What Are The Australian Greens?

[Quilavaland]

A lot of online polls ask if your ideology is Capitalist, Socialist or Communist (I seem to be somewhere in between Capitalist and Socialist, leaning towards Socialist, at least in most tests), but which of these groups would the Australian Green Party fall under? Or does it not fit into any of them? I want to know because I tend to agree with the Greens on most things, so I want to know what ideology I actually have.

I'll give you a link to their webpage so you can read their policies for yourself rather than me just trying to paraphrase: http://greens.org.au/

Basically they're socially far left wing, environmentally left wing, and economically I have no idea.

[Costa Fierro]

Australian Greens are vegetables grown.....oh, you mean the political party. Well, most "green parties" are independent although a number have moved to the left. The Green Party in NZ is actually surprisingly pro-market.

[Constantinopolis]

In general, Green parties around the world can be anywhere between center-left and far-left on the economic scale.

I'm not sure about the Australian Greens in particular, though. I'll have a look at their website.

[Quilavaland]

Australian Greens are vegetables grown.....oh, you mean the political party. Well, most "green parties" are independent although a number have moved to the left. The Green Party in NZ is actually surprisingly pro-market.

So basically the Greens don't fit on the left/right spectrum, it varies from country to country, but the thing they have in common is environmental policies?

[The Grim Reaper]

A lot of online polls ask if your ideology is Capitalist, Socialist or Communist (I seem to be somewhere in between Capitalist and Socialist, leaning towards Socialist, at least in most tests), but which of these groups would the Australian Green Party fall under? Or does it not fit into any of them? I want to know because I tend to agree with the Greens on most things, so I want to know what ideology I actually have.

I'll give you a link to their webpage so you can read their policies for yourself rather than me just trying to paraphrase: http://greens.org.au/

Basically they're socially far left wing, environmentally left wing, and economically I have no idea.

The Australian Greens are not socialist or communist because they don't have a cohesive economic strategy.

That's not a bad thing per say - they're reformist, rather than a radical party, when it comes to things that aren't the environment. This holds particularly true for the Tassie state Greens, and is the least true for the NSW Greens.

They're still as viable an option as Labour or Liberal, and in that sense tend to occupy a position similar to the most leftist of the Labour mainstream, but with a heavier focus on social and environmental issues and significantly less on labour and unionism.

Most of their politics is subordinate to their ecological stance.

[Constantinopolis]

Well, based on their website, the Australian Greens sound like center-left social democrats.

[Costa Fierro]

Australian Greens are vegetables grown.....oh, you mean the political party. Well, most "green parties" are independent although a number have moved to the left. The Green Party in NZ is actually surprisingly pro-market.

So basically the Greens don't fit on the left/right spectrum, it varies from country to country, but the thing they have in common is environmental policies?

Pretty much.

[Quilavaland]

Well, based on their website, the Australian Greens sound like center-left social democrats.

So basically the Greens don't fit on the left/right spectrum, it varies from country to country, but the thing they have in common is environmental policies?

Pretty much.

Okay, thanks

[Quilavaland]

The Australian Greens are not socialist or communist because they don't have a cohesive economic strategy.

That's not a bad thing per say - they're reformist, rather than a radical party, when it comes to things that aren't the environment. This holds particularly true for the Tassie state Greens, and is the least true for the NSW Greens.

They're still as viable an option as Labour or Liberal, and in that sense tend to occupy a position similar to the most leftist of the Labour mainstream, but with a heavier focus on social and environmental issues and significantly less on labour and unionism.

Most of their politics is subordinate to their ecological stance.

Well that's good I guess. After all the enivronment is a lot bigger than any economic system so it makes sense the environment should take priority.

[L Ron Cupboard]

Well there is Warrigal cabbage... shame the Bush Tucker Man isn't on British TV anymore.

[Dejanic]

I don't know about the Aussie greens, but in the English and Welsh Green parties there is multiple factions, there's the "water melon faction" which is a Democratic Socialist faction, the watermelon title referring to them being "green on the outside, red on the inside", there's the social Liberal faction, which is a very centrist faction which focuses more on pro market economics, in combination with green politics (this faction had a specific movement called "green 2000" which fell apart a long time ago). And then you have the typical Social Democratic faction, which is probably the largest group in the party.

I'd say in general most people in Green parties across the world are Social Democrats or Democratic Socialists (centre-left-left).

