The big difference between the Greens and the others is The Green actually believe in stuff. whether you like want they believe in is a different matter. There is no "what do the polls say" politics.

"There is no "what do the polls say" politics."

And this is exactly why they will never hold power. Government is the art of compromise; but as the Democrats learned, as soon as you start to compromise you lose the qualities which your supporters valued you for. Before the Greens can take part in a real government -- as opposed to the bizarre travesty we have now -- they will have to learn that democracy is based on the principle that the people en masse are wiser than you are. And what's more, that the principle generally works.

I always thought the prime agenda of the Democrats, under Don Chipp at least, was

they were there to "keep the bastards honest"

Certainly Blob Brown & Co are such a bunch of lying, manipulative trolls, any claim to "honesty" would be completely fictional

@Col Rouge

I don't think that the Trolls ever claimed to be Honest.

To be an Extremist Organization excludes Honesty

I think that the "lying, manipulative trolls" are generally those who endlessly tell lies about the Greens in online forums, despite having been made aware of the facts.

It's OK though, reasonable and moderate electors are very much in step with the Greens' policies:

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/its-not-extreme-to-be-green-20110716-1hito.html

Oddly, the anti-Green shills often project their own tawdry tactics on to the Greens. Bob Brown is accused of being a lying troll - I don't suppose anybody's got any evidence of Brown lying, or of maliciously attacking anybody?

I think it's pretty clear who the "lying, manipulative troll" is here.

The Greens have basically taken over the turf previously occupied by the Labor Left. The Left faction has been derided by the Labor Party for years and it is no surprise that their supporters have moved elsewhere. Perhaps the rise of the Greens is really just a symptom of Labor Party malaise.

On issues such as the Carbon Tax, the Labor Party would alternate between radically different policies which gives the impression they really don't stand for anything.