2019-06-28
Thank you for an incredible election result for the Greens! Now, it’s time to prepare for what comes next.
By Richard Di Natale
Have you ever driven through the Otways, down the Great Ocean Road?
I live out that way, on a little farm with my wife Lucy and our boys. It’s where I went after the election to put my hands in the dirt, smell the air in my own small part of our magnificent country, and find focus for the road ahead.
I fed the chickens, planted some winter vegetables and, like so many of you, I'm sure, wrestled with some seriously conflicting emotions about how this rotten government managed to end up back in office.
I hadn’t let myself imagine the possibility during the campaign, but now Scott Morrison had been returned as prime minister. I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt a deep sense of grief and frustration at the outcome.
At the same time, our Green movement had one of its most successful elections in its history. We returned all of our senators and Adam Bandt in Melbourne on the back of the biggest Senate swing of any party. We turned two of the bluest ribbon seats in the country marginal by presenting a truly progressive vision for a future for all of us. I am filled with pride for all of my colleagues, who proved you can run a successful campaign based on big, bold, evidence based policy ideas, not fear politics.
So I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who ran as a candidate, their amazing teams, and the thousands of dedicated volunteers who make up our grassroots movement – the real opposition to the Morrison Government. Nothing is possible without you and I saw that time and again as I travelled around the country.
But enough looking backwards.
Parliament returns next month, and we have a lot of work to do both inside and outside of that place – and that’s work we cannot do without you. We have to work with everyone – from affected communities and unions to farmers and traditional owners and everyone in between to build support for the fairer, cleaner society that we campaigned for in this election. We need to demonstrate the power of grassroots democracy by showing that a different world is possible.
Our roadmap for the new economy will create tens of thousands of long-term jobs around the country. It won’t allow subsidies for new coal-fired power and it will ensure that organisations – from local councils to super funds and beyond – who already have money invested in polluting fossil fuels divest and take their money elsewhere. It will make the climate for investing in fossil fuels as economically and politically toxic as the products they produce.
I’m so heartened to see so many people already putting their hands up to get involved more. We’ve had more than 1,400 people sign up as members around the country. And another thousand people have agreed to become a climate champions, donating $5 a week to help us build our next campaigns.
These commitments are so important because this election, more than ever, we can see the impact of big money on politics and the consequences of letting big business and billionaires control the agenda. But with your support, the Greens will be a strong voice in Parliament and in the community exposing dodgy deals and holding the major parties to account.
Every election from now on will be a climate election. There’s a lot of discussion right now about where to from here, which is why I also want to encourage you to join us in Adelaide on 21st and 22nd of July at our National Conference. We'll be discussing the election outcome; considering big ideas like a Green New Deal in the Australian context; hearing from exciting keynote speakers like Jordon Steele-John, Mehreen Faruqi and Scott Ludlam on opportunities and challenges ahead, and lots more. It’s a great opportunity to get involved in a positive way after the election, especially if you’re still wrestling with some of that frustration or shock.
People have asked me whether I ever lose hope for a better future, in the face of another three years of Liberal government.
No, I don’t – for two reasons:
Firstly because Luca and Ben – my boys – would never let me get away with that. Plus, Lucy reminds me that, as a Richmond supporter, I’m pretty used to disappointment!
Secondly, because we simply can’t afford to. We don’t have another option – this is the fight of our lifetime. Together, we’ll fight for our future. Together we’ll win. And that’s what gets me up in the morning.