Victorian Greens
Encyclopedia
Australian Greens Victoria, also called the Victorian Greens, is a Green
Party located in Victoria
, a member of the federation of the Australian Greens
party.
They first made an impact in 1994 with two outstanding by-election results: 21% in Coburg and 28% in Kooyong. They were among the best results ever achieved by a small party in Australian history.
With greatly increased membership after these successes, the Party tackled the 1996 federal election. Their lead Senate candidate was Peter Singer, but we achieved only 2.9% of the vote statewide, largely because of a strong Democrats campaign led by Cheryl Kernot. Within a month of the federal election, the Greens took on both many local elections and a general state election.
The Greens had high hopes for their lead Senate candidate at the 1998 federal election. Charmaine Clarke would have been the first Aboriginal woman elected to any parliament in Australia, as well as the first out lesbian elected to Canberra. However, their vote slipped back to 2.5% in an election dominated by One Nation and tax.
was elected to the Melbourne City Council
, following numerous local government campaigns in Victoria. Risstrom was re-elected in 2001 and retired in 2004 in order to contest the Senate in the Australian national elections of that year. Fraser Brindley, previously elected to Moreland City Council as a Greens representative in 2002, ran successfully for Melbourne City Council in 2004.
The first Greens candidate in Australia to be elected in a single-member electorate was Gurm Sekhon
, elected to Yarra City Council in 2001. In 2002 Sekhon was re-elected and three more Greens were elected to Yarra City Council, giving the Greens 4 out of 9 seats on Council. In 2003 Yarra City Councillor Greg Barber
became Australia's first Greens Mayor. Janet Rice was elected to Maribyrnong City Council in 2003 with a primary vote of 42%, thought to be the highest vote for an endorsed Greens candidate anywhere in the world.
In 2005 Janet Rice was re-elected to a second term at Maribyrnong City Council and subsequently became Mayor. David Jones was elected to and became Mayor the City of Greater Bendigo, and a total of 14 Green local government councillors held office across Victoria, in Cities or Shires of Melbourne, Yarra, Maribyrnong, Moreland, Moonee Valley, Yarra Ranges, Whitehorse, Brimbank, Mount Alexander and Greater Bendigo.
In the yearly mayoral elections in 2006, Greater Bendigo Councillors elected back to back Green Mayors by electing Julie Rivendell to succeed David Jones, and Ben Opie was elected as Moonee Valley's first, and Victoria's fifth Green Mayor.
In the Mayoral vote for 2007-8 Bendigo elected Cr David Jones again, making him the First Green Mayor to serve two terms and Bendigo to become the first council in Australia to have three Green Mayors.
The 2008 local government elections saw the first elections of Greens Councillors into Darebin, Glen Eira, Manningham, Queenscliffe, Surf Coast and Casey Councils, and saw the Victorian Greens win a single-member ward in Yarra Ranges with an unprecedentedly strong 53% primary vote (Cr Samantha Dunn). Three Green mayors were elected following the elections: Amanda Stone in Yarra, Philip Schier in Mount Alexander, and Helen Harris in Whitehorse. Philip Schier was re-elected in 2009, and Bill Pemberton became Mayor of Whitehorse. Alison Clarke is the 2011 Greens Mayor of the City of Yarra.
Three Greens representatives were elected to the Victorian Legislative Council
at the 2006 state election. Greg Barber
won a seat in the Northern Metropolitan Region, Colleen Hartland
won a seat in the Western Metropolitan Region after a recount, and Sue Pennicuik
won a seat in the Southern Metropolitan Region.
Minor parties have had little or no success in state lower houses that have single-member electorates, though in other states where there are multiple-member electorates in the lower house (such as Tasmania's or the ACT's), or where there are multiple-member electorate/s in the upper house (such as in NSW, SA and WA), minor parties including the Greens have been more successful. Up to and including the 2002 state election, Victoria's upper house has had double-member electorates, though, for the first time in the 2006 state election, Victoria's upper house had 8 electorates of 5 members each.
In the lower house, Greens candidates were second in four two-party-preferred races in inner-city seats at the 2002 and 2006 state elections, three of which are now marginal seats (that is, they require less than a 5% swing to change hands). Dr Richard DiNatale came within 2% of winning Melbourne
from Labor cabinet minister Bronwyn Pike
in 2002 and 2006.
The 2010 State elections have seen another increase in the Greens vote - a 1.2% swing to give a primary vote of 11.21% with all three MLCs elected.
Ethicist and animal liberation activist Peter Singer
was the lead candidate for the Victorian Greens during the 1996 Federal election, in which the Greens polled a total of 1.90% in the House of Representatives
and 2.94% in the Senate
. Since then the Victorian Greens' vote has grown with 8.17% of the vote in the lower house at the 2007 Federal election.
