Geez, BC, that's quite a platform. Such admirable conviction. You really are green.

Conviction?

If you live in a black and white world, I suppose such an emotion might be handy but I see it as potentially destructive, rather short sighted, and all too frequently, dangerous if overplayed.

There is nothing quite so repulsive as watching sports fans screaming for 'their team' and living vicariously through the successes while collapsing when things go bad.

Perhaps that is you, with your Coalition chums?

You can have it.

I'd be happy to snip a good policy for supporting from the Libs, if I could find a policy beyond 'non!'.

Some of the ALP ones are fine, but far too watered down.

Some were only possible due to the Greens.

But really, overall, whatever policies we all suffer under at the moment are basically the same, or very similar, because all parties subscribe to endless growth as the only answer to everything.

So, one day, there will be a reckoning for that, and those who have invested 'committment' to the cause, will be very shocked to find it was not really all that worth while.

Conviction is not an emotion but arises from experience and intellect. There are people of conviction in politics surrounded by some who aren't. Great reforms happen, nevertheless.

Barry Jones was on the radio a couple of days ago saying that, as a recent phenomenon, young students of law,economics had approached him for advice on entering politics. When he asked them about their convictions they often they said they didn't hold any in particular , they just wanted a platform from which to grow a political career, in either major party.

Currently, true believers on all sides of politics do rise to the surface leaving self-servers in their wake. However, this is not going to last if BJ's experience is anything to go by. Factionalism (allegiances) may well replace conviction as a basis for government action in future parliaments but it's not here just yet, IMO.

LF,

There are lots of politicians with convictions in the ALP. Craig Thomson will probably soon join them.

Let me give you an insight into my local ALP branch. Run by Mr Big, he has a couple of gofers, who do the hack work. Membership, local Councillors and family members, mystery members those on the books but never come to meetings, mostly blokes off the local council outdoor staff. Did they per-select the local candidates for the State and federal seats, seen as safe Labor, both people were parachuted in by head office. One an aging rocker the other an ex premier with a hair do, You can work out who they are. I'll tell a story about the day I met the aging rocker, I'll call him John to protect his identity. Two elections ago i'm doing a booth for The Greens in Labor heartland when a minder turns up with John. The minder shoves a bunch of how-to-votes into Johns hands and then leaves him standing there and goes off somewhere. I'm one side of the gate and Johns standing on the other with a Liberal bloke, the other 2 Labor were standing some distance away. As people came through the gate I'm handing out HTV's saying vote Green the Lib doing the same for his mob. I noticed John was just standing there doing nothing, no handing out HTV's or pressing the flesh, doing nothing. I said "John come 6 o'clock tonight you going to be the new MP for here you better rus up some votes." As thing got quite John and I had a bit of a conversation about things, I must say i found him a real nice guy. When his minded returned and took John away I thought "John you are a nice guy, but you don't know what you are getting yourself into." I think Johns got to go next time and let Hair Do take over the seat. Then the ALP head office can parachute a block from the LC to take over the State seat and oust Robo for the leadership. Democracy in action. I must say John improved last time around a lot more confident.

Now how do The Greens per-select a candidate? Call for nominations, then on per-selection day a meeting of all members within the electorate is called. The candidate(s) are called in one by one to address the meeting, giving an outline as to why they should be per-selected, If there is only one nomination that person is asked to leave the room as the case with multiple nominations, a discussion takes place as to the suitability of the candidate(s). If any candidate was deemed unsuitable by the membership, not happened in my lifetime, they would be excluded from the ballot. The successful candidate is asked to return and congrats all round. if there was no successful candidate new nominations would be called for, that's not happened in my life time although have had a per-selected candidate with draw for personal reasons. Then down to business of forming an election committee. Strangely I don't find any factions with in The Greens just different points of view.