The outsider who came in from the cold

GREENS leader Bob Brown looked like the "cat that got the cream" on Sky News's Australian Agenda yesterday, according to George Brandis, deputy leader of the opposition in the Senate, who appeared on the program shortly afterwards. And why not. Brown admitted that after having been treated like a political outsider by Kevin Rudd during the last term of parliament, he is now very much an insider - the recipient of weekly meetings with Julia Gillard.

During the interview yesterday, Brown declared that the multi-party committee on climate change was a "cabinet sub-committee". A slip of the tongue perhaps, but a sure sign that Brown sees himself and the Greens as very much part of this government's executive decision-making team. After all, he meets with the Prime Minister more than most cabinet ministers do. And that's Gillard's major problem at the moment.

The Greens stand shoulder to shoulder with her and her ministers when announcing policy; they must approve of it if it is to become law; they get credit for new policy when it reflects a Left of centre agenda; and Labor, not them, is the one with a problem when the middle-ground questions are asked whether or not the government is representing them.

After the show, Brandis commented that he thought Brown was looking more prime ministerial than the PM, and I tend to agree with him.

Newspoll was a disaster for Labor, with its primary vote slipping to just 30 per cent, but the Greens primary vote rose to 15 per cent. For every two votes cast for Labor, the Greens get one, a paradigm shift in Australian politics.

Labor is in the doldrums, but the Greens are ascendant.

Brown has become the ultimate political insider.