Belly
The Federal election will be a better about Greens support. It will be interesting to see the impact of the departure of Bob Brown and any influence of concerns about minority governments. Minority government has worked well in the ACT overall, and certainly has not casued great stress on the electorate as it would appear by some accounts federally.

The ACT election was about local issues and from my view the two big issues were the Liberals campaign about living costs but also the botch job at the Canberra Hospital by the ALP and hints at corporate bullying around the shaky figures. There is also a lot of development issues in Canberra and perception of lack of consultation on building proposals. Among other things.

One of the few things I agree with Kevin Rudd is the need for both major parties to lift their game regarding personal attacks and personalities. Whether this was just a nice sound-byte the fact remains the message is true enough.

Pelican Brown was the face, in my view false one of the greens.
His departure marked a wrong turn, the current leader is damaging the party.
I said there would be ,many views about yesterday.
Standing by mine Gillard, her supporters,her knifing of Rudd have damaged the Labor brand.
Greens will have little impact in the election, as Labor falls from a Gillard sponsored cliff.
Rudd is right,we both know, but it takes two to tango, both sides shame us all by their actions.
Greens? will share Labors fate mostly because they miss used the power they hold now, the very peak of their party future and past, on issue like boat people trying to convince about 89% of us they alone are right.

And Belly, if the Greens had done a backflip on their boat people policies, then you'd be the FIRST to whinge about them not being sincere and not being able to take a stand. They're damned if they do, and they're damned if they don't ... similar to your old fashioned attitudes towards our Prime Minister where you damn her no matter what she does, or doesn't, do. Well Belly, between you and her .... who's our Prime Minister and who lives a life in obscurity? She's intelligent, tough as nails and makes Toxic Tony look like a rank amateur.

DP the truth is of more value than your bitter unshakable opinions.
It is because of the Greens MISS USE of its power granted by its followers.
Some of whom are ex ALP voters that I gloat at the impending death of this party.
UNFORTUNATELY, only one Senate seat [I think] Is at risk for them in this full lower house half senate election.
This hung Parliament has achieved much.
I credit the independents more than the greens for that.
Abbott, his NEGATIVITY, his dysfunctional team, is surely the enemy of EVERY LEFT OF CENTER VOTER in this country.
Not however the Greens, boat people will change this government, and the once left now lost Gillard.
Greens sponsor the election of the Abbott/Turnbull government.
The DLP of the left, may conservatives after victory call a double dissolution election and destroy forever the lost tribe opposing working class Australia the Greens.

Belly my young lad, you're too young to remember the 40s and 50s when Labor was a "real" left wing party. These days they are a centre right wing party. Why? Because they "have" to be that way, otherwise they'd never gain government in such a capitalistic country like Australia.

I support their centre right philosophy, as it creates a VERY good balance between the haves and the have nots. "True" equality for all will NEVER happen, nor should it. Why? Because human intellectual biology is not, and never has been, like that. The best that any decent society can ever hope for is that the have nots are not too unfairly disadvantaged, and that the haves are not too unfairly advantaged.

In order to counter this centre right Labor philosophy, the Coalition has, over the past decade or so, moved to a radical, far right wing philosophy (but not so radical that it turns off too many traditional Coalition voters ... after all they do need to win elections).

Should Labor and the Greens ever form an official Coalition, we can instantly say goodbye to the Libs/Nats ever gaining government for at least 20 years or so. But a Labor/Greens coalition will likely NEVER happen, because Labor is now so right wing compared to their lefty past.

DP I am not pulling your leg, thanks to an invention I have been privileged to learn about those days.
Rapidly needing an update that invention is called BOOKS.
I by age 5 knew why I was bound to be a Labor voter, even tried Communism and Socialism.
I left both, based on lies used more often than truth, both enslaved my class.
My post history is full of deeply felt concerns at the radical left to just lost, Socially inept, to day dreaming fools,who ,makeup the greens.
My true feelings make the words above seem like flattery!
Hiding within that radical group are the very dregs of politics.
I would vote LIBERAL, BEFORE BEING ANY PART OF THE GREENS.
80% plus share that view.
Greens current leadership best serve me!
So distant are they from public opinion they destroy them selves.
Labor will grow again and this time not let middle class refugees harm us, the very word green damages Labor.
I too share however your view Labors move to center/right had to happen.
I am actively from the right faction.
And constantly fighting those, not all, from the left who are better served by getting a seat on the greens good ship Titanic