This year’s federal election is our opportunity to get rid of Scott Morrison’s Liberal government for good, and to put the Greens in the balance of power.
But we need your help. For people to vote Green this year, we need to convince them it’s worth it. And for that, conversations are vital.
Conversations are the most basic element of change-making; they drive the beast that is people power, and that is the best tool we have to create change. Take marriage equality for example: people power pushed those in Canberra to vote to change the law. And it was people like you having conversations that sowed the seeds for those votes.
So now, let's use conversations to make as many people as possible vote Green this election.
However, we understand that talking about politics to others can be quite the task. Most people don’t talk much about politics at all, so it can be daunting to start a conversation about it for the first time. How do I bring it up? What if they don’t want to talk about it? What if their political views are really horrible?
These are common worries, so we’ve prepared a step-by-step guide to take you through the process, along with a video with tips & tricks from Adam Bandt.
HOW TO HAVE THE CHAT
STEP 1: WHO?
Think of your friends and family. You might have an idea of their political views, or even which parties some support, but chances are you probably don’t know who everyone is voting for this election. And you probably also have friends and family who aren’t sure who to vote for. Pick five of them.
STEP 2: WHEN & WHERE?
Make a plan to catch up with them for a chat. You could meet in-person for a walk or a coffee! Or maybe you could just chat via text or over the phone; do it your way.
STEP 3: WHAT & HOW?
Scroll down to have a read of the more detailed conversation guide we’ve prepared. We’ve got you covered with tips on how to initiate the conversation, key talking points, advice to avoid typical issues people have in conversation, and rebuttal points to tackle typical misconceptions and arguments against voting Green.
STEP 4: TALK THE TALK
It’s time to have the chat, good luck! If your chat goes well (which we hope it does), here’s a form you can share with whoever you talked to. It lets them take the pledge to vote Green, and learn more about our values and vision via our website and social media.
STEP 5: TELL US HOW YOU WENT
Let us know how you went by filling in this simple form! It should only take around 3-5 minutes, and it’ll help us improve the resources we provide for you to grow the movement with us, so we can kick out the Liberals and put the Greens in the balance of power, together.
WHAT TO SAY
- How to start the conversation
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To start the conversation, let the person you’re talking to know that you’re interested in sharing your thoughts about the federal election. Mention that you’d like to hear theirs too; people are more open to having a conversation if they know it’s open and honest from the get-go. Here’s an example:
“I’ve been thinking about politics lately since there’s a federal election in a few months, and I think it’s going to be massive for a bunch of different reasons, so I wanted to talk to you and hear what it means to you.”
Every federal election has far-reaching consequences; after all, it’s a federal election. But this year’s is critical. It’s the first election since the pandemic began, since the 2020 bushfires, since the massive rise in protests around the country, and countless other massive nation-shaking issues. So it’s a good idea to communicate why you believe that this election is important and that everyone should talk about it so they can make an informed decision on who to vote for.
- General conversational tips
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Think of the key reasons you’re supporting the Greens. By communicating these clearly, you lay out the groundwork for your conversation.
You can talk about as many issues as you want, but keep in mind that some people will respond better to talking about lots of issues as it creates a message of ‘ the government is incompetent across the board’, whereas others will prefer talking about a few issues in more depth, conveying a message of Morrison’s government is rotten deep to its core’.
For each issue you want to talk about, follow the structure of villain-problem-solution. Firstly, identify the responsible party (e.g. the Liberals, Labor etc.), as this sets you up to use the active voice in your conversation. Explain the issue at hand and its consequences - this is a good opportunity to communicate to the other person why it matters to you. It’s good to memorise a few important facts and figures to support your argument, and repeat them over and over again. Then, you can explain how the Greens are different or will address the issue, and hence why you support the Greens.
- How to show that there is value in voting Green
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Lots of people are desperate for change, and some even feel obligated to vote for Labor because they think a vote for the Greens would help the Liberals get re-elected. If someone brings this up, explain that this is a common misconception, then reassure them that this election is closer than they think, and that their vote is powerful.
