If Daniel Andrews is coerced into a coalition with the Greens, they will press for rent control and prohibitions on gas projects and deforestation.
Labor is widely favored to win the November 26 election in Victoria, but the left-leaning opposition party is eyeing important inner-Melbourne seats.
Labor’s underperformance might give the Greens the balance of power and force the premier to form a coalition with them.
Samantha Ratnam, the leader of the Greens in Victoria, stated that the state was approaching what may be a historic election.
Samantha Ratnam, the leader of the Greens in Victoria, stated that her party would prioritize five issues if Premier Daniel Andrews was forced to form a coalition with the Greens.
She stated, “More and more Victorians are abandoning the big parties and signaling their intention to vote Green.”
They desire a robust, progressive crossbench that can keep the government accountable.
If Labor is unable to build a majority government, progressive reform will require cooperation with the Greens.
Ms. Ratnam stated that her party’s top five demands would require considerable concessions from Mr. Andrews should this outcome occur.
As part of the party’s climate strategy, the Greens, like their federal colleagues, want a blanket ban on any new gas exploration.
Australia is experiencing an energy crisis as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with gas prices soaring both domestically and internationally.
However, it would take years for new gas plants to come online, by which time living expenses would have returned to normal.
Labor’s underperformance might give the Greens the balance of power and force Mr. Andrews (shown with his wife Catherine) to form a coalition government with them.
What the Greens are looking for from Daniel Andrews
prohibiting land-based and marine gas exploration and production
Limiting rent hikes to the rate of income growth and constructing additional public and affordable homes
Adoption of the Greens’ Bill to Strengthen Integrity
Increasing the age of criminal maturity to 14
Statewide end to native forest logging in 2023
The Greens’ primary strategy for combating the rising cost of living is to limit rent hikes, which have also skyrocketed dramatically over the previous two years, to match wage growth.
The pandemic drove the trend toward smaller families in Australia, as residents desired more room during lockdowns and to work from home.
During the pandemic, the national rental vacancy rate declined from 2.1% to 1.3%, while rent prices increased by 14.3%.
With the reopening of Australia’s borders, the situation will only deteriorate, with 872,000 visa applications pending approval and another 2.22 million submitted since June 1.
In contrast, wages scarcely increased over the preceding decade, and when they finally began to rise this year, they were swamped by massive inflation.
To solve housing supply difficulties, the Green Party desires to construct more public and affordable homes. Landlords are not likely to approve of any of this.
Mr. Andrews would likely have to pass a version of the Strengthening Integrity Bill, which expands the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission’s authority.
The Greens’ primary approach to reducing the rising cost of living is to limit rent hikes, which have soared in tandem with salaries over the previous two years.
The Act also includes a code of conduct for ministers and lobbyists that is supervised by an independent commissioner for parliamentary integrity.
After leaving their offices, ministers and other prominent politicians would be barred from lobbying for two years.
The government of Mr. Andrews has never supported private member bills, believing that only the government is capable of drafting legislation.
In accordance with the recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry into Victoria’s judicial system, the age of criminal culpability will be raised from 10 to 14 years old.
Every state in Australia has a minimum age of ten, although the global average is fourteen.
The Greens’ primary environmental priority is the prohibition of logging in natural forests beginning the next year, so that only plantations can be harvested.
Next year, the Greens’ top environmental objective will be to prohibit logging in natural forests, allowing only plantations to be harvested.
Mr. Andrews has refused to negotiate with the Greens for the past 12 years, and he has reiterated this attitude for this election.
Ms. Ratnam, a Sri Lankan immigrant whose Tamil family was caught up in the horrific outbreak of the civil war in 1983 and fled the country four years later, is unsure.
She is sure that her party can steal between two and four seats from Labor in the House of Representatives, reducing the government’s 55-to-27 advantage over the opposition.
The most recent poll, a RedBridge survey issued on Monday, showed Labor a two-party-preferred advantage of 53.5% to 46.5%.