Greens leader Christine Milne, agricultures friend.

Farmers really need to hug more vipers to their bosoms.

Cartoon: By Bill Leak.

New Greens leader Christine Milne wants to establish political support among rural Australians and "progressive" businesses as a new strategy to advance the party. ‘Progressive businesses’ are those seen by her to be in the ‘new economy’ and which should be doing more to promote a low-carbon economy. Apparently they are not lobbying hard enough for subsidies and special deals:

"If ever the Greens were needed in Australian politics in public life in redefining the debate in Australia, it's now," Senator Milne said. "I'm going out there as a country person to say to other country people it's time the Greens and country and rural and regional Australian really worked together.” …

Senator Joyce said that while the Greens' concern for the rapid development of the coal-seam gas industry was reflected in some rural communities, most other Greens policies were anti-bush. "The Greens have a problem with coal-seam gas, as does the Coalition," Senator Joyce said. "But the Greens also have problems with rodeos, irrigation, live cattle exports, and they want a 50 per cent top tax rate and death duties. …

"I would welcome her (Senator Milne) in some of my communities. Any town hall, any time you want. My tactic would be to simply tell people what her policies are. People know in the back of their minds that the Greens' policies are dangerous.”

Last year the Greens supported demands for legislation to protect their land from coal seam gas and mining. When the draught Planning Policy for Strategic Cropping Land was delivered it was found that the proposed law would also restrict what landowners could do.

Senator Ron Boswell has outlined the extremities of the party:

It is obvious that Bob Brown is resigning today because he knows his time is up and he wants to go out on a high. Brown knows that the party is losing the environmental message the party was based on and is now being used by the far left as a way to spread their extreme agenda. He is just trying to get out before that happens.

Without Brown, the far left and extremists will steamroll over the others and become the new reigning force within the Greens.

These members include the now Deputy Leader, Adam Bandt, a self-identified former member of the Left Alliance that once admonished ultra-left groups such as Resistance and the International Socialists for not being left-wing enough.

Bandt has referred to the Greens as a ‘bourgeois party’ that can be used as a Trojan horse for pushing an anti-capitalist, socialist Marxist agenda. He has identified the Greens as the best avenue to achieving socialism in Australia. …

These people do not appear to be the party to attract the bush.