The Greens should be on a roll. Off the back of a historic election result that could cement the party’s lower house representation long term, and with the political agenda now dominated by the Greens’ bread-and-butter issues of climate, accountability and Indigenous affairs, the political tide has moved in the Greens’ direction even more dramatically than in the 2010 election.
Labor is also demonstrably captured by fossil fuel interests and committed to expanding Australia’s massive contribution to the climate emergency via the gas and coal industry, so the Greens — along with the teals — should be making a bid for mainstream status as the politicians representing the majority view of Australians that much more aggressive decarbonisation is required.
Instead the party has mired itself in a series of rolling issues that, while small in the scheme of things, portray leader Adam Bandt as weak and distracted. Now, the entire federal Greens Party is starting to look weak and hypocritical.
Allegations of offensive and bullying behaviour against Victorian Senator and DjabWurrung Gunnai Gunditjmara woman Lidia Thorpe — first aired more than a year ago by First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria chair and Bangerang/Wiradjuri woman Aunty Geraldine Atkinson — have now been backed by Thorpe’s former chief of staff, who apologised to those on the receiving end of Thorpe’s alleged behaviour.
Nine newspapers’ Lisa Visentin, who revealed the apology by David Mejia-Canales, further revealed today that Atkinson had never received a response from Bandt or the Greens after she wrote to Bandt about the incident.
While not on the same level as Thorpe’s disgusting abuse of Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes late last year — Thorpe allegedly yelled “at least I kept my legs shut” at Hughes, who has a son with autism — the incident was serious enough that Atkinson sought medical assistance at the time. Thorpe later apologised and “unreservedly” took back her comments.
The Greens’ response, however, is that there is nothing to see here — it was merely a “robust” discussion, is the official line. No apology necessary, apparently. Move along.
If this had been a white Liberal senator yelling abuse at a stakeholder, especially an Indigenous elder, talk of “robust discussions” wouldn’t have got far with the Greens, who would have labelled it evidence of bullying and racism.
Plainly even some Greens are unhappy with this approach, given the leaking of internal documents today.
The Greens, after all, are strong supporters of better workplace standards. “Everyone has the right to work in a safe workplace free of occupational hazards, including bullying, discrimination and harassment,” reads the Greens’ workplace relations policy. The Greens have been vocal in their calls for a better standard of conduct in Parliament — not merely in Canberra, but in other parliaments. The Greens have also been stalwart long-term supporters of greater transparency in government.
Their response to the Atkinson allegations is anything but transparent and supportive of better standards of workplace conduct. In fact, they look a lot like a mainstream political party hoping that by stonewalling, the media will lose interest in a scandal. Supporters are entitled to expect better from the Greens, who’ve long insisted they’re a cut above the poor standards of the major parties.
