In this opinion piece, Senator Zed Seselja, Liberal Senator for the ACT, argues the failings of the ACT Government demonstrates the type of government one could expect from a Federal Labor-Greens alliance:
Shane Rattenbury, the local Leader of the ACT Greens, took the opportunity in the quiet Christmas period to write a piece for the Canberra Times making the case for why the Federal Labor Party needs to form an alliance with the Federal Greens after the next election.
He put the case that the ACT Government, a Labor-Greens alliance since 2008, is a great example of what you get when you work together.
His ultimate message being that the Greens can effectively push Labor into getting the policy outcomes they want.
Reflecting on Mr Rattenbury’s opinion piece, we agree on one thing, and that is the local ACT Assembly is a perfect example of the type of Government we will get if we find ourselves with a Federal Labor-Greens alliance.
In the ACT, Canberra families are literally paying the price through skyrocketing fees and charges and deteriorating services, with extreme Greens ideological policy tacked on for good measure, like the decriminalisation of hard drugs.
The ACT has the worst hospital emergency wait times in the country.
Chronic under-resourcing of police has led to the worst response times in six years.
Housing affordability and cost of living failures include rates tripled, the most expensive rental market in the country, and the only jurisdiction in the country to see electricity prices increase in 2021.
The Federal Greens are going to the election promising to halve our defence budget, compromising our National Security but also costing roughly 13,000 defence sector jobs in Canberra.
So the question is, what else is on the table in a Labor-Greens federal alliance from the Greens policy platform?
Tax increases? Decriminalising hard drugs, including ice, nationally? Removing criminal penalties for the sale of drugs? Slashing funding to non-government schools?
At the end of the day, Adam Bandt, Shane Rattenbury and the Greens are open about what they want, and shameless on how far they will push in a Labor-Greens alliance to get it.
By Senator Zed Seselja, Liberal Senator for ACT
Canberra Daily would love to hear from you about a story idea in the Canberra and surrounding region. Click here to submit a news tip.
