The forthcoming federal election is clearly going to be one about the two spurned major parties campaigning for second preferences from the Greens and others. And that is very bad news for those Labor candidates in inner city electorates. Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner’s regular vitriolic attacks on the Greens will have to be curbed as the courting begins as his seat is sacrificed to the greater “good” of retaining office. It has all the ring of 1987 over again.

The split between Greens, Family First, Independents and other minor parties might have jumped around a bit but the opinion polls this year have consistently shown the non-major-parties vote around the 20 per cent mark. This morning Newspoll put the Greens at a record high for them of 16% with the others at 8% to make the total for the non-major-parties 24%. That is equal to the highest figure in the Newspolls back to November 1985 that I have in my records.

That public opinion recently has turned against both Labor and the Coalition Liberal and National parties is no surprise. The leadership of both has shown itself to be untrustworthy. That voters are looking for an honest alternative is what I for one would hope for. That Greens leader Bob Brown’s party might have some views that people disagree with does not stop them being attracted to his straight forward comments. Consistently saying what you think beats shiftiness every time.

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