How the war between ‘watermelons' and ‘tree-Tories' brought down the Greens
Drew Hutton played a crucial role in the formation of the Greens – first in Queensland, then as a co-founder of the national party alongside Bob Brown.
After watching the party lose three of its four House of Representatives seats – including the stunning defeat of leader Adam Bandt, who conceded his seat of Melbourne on Thursday afternoon – Hutton says the party needs to fundamentally rethink the way it communicates with Australian voters.
'The Greens have experimented with what I would call a hyper-militant approach during the last three years,' says Hutton, who was suspended from the Queensland branch in 2023 over a debate over trans rights and free speech.
'I'm a bit of a hyper-militant myself, in many ways, but you need to know when to hold them and when to fold them.
'What will broaden their base is if they lose this terrible way they have of expressing their moral superiority over everyone else and their refusal to talk meaningfully with ordinary Australians.'
Speaking with a candour not available to Greens MPs, who can face misconduct charges for bringing the party into disrepute, Hutton says the Greens suffered from appearing obstructionist by blocking key Labor policies on housing affordability. The Greens' leadership eventually recognised this at the end of last year by waving through Labor's shared equity and built-to-rent policies, despite failing to win any concessions from the government.
'They also overplayed their hand on Gaza and needed to make it a bit clearer they were totally opposed to the politics of Hamas,' Hutton says.
When Hutton, who led the anti-mining Lock the Gate environmental group, officially retired from activism in 2017, Brown hailed him as 'a towering figure in Australian environmental and social politics for the last four decades'.
However, the long-time Greens leader has a diametrically different view of the election results, underlining the challenge the party faces as it ponders its identity in a post-Bandt era.
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The Advertiser
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"We in Australia understand that in today's uncertain world, what we need are partners and friends we can rely on." During the meeting, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Vuvale Partnership, which emphasises both countries' shared goal of regional peace, security and prosperity. The prime ministers began preparations for the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting, to be hosted in the Solomon Islands in September, which is expected to enhance co-operation within the region. While Mr Albanese's Pacific visit is expected to play second fiddle to a potential meeting with US President Donald Trump in coming days, regional issues such as security remain a key focus for Australia. The environment and climate change were also discussion points in Fiji as Australia bids to co-host the United Nations' climate conference with Pacific partners in 2026. 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The environment and climate change were also discussion points in Fiji as Australia bids to co-host the United Nations' climate conference with Pacific partners in 2026. "Fiji is one of the most important relationships for Australia in the Pacific Islands region," Lowy Institute Pacific Islands program director Mihai Sora told AAP. The nation had been able to delineate its security relationships with traditional partners such as the US, Australia and New Zealand while also protecting and promoting trade and economic ties with China and other parts of Asia, Mr Sora said. Mr Albanese was welcomed by a delegation and local marching band, which made him feel at home with a rendition of Advance Australia Fair, before attending a meeting and dinner with Fijian officials. However, the centrepiece of Mr Albanese's whirlwind trip will be the G7 summit, a gathering of seven of the world's largest advanced economies. 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The prime minister has stressed the importance of "trusted partners" in an uncertain world as major diplomatic talks loom. Sporting a teal and white island shirt, Anthony Albanese met with his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka in Nadi on his first stop of a global tour. The meeting was their first since Labor's decisive re-election and Mr Albanese said the timing showed both nations were part of a "Pacific family". "You, my friend, are a trusted partner and friend of Australia," Mr Albanese told Mr Rabuka ahead of bilateral discussions. "We in Australia understand that in today's uncertain world, what we need are partners and friends we can rely on." During the meeting, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Vuvale Partnership, which emphasises both countries' shared goal of regional peace, security and prosperity. 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Mr Albanese was welcomed by a delegation and local marching band, which made him feel at home with a rendition of Advance Australia Fair, before attending a meeting and dinner with Fijian officials. However, the centrepiece of Mr Albanese's whirlwind trip will be the G7 summit, a gathering of seven of the world's largest advanced economies. Australia is not a member of the G7, but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Mr Albanese. He is expected to meet with the US president on the sidelines of the conference, where he could try to carve out a tariff exemption. Australia faces 10 per cent tariffs on goods exported to the US and - like every US trading partner except the UK - has been hit with 50 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel sent to America. The Australian government has called the trade measures an "act of economic self-harm" and is considering using critical minerals and US beef imports as bargaining chips. 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The Age
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