Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury says the party needs to know its options. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury has apologised to party members for the way in which talks were conducted with the Canberra Liberals about a possible power-sharing agreement, but not the actual discussion, and has left the door open if circumstances change.
Mr Rattenbury and deputy Jo Clay fronted a meeting on Thursday night (29 January) to explain their overtures to the Liberals.
Sources say many Greens members were unhappy that they had been kept out of the loop and were struggling to understand why the leadership had approached the Liberals.
While some were more open to the proposition, saying “never say never”; other long-time party members would not countenance getting into bed with Liberals.
Mr Rattenbury argued that the Greens needed to know what options the party would have if it could no longer have confidence in the Chief Minister.
He told journalists yesterday that he regretted that members first learned of the secret talks through the media, but members were keen for MLAs to continue working with the Liberal Party on current issues, to hold the government to account, and to promote community and policy priorities.
But there was no appetite for a formal coalition with the Liberals under the current circumstances.
Mr Rattenbury faces a difficult meeting with Chief Minister Andrew Barr on Monday. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Mr Rattenbury said the main sticking point was the way the federal Liberals and some MLAs “punch down” on the LGBTQIA community, migrants and Muslims.
But asked about what circumstances could see the Greens revisit the idea of a deal with the Liberals, Mr Rattenbury said Labor was under pressure on a number of fronts.
“We know there is a range of external investigations taking place and we’ll have to wait to see the outcomes of those,” he said.
The budget had also deteriorated since the election and needed long-term repair, although not through austerity measures that would hurt the community, although some spending could be reduced or paused.
Mr Rattenbury said new revenue measures were needed, something voters could accept if they were designed properly.
He also believed Commonwealth grants were going begging because the government was simply not applying for them.
Despite the Greens’ frustration at Labor’s interpretation of the supply and confidence agreement, there was no appetite to renegotiate it.
Another Greens source said Mr Rattenbury and Ms Clay made it clear to members that at some point the party was going to have to make decisions about some of these issues before the next election, not after.
“We’re going to have to work out a process by which we decide as a party who we can support as Chief Minister, outside of the negotiations that happen immediately after an election … this is new for the party members,” the source said.
The revelations about the talks may have further soured an already tense relationship with Labor, but Mr Rattenbury indicated they also helped prompt Labor to finally respond to community calls for an aquatic strategy and action on the Woden pool and the diving facility.
“I think it’s been instructive this week,” he said. “I sent a letter to the Chief Minister about Phillip Pool just before Christmas.
“I identified that as one of the key issues us and the Liberals have been talking about on Tuesday, and suddenly on Wednesday we have a very significant announcement.
“I think it shows that there is room there to apply greater levels of pressure to the Labor Party.”
Mr Rattenbury will meet with Chief Minister Andrew Barr on Monday (2 February) ahead of the year’s first sitting of the Legislative Assembly and expects a difficult conversation.
“We’ve worked together in government over a period of time. There are times where we’ve had to have very difficult conversations,” he said.
“Part of making it relatively successful over a period of time is to be able to sit in a room, even when you disagree, and find an outcome. That’s something I’m very effective at.”
