How Liberals made one of their own see green

LYDIA Gibbs does not consider herself a greenie.

LYDIA Gibbs does not consider herself a greenie.

In truth, the 61-year-old finance industry worker from Sydney's northern beaches is a dyed-in-the-wool Liberal.

But when it came to marking her ballot paper last Saturday, Ms Gibbs did something she had never done before. She placed a "1" next to the Greens for the Senate, and a "1" next to the name of her local Greens candidate for the lower house.

"It was a bit of a default vote because I was so unimpressed by both the major parties, but also I thought it was the right time to shake things up a bit," she said.

Ms Gibbs, who lives in Tony Abbott's blue-ribbon electorate of Warringah, made her displeasure with the major parties' inaction on climate change clear, putting them last and second-last on her lower house ballot paper behind the Greens, the Australian Sex Party and the Secular Party of Australia.

"It bothers me that the Liberals -- and especially Tony Abbott -- seem to think climate change is a bit of a furphy," she said. "I don't consider myself a greenie. I have always voted Liberal. But like many other people, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of green issues, such as climate change, and day-to-day things such as saving electricity where you can, not wasting water, and recycling.

"And I don't think green issues are a priority for Mr Abbott."

Ms Gibbs also thinks the Labor government's decision to walk away from its commitment to an emissions trading scheme upset many voters.

The raw numbers suggest she is right. At the 2007 federal election, the Greens attracted 7.79 per cent of the nationwide primary vote. This time, Australia's "third party" scored almost 11.5 per cent.

It was the party's best ever result at a federal election, and further evidence Greens support has spread well beyond its traditional inner-city base.

But while Ms Gibbs was keen to send a message to the major parties, her support for the Greens comes with an asterix.

Balance of power in the Senate might be one thing, but some of the party's more radical ideas, such as death duties and 50 per cent tax rates for the rich, are unlikely to be embraced by many Greens converts.

"I am a bit concerned that they might end up having a bit too much power. Certainly, I'm against something like death duties. It doesn't sit comfortably with me as it is unfair on the future generations," Ms Gibbs said.

And as for that ultimate urban symbol of green credentials?

"I don't drive a Prius, I don't like the look of them," Ms Gibbs said. "I'm happy with my little Audi."