Who are we?

The Greens are a political party that, in this country, has representation in all three spheres of government: local, state and national,

We are a diverse group of people who believe that we need to change the way we do politics. There are hundreds of Greens parties throughout the world, hundreds of parliamentarians and thousands in local government, all bound by a commitment to the four Green principles of social and economic justice, grassroots democracy, ecological sustainability and peace, non-violence and disarmament

This commitment shapes all our policies, and makes these policies the most visionary of any party in Australia. Many Greens have come from the environment, social justice and peace movements, believing that to bring about change you must have political representation. We are people who have fought for change from the outside and are now seeing that the gains that we made and the things we have held dear over the last 30 years -multiculturalism, world heritage, opposition to uranium, assistance to the under-privileged - are all under threat.

There is a lot of confusion about The Greens, greens and greenies. The media uses the term green generically when it is referring to conservation groups, but while The Greens strongly believe that our environment needs to be adequately protected if we are to have any hope for the future, and are therefore often the strongest political advocates for many conservation groups, we are a party which has always looked at the whole picture.

How are we different to other political parties?

One of the reasons we are different to the rest is that The Greens do not believe that short-term economic gain should be a basis for decision-making and legislation. It has been shown time and time again that economic rationalism often ignores social disadvantage and environmental destruction, and is a threat to equal rights.

As a result of governments that are driven by this short-term thinking, the really important issues are not getting the airing they deserve. In a global political climate where economies are collapsing and the environmental effects of unsustainable industries and land management are more evident every day, there is a strong need for a party whose policies grapple with file real issues of today, and the resulting issues of tomorrow.

In this age of short-sighted politics, The Greens want to keep asking

“Will people 100 years from now thank us for this?”

We believe that this question should be emblazoned over the entrance to parliament itself. If parliamentarians cannot answer “yes”, they should not vote for the measure. It is a simple question which could result in a revolutionary outcome. With such a vision for the future, The Greens give special hope and optimism to the younger generation, and it is amongst younger people that Greens find most of our support.

The Greens don’t want to do deals, We want to take a strong stand, and see that the best place to do this is from within the political system, where we can offer a voice for the voiceless and take some of the power away from those who seem intent on destroying so much of what we should be preserving.

The traditional politics of the old parties have simply not worked. Without serious challenge, the old two-party system will never create the future society we need to overcome the huge challenges we, as humanity, must face. We desperately need a new direction. We need elected representatives who have the heart as well as the intelligence to work towards a community based on equity, responsibility and above all, compassion, without being driven by power for its own sake. We will not give up hope that it is possible to create a society that cares for its people and its ecology

What sort of world do we want?

Environment

The Greens want a world where people recognise that all their actions impact in one way or another on our environment, and where we try to make sure that we do as little damage as possible to the Earth which sustains us. We want a world which recognises past destruction, and which takes measures to reverse the devastation we have caused, bringing our environment back, wherever we can and as much as possible, to a healthy and sustainable state.

Justice

We want a world where quality, essential services are available to all people, not just those who have access to the most wealth; and where the focus is put back on community and co-operation, instead of competition and individualism. We want a world which places less emphasis on the acquisition of monetary wealth and where that wealth is more equally divided so that we call get serious about reducing poverty and suffering. We want a world which recognises and acknowledges past injustices, and works to ensure such injustices do not recur.

Democracy

We want a world where our elected representatives make decisions and solve problems by consulting with the communities they represent as well as with experts in the field, using consensus to achieve outcomes instead of the adversarial approach we have to come to accept as the norm. We want a world where apathy and cynicism are replaced by empowerment and enthusiasm, where people are able to be fully involved in the processes of democracy if they so choose, knowing that they are actually playing a part in shaping their community, even if they are not elected representatives.

Non-violence

We want a world where conflict can be resolved without resorting to violence; a world which is nuclear-free, where nations eventually disarm, dismantling their weapons of war and putting the money saved on defence into programs which help people to live a better life.

Some may say that all this is simply idealism and unachievable. Idealism it may be, but what beneficial change ever happens without it? We believe that humans are still evolving, and if we cannot recognise our mistakes, set ourselves goals and strive to do better, what hope do we have of living surviving the next century, let alone the millennium?