Victorian Results
Congratulations to the Victorian Greens who have campaigned well and have come up trumps with 9.7% of the vote, 2 seats in the Legislative Assembly, and only just missing out in three other LA seats and one lower house seats. Some may be disappointed that we didnt get those seats but i am not. The Greens winning the balance of power is the equivalent of a major party winning government. It takes a long time and will be determined by many events out of our control.
However, of course there are commentators in the media who will do what they can to show that the Greens did poorly. For example, Koutsoukis in the Age had this pile of dung:
"But there was one big loser in the federal arena last night and that was Greens leader Senator Bob Brown, whose overblown rhetoric about the Greens stealing a clutch of seats came to little. The Greens' vote went backwards yesterday - a major embarrassment for Brown, who put his heart and soul into the Greens campaign.
The real question now is just how influential will the Greens be in next year's federal election?
They were a flop in 2004, they were a flop yesterday and all indications are that the Greens will flop again at the 2006 federal election."
I don't know where these idiot journalists get there credentials from because they can't help but be so biased. These journalists seem to think that if a minor party doesnt win government it must be a disaster for the party. In 2004 almost 1 million people voted for the Greens, which is more than the Nationals and a positive swing of 2%. How is that a flop Koutsoukis? Ignore those in the media who serve their political masters.
It is pretty clear that Brown says these things to get media attention. How effective this is I will leave to others to decide. Additionally, polling for the Greens vote is sketchy at best. It is the polling data that builds up the perception of Greens power and not just Brown.
I will be calling it a disaster for the greens when we are in aposition similar to the Democrats. As long as we are still winning seats and just missing out on others, the Greens will always be a force to contend with.
posted by Joel MacRae @ 4:31 pm
4 comments
4 Comments:
It's hard to say whether that will make Barber and Pennicuik the balance of power but the fact that this is the first time there will be any Greens members in the Victorian Parliament, it certainly is a victory.
Don't be too quick to assume no lower house seats. Di Natale is refusing to concede Melbourne because it's 51.9/48.1 but only 63.3% counted.
As for overall results, we have to admit that a small swing of -0.1% is not the massive gain that we have come to expect every election. It's disappointing for those of us with high expectations. But the vote is steady and that's no flop. (I have no idea how he can claim that the Greens were a flop in 2004!) Oh, and Bob Brown points out that there was a 1% gain in primary votes in the upper house.
Should I stop describing the Greens in the first person now that my membership has lapsed? Probably. But I'll certainly join up again when I move back to Oz.
Also, I was trying to find out who this People Power party purports to persuade ("persuade" is not really what I'm trying to say but it's the best p-word I could come up with!) so I could guess where their preferences will go. I see from their website that they're trying to sound rather left wing. But I found an indigenous welfare policy that you will find very interesting.
I think in Melbourne all our strong boothes came in early and thats why Green had it as a Greens gain. From what I have heard, it would be a big surprise if the Grens were to take it.
As for People Power, I know that they have preferenced labor over the Greens, particularly in Western Metropolitan where their preferences would have tipped us over the line. Instead it most likely we will miss out. Additionally what I know of PP is that they have one of the Crikey Journo's running for them. lol
As for their stance on Indigenous welfare, I have lost any passion against Pearson and his views but hope that his views might actually contribute to Indigenous society. I still think its not the answer but good luck to them.
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