David Risstrom left the MCC to contest a Victorian Senate seat in the 2004 Federal election. He received 8.80% of the primary vote, but was unable to make the quota
of 14.3%. Had he received a high preference from the Australian Labor Party
, he would have done so, but they instead directed preferences to the Family First Party
's Steve Fielding
, who was elected with 1.76% of the primary vote.
In 2007 Richard DiNatale ran as the lead Victorian Senate candidate and again the Greens narrowly missed out on a quota, with a Senate vote of 10.08%
The 2007 election also saw an historic result in the Division of Melbourne
, where Greens candidate Adam Bandt
won 22.8% of the primary vote and came second on a two party preferred basis, with 45.29% of the 2PP vote - the highest result ever for the Australian Greens in any seat at a Federal general election. Melbourne, traditionally one of the safest Labor
seats in the country, is now officially a marginal seat.
In 2010 the Greens vote in Victoria rose to 12.66%, a swing of 4.49%. More importantly Richard Di Natale was elected to the Senate with a Senate vote of 14.64%, a swing of 4.56% and Adam Bandt was elected to the Division of Melbourne with a primary vote of 36.17% (56.04% TPP).
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
Party located in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, a member of the federation of the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
party.
Early Years
The Australian Greens - Victoria was formed in 1992, as a response to the formation of the Australian Greens which united pre-existing Green parties in Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT. The first election the Greens contested in Victoria was the 1993 federal election. The party contested the seat of La Trobe.They first made an impact in 1994 with two outstanding by-election results: 21% in Coburg and 28% in Kooyong. They were among the best results ever achieved by a small party in Australian history.
With greatly increased membership after these successes, the Party tackled the 1996 federal election. Their lead Senate candidate was Peter Singer, but we achieved only 2.9% of the vote statewide, largely because of a strong Democrats campaign led by Cheryl Kernot. Within a month of the federal election, the Greens took on both many local elections and a general state election.
The Greens had high hopes for their lead Senate candidate at the 1998 federal election. Charmaine Clarke would have been the first Aboriginal woman elected to any parliament in Australia, as well as the first out lesbian elected to Canberra. However, their vote slipped back to 2.5% in an election dominated by One Nation and tax.
1999 Onwards - Greens in Local Government
In March 1999 barrister David RisstromDavid Risstrom
David Risstrom is a Melbourne barrister, a former Melbourne City Councillor, and a former Australian Greens candidate for the Australian Senate....
was elected to the Melbourne City Council
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
, following numerous local government campaigns in Victoria. Risstrom was re-elected in 2001 and retired in 2004 in order to contest the Senate in the Australian national elections of that year. Fraser Brindley, previously elected to Moreland City Council as a Greens representative in 2002, ran successfully for Melbourne City Council in 2004.
The first Greens candidate in Australia to be elected in a single-member electorate was Gurm Sekhon
Gurm Sekhon
Gurm Sekhon is an elected Councillor of the City of Yarra local government area, representing the Melba Ward, which covers the inner suburbs of Richmond and Burnley in Melbourne, Australia...
, elected to Yarra City Council in 2001. In 2002 Sekhon was re-elected and three more Greens were elected to Yarra City Council, giving the Greens 4 out of 9 seats on Council. In 2003 Yarra City Councillor Greg Barber
Greg Barber
Greg Barber is an Australian politician, and Greens member of the Victorian Legislative Council.-Early career:Barber obtained a Masters in Business Administration from the Melbourne Business School and was a successful investor....
became Australia's first Greens Mayor. Janet Rice was elected to Maribyrnong City Council in 2003 with a primary vote of 42%, thought to be the highest vote for an endorsed Greens candidate anywhere in the world.
In 2005 Janet Rice was re-elected to a second term at Maribyrnong City Council and subsequently became Mayor. David Jones was elected to and became Mayor the City of Greater Bendigo, and a total of 14 Green local government councillors held office across Victoria, in Cities or Shires of Melbourne, Yarra, Maribyrnong, Moreland, Moonee Valley, Yarra Ranges, Whitehorse, Brimbank, Mount Alexander and Greater Bendigo.
In the yearly mayoral elections in 2006, Greater Bendigo Councillors elected back to back Green Mayors by electing Julie Rivendell to succeed David Jones, and Ben Opie was elected as Moonee Valley's first, and Victoria's fifth Green Mayor.
In the Mayoral vote for 2007-8 Bendigo elected Cr David Jones again, making him the First Green Mayor to serve two terms and Bendigo to become the first council in Australia to have three Green Mayors.
The 2008 local government elections saw the first elections of Greens Councillors into Darebin, Glen Eira, Manningham, Queenscliffe, Surf Coast and Casey Councils, and saw the Victorian Greens win a single-member ward in Yarra Ranges with an unprecedentedly strong 53% primary vote (Cr Samantha Dunn). Three Green mayors were elected following the elections: Amanda Stone in Yarra, Philip Schier in Mount Alexander, and Helen Harris in Whitehorse. Philip Schier was re-elected in 2009, and Bill Pemberton became Mayor of Whitehorse. Alison Clarke is the 2011 Greens Mayor of the City of Yarra.