Remember: if just a few hundred people change their vote, we can actually kick out the Libs and put the Greens in the balance of power. Make sure to repeat these messages over and over again; for too long, too many people haven’t realised the power of their vote.
Our preferential voting system means if your first pick doesn’t get elected, your vote goes to your second preference, and so on. It’s very hard to go into enough detail about how voting works in conversation, but the key takeaway is that preferential voting means you can vote for the parties whose policies align with your values, no matter how big or small.
- How to show that the Greens aren’t a single-issue party
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It’s also possible that someone will think that the Greens only care about climate. If that’s the case, remind them that the climate crisis is linked to every other social inequality, and that our passion for climate action is part of our bigger platform to tackle all the inequalities that Australians face today.
You can talk about some of the policies you’re most passionate about, like getting dental and mental health into Medicare, increasing JobSeeker to $80 a day, or making public schools genuinely free.
- How to show that the Greens aren’t ‘just as bad’ as the major parties
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Finally, some people may feel like all politicians are equally bad, and that no matter who they vote for, it won’t make a difference. Anyone can understand why some people feel this way; politics in this country is cooked and our standard for political leaders is one of abysmal incompetence.
But it’s critical to point out why politics doesn’t work in our communities’ best interest; it’s because both Labor and the Liberals take millions in donations from billionaires and big corporations.
They’re more interested in helping their cashed-up donors than our community, and that goes against the very essence of their job as public servants in a democracy: to serve the people.
You should talk about corporate political donations even if the person you’re chatting with doesn’t feel this way, and there’s more tips below.
- How to talk about dodgy political donations
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Corporate political donations are a serious issue. They are the reason that governments led by either major party, including today’s Morrison government, hand out billions of dollars of public money to their mates in the fossil fuel industry. You might find it useful to bring this up by talking about how the government seemingly never does anything, since this is a sentiment that a lot of people can relate to.
From here, explain that the Morrison government is motivated to make decisions by money, rather than the desire to improve the quality of life of the people it’s meant to serve.
Make sure to emphasise that these corporate handouts are public money, meaning it comes from the taxes that you, and the person you’re talking to, pay. You should also highlight the consequences of these corporate handouts. For example, money going to coal & gas mining corporations is directly contributing to fast-tracking climate collapse.
On Tuesday 1 Feb, the AEC released the latest data on corporate political donations from the last year, exposing the corporations that continue to buy political influence from the Liberals and Labor. It’s important to communicate clearly that both Liberal and Labor are part of the issue, because they both take corporate political donations. You can take it further and explicitly name their donors and how much they’ve donated to each party in the last 10 years; find all of this data on the Democracy for Sale website.
- How to explain the balance of power
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It is becoming increasingly likely that this year’s federal election will result in a hung parliament. You may need to explain what a hung parliament is to the person you’re talking to, so remember:
The House of Representatives has 151 seats, meaning there are 151 elected federal MPs in the country. A party needs to win a majority of seats to form a government, which in this case is 76. But sometimes, nobody reaches this number, and this is called a hung parliament.
The person you’re talking to may be unfamiliar with the term balance of power, so here’s a basic outline you can use:
When there is a hung parliament, multiple parties may come together to form a coalition or sign confidence and supply agreements to form a minority government. Since there are two major parties in Australia, the remaining party and independent MPs have the opportunity to allow or prevent a minority government from forming and passing bills. This is the balance of power.
Next, talk about the Greens and why we’re aiming to get in the balance of power. Re-emphasise the value of being able to enable or stop the major parties from passing bills, and add that those holding the balance of power act as adding a layer of accountability to the government.
Now that you’ve established understanding, tell the person you’re talking to that the Greens have a real shot at getting in the balance of power. Talk about what this would mean; we will be able to push the next government to go further and faster on climate, make billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax, and get dental & mental health into Medicare. Of course, that’s not all, so talk about the issues that matter to you and (especially) the other person.
TIPS & TRICKS FROM ADAM
Feel up to the task now? Check out our Volunteer page to see these conversations in action at door-knocks and more events in your local area.