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The Greens have found their answer to a political system dominated by pale, stale males…a pale, stale male of their very own.
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Greens → publish → own
David Shoebridge's elevation is a reminder that you don't have to be especially impressive to lead a political party in this country.
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you → lead → country
Sometimes you just have to be the person enough colleagues can agree to get behind.
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colleagues → have → ?
The former barrister defeated Sarah Hanson-Young and Mehreen Faruqi to succeed Larissa Waters, who stepped down on health grounds.
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who → defeat → grounds
At 55, he hardly screams generational renewal in a party that's supposed to appeal to today's youth.
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that → scream → youth
Shoebridge has plenty of aggression.
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Shoebridge → have → aggression
Whether he has the appeal to turn that into votes is another matter, however.
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has → turn → votes
Faruqi seems distinctly unimpressed with where things landed.
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things → seem → ?
The outgoing deputy publicly expressed disappointment at the result, declining to seek her old job and declaring that she will pursue radical action outside 'the constraints of the leadership team'.
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she → express → team
Apparently the constraints become considerably more unacceptable when somebody else is leading the party.
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somebody → become → party
She also complained about the selection process, only after she lost, declaring: 'Without a member vote, we cannot call ourselves a grassroots party.'
There is a legitimate argument for members playing a role in choosing their parliamentary leader, although it does risk dividing the membership and the parliamentary party.
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it → complain → membership
Coming straight after her defeat, Faruqi's whinge sounds rather like toys hitting the floor beside the cot.
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toys → come → cot
Sarah Hanson-Young sent a message to supporters on Thursday night noting 'friendships made and lost' in politics
Hanson-Young also acknowledged the brutality of the result - cryptically noting 'politics can be brutal - friendships made and lost, it takes all types' - but promised to support the new leader nonetheless.
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it → send → leader
It was a more adult response from someone who understands that losing an internal contest doesn't remove the obligation to win voters outside the partyroom.
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losing → understand → partyroom
She's been in the Senate since 2008, has substantial public recognition and understands how to attract attention beyond the rusted-on party faithful.
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She → have → faithful
Her unsuccessful deputy leadership bids stretch right back to 2010 and 2012.
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bids → stretch → 2010
Yet again, her colleagues have looked elsewhere for some reason.
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colleagues → look → reason
You don't have to agree with Hanson-Young's politics to recognise the combination that she offers: experience, an activist edge and an ability to sound reasonable to people who aren't already marching behind a Greens banner.
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who → have → banner
That last quality matters in the current political environment.
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quality → matter → environment
Too much commentary about the Greens confuses what people who would never vote Green might want, with what the minor party's potential voter base is capable of supporting.
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base → confuse → what
The modern Greens are no longer just about saving the trees.
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Greens → save → trees
Maintaining such support requires an appeal to the inner-city activist constituency that now helps sustain them, even if the rest of the country aren't fans of what today's Greens represent.
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Greens → maintain → what
Say what you will about Mehreen Faruqi - and I believe her brand of politics is bad for the country's public debate - but she knows her constituency
Faruqi understands this constituency.
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Faruqi → say → constituency
In my view, her brand of politics is bad for public debate in this country: too quick to turn disagreement into a test of moral virtue, for example.
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brand → turn → example
But she would energise parts of that base, even while driving other potential voters away, especially environmentalists who aren't radical on other issues.
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who → energise → issues
So it may turn out that amongst the triumvirate of leadership candidates, the parliamentary party picked the least useful option.
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party → turn → option
Hanson-Young offered a better chance of holding the activists together while also retaining more reasonable voters: people who want a third party keeping the bastards honest, occupying some of the space the Australian Democrats once filled.
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Democrats → offer → space
Shoebridge risks offering abrasiveness without the broader appeal of Hanson-Young, or indeed the activist energy of Faruqi.
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Shoebridge → risk → Faruqi
That said, Albo already seems irritated.
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Albo → say → ?
He described it as 'somewhat concerning' that Shoebridge criticised Labor when a 'far right' party was on the rise.
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party → describe → rise
Apparently the job of the Greens is to attack Hanson while leaving the government alone.
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job → attack → government
Shoebridge could make life uncomfortable for the PM if he stays relevant.
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he → make → PM
David Shoebridge could cause trouble for Anthony Albanese.
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Shoebridge → cause → Albanese
The signs are already there, explains Peter van Onselen
Labor's troubles create an opportunity for the Greens.
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troubles → explain → Greens
Voters angry with the government from the right will consider One Nation.
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Voters → consider → Nation
Those angry from the left are unlikely to find Pauline Hanson an inviting destination.
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Hanson → find → left
The Greens should be waiting with a compelling alternative to snaffle up such voters.
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Greens → wait → voters
Faruqi might have been too radical for this cohort, but Shoebridge risks being too bland.
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Shoebridge → risk → cohort
He says he wants to replace Labor, growing on the left the way that One Nation has grown on the right.
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Nation → say → right
But winning over 11 parliamentary colleagues divided between three leadership candidates is one thing.
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winning → win → candidates
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