[Svatantra Mulukama]

Simply put, they're like many global green parties. This means that they're centre left and are concerned with environmentalism.

[Sun Wukong]

You must be confused. There's nothing green in Australia.

[NyanInk]

Basically the Green Parties focus on the environment, but i'm not sure if they're along the spectrum. Most third parties are neutral.

[Keyboard Warriors]

Basically the Green Parties focus on the environment, but i'm not sure if they're along the spectrum. Most third parties are neutral.

The Green Party is firmly tied to the Australian Labor Party.

[Keyboard Warriors]

Simply put, they're like many global green parties. This means that they're centre left and are concerned with environmentalism.

The Australian Greens are certainly not centre left. They are well and truly left in both the economic and social sense, only a handful of other minor parties are more extreme.

[Svatantra Mulukama]

Simply put, they're like many global green parties. This means that they're centre left and are concerned with environmentalism.

The Australian Greens are certainly not centre left. They are well and truly left in both the economic and social sense, only a handful of other minor parties are more extreme.

Their platform and ideology seems centre left. But, I'm not an Australian, so maybe you could explain why they're more "hard left."

[Socialist Tera]

The best out of the bourgeois main parties in Australia. They are centre left.

[Keyboard Warriors]

The Australian Greens are certainly not centre left. They are well and truly left in both the economic and social sense, only a handful of other minor parties are more extreme.

Their platform and ideology seems centre left. But, I'm not an Australian, so maybe you could explain why they're more "hard left."

The Greens metaphorically position themselves further to the left than the ALP on more or less every issue that could be plotted on the spectrum as this is how they've recently come to attract votes; expanding their focus beyond environmental issues to attract young adults and teenagers with progressive views that aren't content with the ALP due to the controlling right-wing faction. The Greens are beyond opposing equal opportunity and actively campaign for greater taxes and levys on the wealthy as well as increased corporate tax rates, raises to minimum wages and exerting more control over how wealth is transferred between people, such as through estates. Otherwise, it's an issue of semantics. The center left party in Australia is the ALP; as the Greens are noticeably to the left of the ALP, they are obviously not a center left party.

[Kingsley Bedford]

Their platform and ideology seems centre left. But, I'm not an Australian, so maybe you could explain why they're more "hard left."

The Greens metaphorically position themselves further to the left than the ALP on more or less every issue that could be plotted on the spectrum as this is how they've recently come to attract votes; expanding their focus beyond environmental issues to attract young adults and teenagers with progressive views that aren't content with the ALP due to the controlling right-wing faction. The Greens are beyond opposing equal opportunity and actively campaign for greater taxes and levys on the wealthy as well as increased corporate tax rates, raises to minimum wages and exerting more control over how wealth is transferred between people, such as through estates. Otherwise, it's an issue of semantics. The center left party in Australia is the ALP; as the Greens are noticeably to the left of the ALP, they are obviously not a center left party.

^ I don't think anyone can explain this better than that.

[The Grim Reaper]

The Australian Greens are certainly not centre left. They are well and truly left in both the economic and social sense, only a handful of other minor parties are more extreme.

Their platform and ideology seems centre left. But, I'm not an Australian, so maybe you could explain why they're more "hard left."

Because despite being Australian, he seems to have a typically American set of political ideals.

Labor and Liberal are both firmly right-wing and have been since Rudd took over from Gillard again and tried to assert Labor Right over Labor Left in retaliation for them breaking the agreement over control of the Leader and Deputy Leader being split between the two.

The Greens aren't 'firmly linked with' Labor, either. They're much more socially left than Labor, and simply by virtue of their political stance have a very important distinction from Lib/Lab in that they support minor party visibility.

They are by international standards center-left, center-libertarian (social libertarian, not the bizarre idea that the Americans use to describe only the radical Right). This puts them at odds with both Labor and Liberal.

Wikileaks, the Australian Pirate Party, etc. used to occupy the center-right center-libertarian position, but Wikileaks collapsed and the APP seems to have shifted to a non-descript left/right position. The Aus Sex Party is center-libertarian, and I believe center-right because of their industry connections. Family First is authoritarian/moderate right.

Arguing that the Greens are far-left or moderate left because they are more left than Labor sort of ignores the fact that in a two-party system (as Australia still is, albeit moving very rapidly away because of all the damn Kingmakers), both ruling parties must pander to the center of mass of the undecided electorate.