State Elections
Victorian Election Results
|
Three Greens representatives were elected to the Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
at the 2006 state election. Greg Barber
Greg Barber
Greg Barber is an Australian politician, and Greens member of the Victorian Legislative Council.-Early career:Barber obtained a Masters in Business Administration from the Melbourne Business School and was a successful investor....
won a seat in the Northern Metropolitan Region, Colleen Hartland
Colleen Hartland
Colleen Hartland is an Australian politician, and a Greens member of the Victorian Legislative Council.-Early career:...
won a seat in the Western Metropolitan Region after a recount, and Sue Pennicuik
Sue Pennicuik
Susan Margaret "Sue" Pennicuik is an Australian politician, and Greens member of the Victorian Legislative Council.-Early career:...
won a seat in the Southern Metropolitan Region.
Minor parties have had little or no success in state lower houses that have single-member electorates, though in other states where there are multiple-member electorates in the lower house (such as Tasmania's or the ACT's), or where there are multiple-member electorate/s in the upper house (such as in NSW, SA and WA), minor parties including the Greens have been more successful. Up to and including the 2002 state election, Victoria's upper house has had double-member electorates, though, for the first time in the 2006 state election, Victoria's upper house had 8 electorates of 5 members each.
In the lower house, Greens candidates were second in four two-party-preferred races in inner-city seats at the 2002 and 2006 state elections, three of which are now marginal seats (that is, they require less than a 5% swing to change hands). Dr Richard DiNatale came within 2% of winning Melbourne
Electoral district of Melbourne
The Electoral district of Melbourne is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is currently based around the localities of Carlton, North Carlton, Melbourne, East Melbourne, West Melbourne, North Melbourne, Parkville, Newmarket, Kensington and Flemington, and includes Melbourne...
from Labor cabinet minister Bronwyn Pike
Bronwyn Pike
Bronwyn Pike is an Australian politician. She was Minister for Education in Victoria in the Brumby Government, and is the State Member of Parliament for Melbourne.-Early life:...
in 2002 and 2006.
The 2010 State elections have seen another increase in the Greens vote - a 1.2% swing to give a primary vote of 11.21% with all three MLCs elected.
Federal Elections
Federal Election Results
|
Ethicist and animal liberation activist Peter Singer
Peter Singer
Peter Albert David Singer is an Australian philosopher who is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne...
was the lead candidate for the Victorian Greens during the 1996 Federal election, in which the Greens polled a total of 1.90% in the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
and 2.94% in the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
. Since then the Victorian Greens' vote has grown with 8.17% of the vote in the lower house at the 2007 Federal election.
David Risstrom left the MCC to contest a Victorian Senate seat in the 2004 Federal election. He received 8.80% of the primary vote, but was unable to make the quota
Droop Quota
The Droop quota is the quota most commonly used in elections held under the Single Transferable Vote system. It is also sometimes used in elections held under the largest remainder method of party-list proportional representation . In an STV election the quota is the minimum number of votes a...
of 14.3%. Had he received a high preference from the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, he would have done so, but they instead directed preferences to the Family First Party
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
's Steve Fielding
Steve Fielding
Steven "Steve" Fielding , was a Senator representing the state of Victoria and the federal parliamentary leader of the Family First Party in Australia. Elected to the Senate at the 2004 federal election on two percent of the Victorian vote, he failed to gain re-election at the 2010 federal election...
, who was elected with 1.76% of the primary vote.
In 2007 Richard DiNatale ran as the lead Victorian Senate candidate and again the Greens narrowly missed out on a quota, with a Senate vote of 10.08%
The 2007 election also saw an historic result in the Division of Melbourne
Division of Melbourne
The Division of Melbourne is an Australian Electoral Division of Victoria. It is represented by Adam Bandt of the Australian Greens.Created at Federation in 1900 the division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
, where Greens candidate Adam Bandt
Adam Bandt
Adam Paul Bandt is an Australian politician and former industrial lawyer. Bandt was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in the 2010 Australian federal election for the Division of Melbourne...
won 22.8% of the primary vote and came second on a two party preferred basis, with 45.29% of the 2PP vote - the highest result ever for the Australian Greens in any seat at a Federal general election. Melbourne, traditionally one of the safest Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
seats in the country, is now officially a marginal seat.
In 2010 the Greens vote in Victoria rose to 12.66%, a swing of 4.49%. More importantly Richard Di Natale was elected to the Senate with a Senate vote of 14.64%, a swing of 4.56% and Adam Bandt was elected to the Division of Melbourne with a primary vote of 36.17% (56.04% TPP).
External links
- Victorian Greens website
- http://www.theage.com.au/news/victoria-votes/the-green-agenda/2006/11/09/1162661832157.htmlThe Green Agenda, The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, 9 November 2006] - http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/state-election-2010/inside-green-zero-20101122-18469.htmlInside the Green Zone The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, 23 November 2010]