Foxy,

Correction. It was you not me who introduced minority parties. You had a ticket to ride in the process - you chose a link to support your view.

However all of that is a distraction from my contention that minor parties are not the same. They are very different and generalising is fraught with obvious errors of fact and logic.

The example I gave is the Greens. They are the odd fruit that stands out from what are oranges and lemons anyhow. As well, the Greens are on the downward slide, which is hastened by the 'Watermelons' Versus Green Environmentalist fights raging within. So I suppose the Greens should also be discussed as at least two warring minor parties.

otb,

It was Chris Lewis who introduced the topic of
minority parties, see page 12 of this discussion.

Nobody suggested that you did.

As I stated earlier - I actually don't read your
posts as a general rule. Anyway, if you wish to
continue discussing minor parties and your
perceived failures on their part - I again politely
suggest that you start your own thread on the topic.

For me this thread has now run its course.

Beach, like many of your cohorts on the right of politics your wishful thinking/desire that The Greens will simply disappear, has no substance in reality. The Greens like no other third party on the Australian political landscape since the Labor Party at the turn of the 20th century has enjoyed such a sustained period of political popularity. The Greens success can be closely linked in the first instance to the rise of the environmental movement, but later to its broader appeal as a grass roots party of the true progressive left. The Greens are a party not afraid to participate in the political process.
Despite a marked shift to the right over a longer than normal cyclic period within Australian politics The Greens have not only survived but proliferated, enjoying a remarkable amount of political success, the party has the 'runs on the board'.
I now envisage a period of consolidation for the party, no longer achieving the spectacular growth of the 1990's-2000's, the future for the party will be punctuated by the general ups and downs that are part and parcel of Australian politics. Over the longer tern I still believe The Greens will continue to grow as Australia wrestles with the complex social issues that confront it, this will see The Greens well places as a forward thinking, broad based party, to take advantage of future political developments within Australia.

A link to Robert Manne and what he had to say on the subject back in 2010, still relevant.

http://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2010/october/1354143863/robert-manne/comment

Dear Paul,

Peter Garrett decades ago stated the
importance of a political party providing
an alternative voice:

"Words cannot express the beauty and the depth of
Kakadu. It has an extraordinary variety of bird
and animal life in one place. It is a nature
documentary in real life; great beauty abounds.
The park contains the greatest prehistoric art
gallery in the world with cave paintings that were
begun 230 centuries before Christ walked out from
Galilee."

"And there's the land forms of stone plateaus, coastal
plains and lowlands populated by astonishing variety
of plants and native flowers - about 1500 species all
up - some of which are still unnamed. It's one of
Australia's greatest assets, a place for all Australians
to visit and appreciate ...
It would be a disgrace to use it as a quarry."

Then also:

"We have the Daintree forest in Queensland (the only
complete rainforest ecosystem region left in the country).
A shame to use it for mining -
and special landing-strips for bomb-laden B-52s."

"In New South Wales, the wetlands of Botany Bay - birthplace
of European Australia, - could become the site
of a multi-national's chemical factory."

"In Victoria the great forests of East Gippsland - could
be turned to
greeting cards and coloured toilet paper by the woodchipping
companies."

And so it goes on ...

Then of course there's our export industries -
uranium comes to mind.

"We come from a land down under,
where women glow and men plunder.
Can you hear?
Can you hear the thunder? You'd better run,
you'd better take cover."

Of course, we must properly utilise
our natural resources in order to develop the country further.
"Don't we need to
process and produce other items instead of just loading the
country onto a truck and picking up a cheque at the end of the
day? Can't we understand that our national estate is an even
more precious resource in a world losing forests, plant and
animal species - indeed the complete web of generic diversity
that makes up the ecosphere at a daily rate?"

Appaarently not.

Foxy, as a Green I am passionate about protecting the environment. But I am also a pragmatic Green, I do not believe we can protect the environment if we do not protect the under privileged, the worker, the refugee. We cannot protect the environment if we fail to offer a voice to the voiceless in society. I do not believe we can protect the environment if we do not promote equality for all, promote equality for the indigenous, promote equality for women, protect the rights of ordinary people, provide help for the disadvantaged, the poor, the old, the young, the sick, the uneducated, the out of work, and all others in society who are in need of a helping hand. I do not believe we can protect the environment if we do not oppose war, if we do not oppose violence in all its forms, at home and abroad, and... I am sure there is even more we can do to protect the environment. By doing all of these things, and more, I believe we will be protecting the environment in all its glory, those very things you speak of.

Dear Paul,

You won't get any arguments from me.

BTW: I love your sense of humour, great intelligence,
and - incredible charm.

The only person that could possibly surpass you
in all these qualities is - (you guessed it) - me!