22 October 2024

Labor held us back in government: Rattenbury wants better deal for Greens

| Ian Bushnell
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Shane Rattenbury and Elizabeth Lee

Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury will take a tougher negotiating stance into talks with Labor. Photos: Michelle Kroll.

A more experienced ACT Greens will go into governing negotiations with Labor with a tougher mindset after coming off worse for wear from portfolio arrangements in 2020.

The calling of the last seat in Yerrabi for the Greens’ Andrew Braddock settled the issue of whether Labor would again govern with the support of the Greens in some shape or form, but it won’t be straightforward.

Leader Shane Rattenbury is talking tough ahead of talks with Labor, blaming the senior party for the Greens not being able to deliver on its 2020 platform.

Mr Rattenbury said the Greens were still deliberating whether to be in cabinet or support the government from outside, but it certainly won’t be accepting arrangements that he said helped to take some skin off the party last weekend.

“The administrative arrangements in the 2020 term were complicated, unnecessarily complicated, and they dissected portfolios in ways that were unhelpful,” Mr Rattenbury told Region.

READ ALSO ACT Greens back from the dead in Brindabella with chance to snatch a seat off the Liberals

He said that in government, the Greens’ successes could be invisible, but the party was publicly linked to the disappointments.

“That is a strategic challenge for us. As a smaller partner in a government like that, you have influence, you certainly don’t have control, and you are bound to a series of outcomes for which you may or may not have a say,” he said.

“We’d certainly be looking for some changes if we were to enter into a new agreement. Part of it will be the numbers this week as well.”

The fifth seat in Brindabella is still to be decided, but the Greens may yet pick up another one by coming over the top of Liberal James Daniels. But even that old Labor warhorse Mick Gentlemen could still be in with a chance.

If Laura Nuttall can prevail, that will give the Greens four seats, a much better result than what was feared on Saturday night.

Mr Rattenbury accused Labor of deliberately holding the party back from being as successful as it could have been last term.

“Rachel Stephen-Smith had a crack at us on the panel the other night about how we took a slogan into the 2020 election about wanting to build a better normal,” he said.

“She said part of the reason for the Greens’ underperformance is they haven’t delivered that this term to which, if I’d had a chance, my reply to the panel would have been, that’s because the Labor Party hasn’t allowed us to.”

Man speaking into microphone

Green Andrew Braddock’s win in Yerrabi guaranteed a Labor-minority government.

Asked whether he’d rather stay in Cabinet, Mr Rattenbury said it was not about him but the most strategic thing for the party to do in light of both the election result and the experience of trying to govern with the Labor Party.

“We’ve learned some lessons from that,” he said.

The Greens are currently surveying members and holding meetings, as well as canvassing different models of government participation from other parliaments, so it may not be a binary choice of in or out.

“We’ve been talking to a range of Green parties in other jurisdictions through our global network, including ones that have been in power-sharing or balance of power situations,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“We’re having a look around at other models just to make sure we’ve really thought through the range of scenarios.”

Mr Rattenbury said the Greens’ vote did not collapse, falling only 1 per cent, and would provide a solid platform in the Assembly.

“So if we are able to secure that fourth [seat], it will be the equal second-best result, and if it’s three, it’ll be our third-best,” he said.

“We’ll maintain a good critical mass in the Assembly, and we just have to think about how we most effectively use those seats to advocate for the people who voted for us and deliver as many of our policies as we can through the course of the term.”

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Mr Rattenbury rejected the idea that the Greens overpromised, saying the policies were achievable, but the party found it hard to compete with the Independents for Canberra, who captured whatever spirit for change was present in this election.

He said previously “unachievable” policies, such as climate goals, had become realities once the public service geared up and applied itself.

“I think our policies were high quality, based on good research, good costing approach and the like … one of the things we need to reflect on was, did we tell our story well enough?” Mr Rattenbury said.

“And I think that is a question both through the whole of the last term and through the election period.

“I think what the independents effectively did was make a case for change and we clearly didn’t make a strong enough case for the sort of change we were trying to make. It clearly did not resonate with voters as well.”

