John Coulter
Do you think the Democrats or any of the alternative parties will ever break through the two-party system?
Well, it's depressing that after 15 years of bloody hard work we still have only have 11 members of parliament, seven in the Senate and two each in the NSW and SA parliaments. It indicates just how hard it is to break into that system, but every election we have done better in terms of either vote or representation or both. We would expect to continue to increase our representation. But I think it really does indicate just how hard it is.
You were quoted last week indicating a possible alliance with the Greens sometime in the future. Do you think alliances are the way to go?
We are a totally democratic party. All our decisions are made by all the members, whether it's the position of leader or policies and everything else. Any decision like that would be left with the members. That is something that needs to be pursued after the election. It will be pursued through the process of discussion through the journal and some sort of a ballot of the members.
There has been some breaking of the stranglehold of the two-party system in NZ, with the formation of the Alliance. Do you think there is any possibility of something like that happening in Australia in the future?
We have seen people break away from the ALP at various times. The Labor Party has moved a long way from its traditional roots. The founding fathers of the ALP would turn in their graves to think that Labor has sold some of [the Commonwealth Bank] off.
At some point people will just have to recognise that Labor is no longer a labour party. Labor is very much an economic rationalist party, not all that different in philosophical position, now, from the Liberals. One is just a harsher and more oppressive version of the other.
Will Democrat parliamentarians be working with other minor party or independent parliamentarians if elected?
We have already. Christabel Chamarette has, I think, voted with us on nearly every occasion, when she's been there in the parliament. She, like Jo Valentine before her, doesn't vote on every bill. I can't recall any occasion, I think there may have been one or two occasions when we may have voted differently. But, you know, she, like ourselves, we have a conscience vote on every issue. But, generally speaking, we vote together and we work together very well.
We are very disappointed that the Labor Party has moved so far away from its traditional roots and as long as it continues to be in that position any sort of viable future must lie with parties other than the two old parties. Because there is no future with Labor or the
Can you make any prediction about how Democrat members might feel about a unity process after the election and in the future?
The only indication so far is the ballot which was taken several years ago. On that occasion, it was taken with respect to unity with the Tasmanian Greens. That ballot indicated that, while our members wanted very close cooperation with the Tasmanian Greens, they didn't want to actually fuse with them. That's the current position and it will remain that until it is changed by some further ballot.
There are quite a few members who want a much closer working relationship, and I'm quite sure they will raise the matter in the national journal and start a debate going which will involve the membership, and it will probably result in another ballot.