The key to power

They believe that, “the free market economy, by externalising the environmental and social costs of greenhouse gas emissions is creating the greatest market failure of all time, namely climate change”.

And that, “sustainable, equitable economic progress is best achieved by government ownership of natural monopolies and new government investment in strategic assets”. And, “governments have an important role to play in regulating markets and correcting market failures”

So we can see then that the Greens and Independents actually have the possibility of building a workable alliance based around promoting local self-reliance, protecting local economies, and opposing the more extreme elements of free trade. With the balance of power in the lower house, and with the Greens holding the balance of power in the Senate, this policy program could be brought to the table with whichever major party is most willing to negotiate.

What’s more, if they are able to form such an alliance, with the Greens lower house vote growing in inner city seats especially, and the ex-National independents apparently not going anywhere, such an alliance has the potential to be a significant voting block, not just for the incoming parliament, but into the foreseeable future.

The Greens, through Christine Milne, have expressed their belief that they can take over from the Nationals as the “party for the bush”. To date, few people have taken them seriously, but it may well be that the time has now come for the Greens to show what they have got to offer in this regard.

Indeed, if the Greens were able to work through differences in land/resource management and other environmental strategies, and negotiate a deal with the three, very popular independent “bush” members, it would provide the ultimate acknowledgement of the Greens bush credentials.