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has said Labor could work with whatever model the Greens may propose but that Canberrans would want certainty and for this not to drag on for too long.

“But I think there’s a comfortable pathway,” he said.

At the close of counting today (22 October), Labor has 10 seats, Canberra Liberals 9, Greens 3, Independents 2 and Undecided 1.

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The ONLY deal the Communist Greens want is to be the forever government. Unfortunately for them there’s a thing called democracy standing in their way.

@Rob
Democracy doesn’t seem to have stood in the way of the Greens being a part of a coalition govt for what will be 16 years straight by the next election, Rob – so how is that working for you?

PS Your constant jaundiced reference to “Communist” Greens is really wearisome and puerile … do you actually think it achieves anything?

Get lost Shane.

Why would ANYONE vote for these green watermelons

Labor don’t have to negotiate anything. There is no way the Greens would support the Libs so Labor should tell them to nick off. This is Labors chance to be Labor and not Labor/Greens.

Of course they’ll want to be in Cabinet. The pay is much better. A real test of their integrity will be to stay outside this cosy arrangement especially if they claim their alleged “wins” have somehow been covered up by the ALP

“Our vote didn’t collapse. We just lost half our seats.”
Everyone can see you, Shane.

Canberra’s voting system is not that hard to understand, I thought; but maybe it is

OMG how useless is Shane??? He can’t even take responsibility. The simple fact is, people didn’t want what he was selling. Years ago they did, they wanted an improved parliament, improved government, improved services, improved city. Shane failed to deliver any of these, so in October 2024, people voted for independents who (a) also promised these things, but more importantly (b) people trust the independents more to actually deliver.

For the Greens, more than anything, the election results demonstrate a loss of faith and confidence in the Greens. They talk the talk, but that’s all they do. So they got punished. Ta da.

@A_Cog
Yes, but the issue is that they didn’t get punished enough – the Greens still hold the balance of power in the new LA, irrespective of whether or not they are part of another coalition government.

Greens will get back independent voters when it is understood that hands-on work in government, discouraging as it is without strong community support, is what counts, not protest fantasies

@johnsalmond
As an independent voter at the last election, I can confirm for you that hell will freeze over before I vote ACT Greens.

Only three seats out of 25, hardly what you would call tough

@Oscar Mike
Unfortunately, 3 seats is enough to hold the balance of power … so I guess it does allow for tough talking.

Everyone else to blame, everyone else to pay, this is the greenies way.
There was a time I voted Green, back when they cared about the environment and the little guy.
I really don’t recognise them anymore, their approach to all things is wreckless and extreme.

They have morphed into Economic Terrorists, it’s beyond me how no one has seen it coming, poor dumb silly green voting fools, you reap what you sow.

Who even voted for this mob.!! Our beautiful city is doomed!

The rodent has the barrel out again Andrew. Brace yourself. 🤣

Don’t get too cocky Shane!

If numbers fall the way they are predicted, you can always negotiate and form government with the Liberals! I am sure your party’s members would be overjoyed at that. Not to mention the uncertainty around the Canberra Liberals’ leadership which is still up in the air. You may find yourself negotiating government with new leader Jeremy Hanson who has put his hand up for a comeback which should add to the fun.

While in government your party did nothing. Vocal in what your demands were including being given certain high-profile portfolios but never did the hard yards in getting results with Labor doing all the work. Health, gambling and drug reforms are just a few, all thanks to Labor.

Your party lost two of its most high-profile candidates including deputy leader Rebecca Vassarotti in humiliating losses. Emma Davidson was a total disappointment in her portfolios especially mental health and Labor has to go back and fix her mistakes.

Good luck negotiating with the Liberals Shane!

I have read in the media that you have already had some discussions with Elizabeth Lee!

LOL
But your mate Andy is going to pucker up anyway, because he will do literally anything to avoid any oversight of his economic vandalism, or accountability for it. Minority government seems to terrify him, so he is going to give the kooky greens power when almost 90% of canberra didn’t want them in power at all.

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