http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/44347Editorial: Greens threaten two-party system
Saturday, June 5, 2010
In recent weeks, the big mining companies have spent millions on propaganda against plans to make them pay more tax. But the results of a June 1 Newspoll showed they have hardly made a dent on public opinion.
Both big parties are losing ground, the poll said. Labor’s primary vote dropped two points, to 35%. The Coalition went down by the same margin, from 43% to 41%. But the bombshell was the record Greens vote — up four points to 16%.
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But the recent surge in Greens support has coincided with the Labor government’s decision to suspend its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme for a further three years.
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The surge in electoral support for the Greens has also coincided with Labor’s introduction of harsh anti-refugee policies, such as suspending the processing of asylum claims of people fleeing Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Responding to goading from Abbott, Rudd has adopted Howard-era refugee-bashing rhetoric on “border protection”, alienating many of the voters who swept Rudd to power in 2007.
After the Greens’ record vote in the Tasmanian elections, the party now has a chance to break open the two-party system on a national level.
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