A Greens grab for the balance of power at the November Victorian election risks rural communities losing access to water, timber and intensive farming practices. Source: The Weekly Times
The Victorian Greens are demanding an end to logging in 355,000ha of Victoria’s central highlands by creating the Great Forest National Park, phasing out all intensive farming and banning duck hunting, 1080 poison, leg-hold traps, GM crops and phasing out coal-fired power plants.
Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said the Greens’ “idealistic” policies clashed with the practicalities of farming, creating a wave of collateral damage that would hit all rural communities.
“It will cost us all financially, as they push for even more parks, stop us accessing GM crops and controlling wild dogs,” Mr Jochinke said. “Farmers and their rural communities will suffer.”
Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said growing support had the party on track to hold the balance of power.
“It’s going to be a close election and so many Victorians are planning to vote Greens for the first time, particularly in seats like Brunswick and Richmond (plus three existing seats),” Ms Ratnam said.
“We also came close to winning Northern Victoria and Western Victoria (in the Upper House) at the last election and have excellent candidates running this time.”
Ms Ratnam confirmed the party would pursue a moratorium on new GM crops and a probe into existing ones, a ban on 1080 poison and the expansion of marine parks.
Opinion polls show Daniel Andrews’ Labor Government clinging to a razor-thin margin over the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, dramatically increasing the risk of Labor relying on the Greens to form government after the election.
Mr Andrews and Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford ruled out forming a Coalition with the Greens.
“Absolutely not. We’re presenting ourself to the Victorian community promising to get things done, make Victoria fairer and we certainly aren’t doing any deals with the Greens,” Ms Pulford said.
But Victorian Nationals Leader Peter Walsh said he did not believe the Premier, given at least a third of Labor’s MPs relied on Greens preferences to win their government.
“I tell people not to be concerned, but very, very afraid of what that would mean.”
Labor already holds on by the slimmest of margins, with just 45 seats in Parliament’s 88-seat Lower House.
Monash University political expert Nick Economou said polls pointed to a hung parliament, although he doubted Labor and the Greens would form a formal coalition.
“What’s more likely is the Tasmanian experience following the 1989 state election,” Dr Economou said. “An accord was arranged between the incoming Labor government and Greens MPs which was essentially based on conservation policy.
“Both Labor and the Greens would prefer a looser arrangement than the one signed by (then PM) Julia Gillard in 2010. Both the government and the supporting minor party would want a greater degree of flexibility in the event that the Greens won three, four, maybe five seats.”
Victorian Association of Forest Industries chief executive Tim Johnston said any Greens’ push to establish the Great Forests National Park would have devastating consequences for the industry and Victoria’s economy.
“People need to be aware that establishing a new national park has real consequences, and this will affect the lives of thousands of Victorians,” Mr Johnston said. “Overall, the timber and forest industry in Victoria is a $7.3 billion industry that employs 20,000 Victorians and supports another 40,000 to 50,000 local jobs.”
