Greens policies ruffle feathers

INTRODUCNIG free university education for all at a cost of at least $23bn is just one of the Greens' policies that has ruffled feathers.

Joel Fitzgibbon

ABOLISHING the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, introducing free university education for all at a cost of at least $23 billion, axing the public health insurance rebate and changing the constitution so parliament could veto any overseas military action.

These are just some of the Greens policies that raise the hackles of their opponents and more recently, the ALP, with chief government whip Joel Fitzgibbon yesterday describing the party's goals as "as either populist and unachievable or . . . achievable and economically destructive".

The most controversial moves include the proposed public interest test for media barons, which also allows broad discretion to veto media investments, and the NSW branch's support for the boycotts, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel.

But there are many more policies that would ruffle feathers. In defence, the Greens want a reduction in Australian and global military expenditure, including closing all existing foreign bases in this country and an end to "foreign troop deployment, training and hosting" on Australian soil.

The Greens also want to take away the government's right to deploy military personnel, calling for a change in the Constitution to "require federal parliamentary endorsement for the deployment of the Australian Defence Force overseas". The party wants ADF personnel given the right to "conscientiously object to particular military actions".

On health policy, the Greens want to abolish the private health insurance rebate and make Medicare the universal health insurance scheme "funded from progressive taxation".

They want to ban junk food advertising for children and introduce legislation "to promote healthy choices".

According to its website, the party's housing policies include mandatory "passive thermal heating and cooling design" for new buildings. They say existing subsidies and incentives for property investment should be reviewed to bring down real estate prices.

"The Australian Greens want the elimination of housing-related poverty . . . (and) increased financial assistance to people unable to provide for their own housing", the party's policy states.

They pledge to abolish the World Bank, the IMF and the World Trade Organisation unless "radical reform" can take place. The UN should also be restructured and an independent department and minister for AusAID should be established.

The Greens want to repeal mandatory sentencing and "do not support the legalisation of currently illegal drugs", instead favouring a harm-minimisation approach and the decriminalisation of cannabis for medical use in certain conditions.

"The regulation of personal use of currently illegal drugs is best addressed primarily within the health and social framework, with legal support," their policy reads. "Imprisonment for personal use of illicit drugs, when not associated with other crimes, is not an appropriate solution to drug dependence."

On the education front, the Greens want to make university and TAFE education free for all by abolishing all fees and "forgiving HECS debts and FEE-HELP debts . . . at public universities".

The departmental brief for the incoming education minister following the 2010 election warned that this policy would cost $23bn over four years.

The Greens also want to reduce the funding for non-government schools in favour of the public school system.