Over the past fortnight a number of ALP heavyweights have publicly assailed the Greens. The coordinated attacks have been ferocious and vitriolic.
According to New South Wales ALP General Secretary Sam Dastyari the Greens are 'extremists not unlike One Nation'. Not to be outdone, Paul Howes, the Australian Workers' Union National Secretary wrote an opinion article denouncing the Greens as a 'fringe' party in pursuit of 'extremist agendas'.
Strategically, the assault is an attempt to highlight the apparent gulf between the ideas of the Greens and those of Labor's traditional support base. The Greens, we are told, will never represent mainstream Australian values. Instead, they are a dangerous and opportunistic political party driven by a defective moral compass.
But who better represents mainstream Australian values — the Greens or the ALP? And is it correct to label the Greens as 'extremist' or a 'fringe' party?
The claims made by Dastyari and Howes appear more indolent and unfounded after the facts are considered.
The Greens have consistently stated that Australia must work to significantly reduce carbon emissions. In 2011 the Garnaut Review reported that most Australians believe Australia should take action on climate change without waiting for global consensus. On 1 July the Gillard Government's Clean Energy Act commenced.
The Greens argued that the spoils of the mining boom should be spread more evenly among Australians. Polling conducted by the ALP and the Coalition confirmed that nearly 70 per cent of Australians believe they are not benefiting from the mining boom. With Greens support Gillard introduced the Mining Resource Rent Tax.
The Greens strongly advocated for an official apology to be issued to the Stolen Generations. The measure was overwhelming supported by a majority of Australians. In 2008 one of the first parliamentary acts of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was to issue an apology to the Stolen Generations.
The Greens have consistently called for equal marriage rights for gay couples. Polling data confirms that a majority of Australians support amending the Marriage Act to allow gay couples to marry. At the December 2011 ALP National Convention a non-binding motion in support of recognising gay marriage was carried. Prominent government ministers Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong linked the motion to the ALP's history of social reform.
The Greens opposed Australia's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. In February 2003 millions marched in capital cities across Australia to protest against the Howard Government's commitment to the invasion of Iraq. One of the first actions of the newly elected Rudd Government was to bring Australian troops home.
And this is a truncated list of comparisons.
What about the 'fringe' and 'extremist' labels? The Greens' primary vote in the House of Representatives has increased from 1.9 per cent in the early 1990s to 11.8 per cent at the 2010 election. In the Federal Parliament the Greens have ten representatives and are crucial to the ALP minority government. While the party's vote may appear modest, it has steadily increased over the past 15 years and is no longer a repository for protest.
The Greens draw support from what electoral experts term the 'post materialist' voter. These voters tend to be between the ages of 18–35 years, are more likely to hold a university degree and less likely to be religious. Greens voters are also more likely to be employed in a range of professional vocations, and as a result tend to earn higher incomes. In addition Greens voters predominantly live in inner metropolitan locales.
Former ALP member for Melbourne and finance minister Lindsay Tanner noted in 2010 that the Greens 'are harvesting growing support from a particular demographic that first emerged as a key part of Labor's support base in the late 1960s'. Poignantly, he commented that Greens voters are 'comfortable enough to be able to put aside immediate self-interest when assessing their political options'.
Linking the Greens to One Nation is a sinister and ill-considered claim. The Greens are progressive as opposed to extremist. The party envisions a country that is environmentally, socially and economically responsible. They are the only party of political influence to have a comprehensive set of written and openly accessible policy statements. In many areas they represent mainstream Australian values.
Perhaps the Greens' moral compass is not as skewed as some in the ALP would have us believe. Indeed, the Greens may be ahead of the curve in appealing to a progressive demographic that has traditionally voted Labor.
The issues attracting voters from the ALP towards the Greens are not going away. In order to arrest its current decline the ALP must more broadly reengage the Australian people. Previous Labor leaders have successfully confronted significant challenges. Another opportunity presents itself.
Dustin Halse teaches politics and history at Swinburne University and is a member of Swinburne Institute for Social Research. He has worked for the ALP and has written political opinion for the The Age National Times, The Drum, The Conversation, New Matilda and Australian Policy Online.