bipartisan support among the major parties that represent the heart of the electorate rather than allow himself to be manipulated by a protest party that has assumed a level of influence well beyond its public support.