By Anne Casey
Jane Beckman, from Newcastle, heads the NSW Green Alliance Senate ticket in the federal election. Beckman has been active in the women's movement for well over a decade, particularly around working women's issues. She was a founding member of the Nuclear Disarmament Party in Newcastle and has since been active around a wide range of peace and environmental issues. She worked on the railways for 10 years before entering her current profession of nursing.
Beckman explained how the Green Alliance came into being: "The NSW Green Alliance was formed in 1990, when an open public meeting was convened by the Sydney Greens to discuss running candidates in the federal elections of that year. The process was open to anyone who agreed with the four principles of the German Greens: an ecologically sustainable economy, grassroots democracy, social and economic equality, and disarmament and non-violence."
The Green Alliance stood a Senate ticket in the federal election that year. In the following period, local party groups formed in a number of different electorates and became involved in local issues as well as national and international green concerns. These groups ran lower house candidates and collaborated to stand a Green Alliance ticket for the upper house in the 1991 state elections.
Beckman sees one of the strengths of green politics as the ability to reach out and involve other social layers.
"Green politics is about being a broad, diverse formation that is open to everyone who agrees with the four principles — women's organisations, gays and lesbians, Koori groups, environmental groups, trade unions, solidarity organisations.
"We want to campaign on all the issues relating to these social justice and ecological aspects of life.
"For example, we think that industries like woodchipping of native forests aren't necessary. Plantation timbers could provide us with what we need, and we could preserve the forests. So we work hard to convince the timber workers that this is in their interests too. It will ensure them jobs."
Beckman thinks it is very important for Greens to relate to issues that concern women. "We think women's right to abortion is crucial to women's control of their own lives, and we will campaign for this right. It's important that gays and lesbians have equal rights and can be proud of their sexuality. We want to do what we can to make this possible.
"The members of the Green Alliance believe that the issues of environmental preservation and social and economic issues are totally interrelated — one set of issues cannot be solved without simultaneously addressing the others."
The elections offer an opportunity to explain these links between issues, Beckman says. "By campaigning in elections we hope to show possible to preserve the ecology and create jobs, that the problems facing young people today can be solved by involving them in also addressing environmental issues, for example.
"So we are not simply environmentalists who have nothing to say or offer during periods such as the current recession with high unemployment, declining living standards etc. We put forward a complete program which addresses every issue."
There is a real distinction, says Beckman, in the organisational approach of the Green Alliance which sets it apart from the national Green Party being organised by Bob Brown. "Green Alliance has a broader organisational structure than the Green Party. Anyone — individuals, groups, parties — can join if they agree with the four principles.
"One of the real strengths we have is our interest in building alliances, drawing together people who are genuinely concerned with building a broad, democratic movement for fundamental social change.
"We believe that total non-exclusiveness is the key to putting the principles of grassroots democracy into practice. We believe there must be full autonomy for local green parties on all issues and decisions. It is also Green Alliance policy that 50% of candidates nominated at any level of government must be women.
"The Green Party excludes people if they already belong to another party."
There are also some differences on policy questions. "The Green Party in Tasmania, for example, have a conscience vote on abortion. The Lismore Greens don't want to take a stand on gay and lesbian issues.
"Bob Brown has mentioned that he sees the Tasmanian Green-Labor accord as a way forward. But by obligating themselves to support the Labor government, the Tasmanian Green Independents identified greens with socially backward policies and the ALP government's cutbacks.
"We don't see getting seats in parliament as the real way to make gains. At best, that's part of an overall strategy to build up a mass social movement that can change people's consciousness on these issues and provide the political power for fundamental social change.
"We also pride ourselves on being more grassroots and democratic, less focused on 'leaders'."
While Greens should try to overcome disagreements, Beckman believes they can be productive if handled properly.
"These differences are part of a necessary and healthy debate and well in keeping with the spirit of Green politics. The need for diversity is real because Green politics in Australia has only taken on a party organisational form very recently. Maximum participation is required if we are going to reflect the richness and depth of discussion and experience that exists.
"We have far more in common with each other than we do differences. We are all working around the four demands, all addressing issues in the international arena and so on. These things we are doing together
"We have decided to give our preferences to the Green Party so we can do our best to maximise the Green vote. If two Green groups run and do a tight preference swap, then that should maximise the Green vote. We want the two Green parties working together wherever possible.
"All of us as Greens are putting ourselves forward to begin to fill a very big gap. There is a desperate need in this country for a political alternative to the major parties."