Greens’ clout in Australia grows

CANBERRA – Minor Australian parties, like the increasingly popular Greens, shaped up as major players in an October 9 election as an opinion poll yesterday showed opposition Labour had edged ahead of the conservative government.

A Newspoll survey, published in the Australian newspaper, showed centre-left Labour leading by four points on a two-party preferred basis with 52 percent. Under Australia’s complicated preferential voting system, minor party votes are distributed to major parties and ultimately decide an election.”Clearly what we’re seeing here is that there’s a strong vote for left-of-centre parties,” said Nick Economou, political analyst at Monash University.”Voters … are quite happy to entertain the idea of voting for independents or, more importantly, a third party, and the third party that seems to be getting the most attention is the Greens,” he said.”I think it will be a very close election,” prime minister John Howard told Australian radio.The Australian economy, one of the world’s strongest, is still the biggest issue of the campaign, but the environment and the influence of the Greens have joined the US-led Iraq war and national security as other important issues.The government has been trying to scare voters off Labour by warning that interest rates, now at 5,25 percent, could soar under the centre-left party.Both Howard and Latham have pledged to keep interest rates low and to keep Australia’s budget in surplus.Economists expect rates to rise regardless of who wins the election.Labour, which will officially launch its campaign in Brisbane today, needs to win 12 seats to claim power.- Nampa-ReutersUnder Australia’s complicated preferential voting system, minor party votes are distributed to major parties and ultimately decide an election.”Clearly what we’re seeing here is that there’s a strong vote for left-of-centre parties,” said Nick Economou, political analyst at Monash University.”Voters … are quite happy to entertain the idea of voting for independents or, more importantly, a third party, and the third party that seems to be getting the most attention is the Greens,” he said.”I think it will be a very close election,” prime minister John Howard told Australian radio.The Australian economy, one of the world’s strongest, is still the biggest issue of the campaign, but the environment and the influence of the Greens have joined the US-led Iraq war and national security as other important issues.The government has been trying to scare voters off Labour by warning that interest rates, now at 5,25 percent, could soar under the centre-left party.Both Howard and Latham have pledged to keep interest rates low and to keep Australia’s budget in surplus.Economists expect rates to rise regardless of who wins the election.Labour, which will officially launch its campaign in Brisbane today, needs to win 12 seats to claim power.- Nampa-Reuters