2012 - The 20th Anniversary Year

20 years ago in North Sydney at a small press conference the Australian Greens was launched as a national political party. Who would have foreseen that within 20 years the Greens would be in the balance of power in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate federally, and in Tasmania and the ACT Assembly?

Watch our 20th Anniversary video

 

More than 1.6 million Australians voted for the Greens in 2010 and our support is growing!

The Greens provide a real alternative to the tired, cynical politics of Labor and the Liberal party. Unlike the two old parties, the Greens have a proud history of standing up for what is right, not just what is easy or what polls well.

Over the course of the last four decades, the Greens have become the third force in Australian politics. Across Australia there are currently Greens representing you at every level of government: nine Greens Senators and 1 MP in the Federal Parliament, 21 Greens Members in State Parliaments and more than 100 Greens councillors (including several Mayors and Deputy Mayors) working in local communities.

The Greens are much more than an environmental party.  While promoting meaningful and smart solutions to ensure future generations of Australians have clean air, clean water and clean soil – the Greens are also working in many other areas to champion integrity, decency and fairness.

As well as representing constituents, the Greens speak on behalf of those who wouldn’t otherwise get much of a say inside parliament: children, refugees, students, individuals and families living in poverty and, of course, our natural environment.
The Australian Greens are also part of the Global Greens network, which includes around 70 Greens parties established worldwide. Find out more about the Global Greens at www.globalgreens.org

Our core beliefs:

Ecological sustainability

Good economic management means taking care of our earth - not treating our most precious resources like a giant business in liquidation: ‘everything must go!’.  The levels of pollution in our atmosphere mean that business-as-usual will no longer work if we want to avoid dangerous climate change. The future for Australia can still be a prosperous one if we build our economy on green principles rather than short-term self-interest.
 
Grassroots participatory democracy

Real progress comes when enough people believe it is possible to make a difference and decide to do something about it. All Greens members and supporters are driven by the desire to work towards a better Australia. In contrast to the two major parties, which are run by executives in head office, the Greens involve members in key decisions and our campaigns are powered by thousands of ordinary people volunteering their time, skills and support.
 
Social justice

Many of the social problems we have today – crime, discrimination, disease, poverty – could be dramatically improved if we focus on eliminating extreme inequality in Australia and across the world. The Greens believe that it should be the priority of all governments to alleviate poverty and to extend opportunity to all members of society.
 
Peace and non-violence

Australia’s foreign policy should be based on dialogue, diplomacy and cooperation, not aggression. Trying to prevent or counter violence with violence itself will not work. The Greens are committed to peaceful and non-violent solutions locally, nationally and internationally.

 

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