[Keyboard Warriors]

Their platform and ideology seems centre left. But, I'm not an Australian, so maybe you could explain why they're more "hard left."

Because despite being Australian, he seems to have a typically American set of political ideals.

Labor and Liberal are both firmly right-wing and have been since Rudd took over from Gillard again and tried to assert Labor Right over Labor Left in retaliation for them breaking the agreement over control of the Leader and Deputy Leader being split between the two.

The Greens aren't 'firmly linked with' Labor, either. They're much more socially left than Labor, and simply by virtue of their political stance have a very important distinction from Lib/Lab in that they support minor party visibility.

They are by international standards center-left, center-libertarian (social libertarian, not the bizarre idea that the Americans use to describe only the radical Right). This puts them at odds with both Labor and Liberal.

Wikileaks, the Australian Pirate Party, etc. used to occupy the center-right center-libertarian position, but Wikileaks collapsed and the APP seems to have shifted to a non-descript left/right position. The Aus Sex Party is center-libertarian, and I believe center-right because of their industry connections. Family First is authoritarian/moderate right.

If these "international standards" you are talking about means that the ALP/LP are both right wing and the Greens are therefore center left, they are utterly useless to define parties with. First off, whether under Gillard or Rudd, the ALP has never been a right wing party and promoting equality was always a key part of the ALP during that period. You can start with increased rights for LGBT couples, the national apology, workplace reform, just to name a few. If being "progressive" is to remove societal inequalities then you cannot define the ALP as being conservative during this period, as what they achieved was actually quite substantial. Economically too, the ALP was unquestionably leftists in how they approached the GFC and how they stimulated the economy. I think you are unhappy with the ALP's policies as they aren't progressive enough for you, so you are defining them as right wing because you believe that you're a centrist or something, at least that's how it seems. Otherwise, I can't explain how you can define a party that's made considerable progress towards reducing social and economic inequalities as being right wing. Further, I can't explain how you define a party that's pledged to deal with any and all social issue as well as proposing wealth redistribution on a scale never before seen in Australia as "only" centre-left. I don't get it, where's the centrism in that? Where are the right wing elements within the Greens?

Arguing that the Greens are far-left or moderate left because they are more left than Labor sort of ignores the fact that in a two-party system (as Australia still is, albeit moving very rapidly away because of all the damn Kingmakers), both ruling parties must pander to the center of mass of the undecided electorate.

Whether or not both parties concede on issues which are likely to attract more votes doesn't exactly strike out the opposing fact that each party takes opposite stances on key issues in each election and gambles on whether the majority of the public agrees. The Greens too do this, in fact that's how they won the Melbourne electorate. Melbourne electorate is full of university students and young residents whose progressive mindset is best matched by the Greens. By going further to the left, the Greens won votes. It really is that simple.

[Quilavaland]

Labor and Liberal are both firmly right-wing and have been since Rudd took over from Gillard again and tried to assert Labor Right over Labor Left in retaliation for them breaking the agreement over control of the Leader and Deputy Leader being split between the two.

The Greens aren't 'firmly linked with' Labor, either. They're much more socially left than Labor, and simply by virtue of their political stance have a very important distinction from Lib/Lab in that they support minor party visibility.

They are by international standards center-left, center-libertarian (social libertarian, not the bizarre idea that the Americans use to describe only the radical Right). This puts them at odds with both Labor and Liberal.

Wikileaks, the Australian Pirate Party, etc. used to occupy the center-right center-libertarian position, but Wikileaks collapsed and the APP seems to have shifted to a non-descript left/right position. The Aus Sex Party is center-libertarian, and I believe center-right because of their industry connections. Family First is authoritarian/moderate right.

Huh, I always thought that mainstream Australian politicians seemed to be frustratingly conservative, but I just assumed that I was some kind of radical. I guess the international community is ahead of us as usual.

[Emile Zola]

They are the only left leaning major party in Parliament. What Labor used to be under Whitlam. Not anti-capitalist just interested in protecting the environment. Has one of the best Senators with regards to the NBN and tech with Scott Ludlum.

[Quilavaland]

They are the only left leaning major party in Parliament. What Labor used to be under Whitlam. Not anti-capitalist just interested in protecting the environment. Has one of the best Senators with regards to the NBN and tech with Scott Ludlum.

I just wish people would wake up to themselves and vote for the Greens for once. Australia's like that NationStates issue with the Progressive Right-Wing Party and the Conservative Liberals or whatever it was XD