The Greens are a bunch of whingeing frauds. Whingeing frauds who don’t
know much about politics. We’ve just seen a repeat in Tasmania of exactly the same thing we saw at
the 2004 federal election – and over the Tasman in the Kiwi poll last year. They’ve
talked up their results. The polls have looked good. And they’ve flopped on
election day.

Let’s deal with the frauds bit first. The Greens public pitch is based
on the reasonable proposition that as this is the only planet we have to live on;
we have to look after it. This is manifested as an appeal to middle-class
shrub hugging and guilt on a few voguish social issues.

Behind this, though, is a heap of very odd looking baggage. And when
voters have their attention drawn to what else the Greens stand for – what the
Greens really stand for – support evaporates.

And the politics? In today’s AustralianTasmanian Greens leader Peg Putt blames the drop in their vote from 22 per
cent in a poll four weeks ago to 16 per cent on Saturday on the “grubbiest,
most vicious” smear campaign in Tasmanian political history.

Well, whackos love conspiracy theories – but why doesn’t Putt ask Gary
Morgan or any other pollster about what
they think keeps happening to the Greens.

They’ll probably suggest that undecided voters nominate the Greens when
pollsters talk to them as it sounds better than a dunno. They’ll also probably
add that negative campaigning against the Greens – like we saw from all sides
in Tasmania – locks in support behind the major
parties. The Green vote collapses. The undecideds are frightened. And they’ll
also tell you that Tasmania is the perfect microcosm, the
perfect test-market, to prove the truth of this argument. Just look at the
results.

Greens are big on limits on growth. Why won’t they admit that there are
limits on what they can poll?