The Greens
https://greens.org.au/
* The Greens are big enough that they actually have to take their own policies seriously,
which is in their favour. To this end they're the first pro-climate party claiming
a fully-costed plan to combat climate change.
* Immediate ban on "new coal, oil and gas infrastructure", which is perhaps a little too
broad (I can't buy a gas tank anymore?), but I think I'm with them in spirit. They want
to phase out thermal coal entirely by 2030, which is reasonable. They're also very keen
to make a point on political donations to the major parties by fossil fuel companies
influencing existing policy, which is no doubt a valid concern.
* They want to support Australian manufacturing at the same time as moving to 100% green
energy fast.
* Nice incentives for electric cars, with a cheap finance scheme for buying them and
a national pulic EV charging scheme. "$1.2b to manufacturers of electric vehicles and
electric vehicle components in Australia". I like all that. They're also into boosting
use of trains over cars and trucks through more investment.
* Their policy towards farming is farily reasonable, aiming to encourage more ecological
practises. One notable point sounds reminicient of the 'Legalise' party: "Build a local
hemp, cannabis and seaweed farming industry", but yeah OK. They do want to ban live
exports and factory farming, which I'm not so big on.
* They "support the Right to Repair", though it's at the bottom of a list of policies
focused on conventional recycling of plastics. It's there though, and it might be
serious.
* More funding for the ABC and SBS, getting the ads off SBS. A big tick for me.
"Strengthening the powers of The Australian Communications and Media Authority" to
hinder the spread of miinformation seems like it could raise freedom of speech issues
though.
* They want to boost the minimum wage, help unions, and crack down on 'insecure work'
such as contract arrangements. This is Labor party sort of stuff which I'm generally
not with because I think people can choose themselves a job that suits them.
* They're all for public ownership of major services, including "creation of a publicly
owned non-profit power retailer" and boosting wages and jobs in the existing public
service sector. Overall too expensive for me taste.
* People with a healthcare card get free internet, while at the same time they're
for upgrading the NBN to full fibre. Meh.
* They're onto all on the whole equality, anti-discrimination, stuff to an extent
that probably restricts individual freedoms. They're even pouring $50 million
into anti-racism programmes. They also want to "raise the age of legal responsibility
to at least 14 years", which I'm strongly against.
* "Adding hate speech to the criminal code of conduct". No way.
* Free childare and early education, which I think is too expensive and promotes
population growth.
* Want to clamp down on the arms industry, particularly banning exports. I'm not with
them on that at all. They also want to "reduce military spending to 1.5 % of GDP" at
the same time as renegotiating the US alliance and closing their Australian military
bases. I like the latter, but it can't be done at the same time as cutting out own
defence spending without stuffing our national defence capabilities up entirely.
* They have a lot of expensive policies, but they do claim to know how to pay for it.
They want to tax the rich, startng at 60% for earners of over $1 million p/a, then
taxing the 122 richest people for %6 of their net wealth, which seems unfair to me.
Also a 40% tax on big corporations with over $100 million turnover, the mining tax,
and naturally extra (or "fix[ed]") taxes on oil and gas profits. At the same time
they want to lower or remove taxes for poorer people. It's good that they have a
plan, but it's very much a point and say "those guys will pay for it" sort of plan.
I'd rather they spent less in the first place and didn't have to be so radical with
taxes to compensate.
Like last time, I'm split on them. Their environmental policy is very nice, and makes
a slight mention of the Right to Repair concept. Their plans for cutting emissions
are equally attractive. Expensive, but potentially manageable. They also want to
renegotiate terms with the US on a defence standing, and restore funding for public
media. However They also have a whole lot of Laborish usion, free childcare, and
workers' rights stuff, on top of which is a lot of far-left anti-discrimination,
anti-military, anti-wealth sort of stuff which turns me way off. Other, more
centreist, parties are more in line with much of the stuff I like in the Greens'
policies, though at the same time I like that the Greens _do_ have a plan to pay for
it, even if I don't actually like their approach to it.
Out of practical observation as much as policy, I think I'd prefer them to the two
major parties, at least on the basis that they couldn't really get everything that
they want anyway. Given the choice (and in the house of reps, I haven't been) I'd
much rather support the more centreist parties though.
Even though I put the time into really digging into them, my conclusions have ended
up about the same as last year. I'd like to see more in them because they actually
have half a chance, but oh well, that's politics.
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