Bob Brown stands in Denison
By Dave Wright
HOBART — Dr Bob Brown has announced his resignation from state parliament in order to contest the federal lower house seat of Denison for the Greens.
Brown's February 11 press conference got good media coverage, giving welcome publicity to the Greens' campaign. The worried-looking sitting Labor member, Duncan Kerr, had to play second fiddle as the story was carried in the Mercury and run as the first item on television news.
The Liberal candidate, Phil Ryan, appeared happier, evidently believing that Brown would take more votes away from Kerr than from him. Denison was previously considered a reasonably safe ALP seat, requiring a 6.2% swing to fall to the Liberals.
"It's a big job, with the odds against me", Brown said in making his announcement. "But that's never put me off, and it won't now."
Whatever the outcome in Denison, Brown's candidacy can be expected to boost the chances of the Greens' Senate ticket, headed by Dr Judy Henderson.
But some conservationists are concerned that Brown's departure from state parliament leaves too big a gap and could ultimately lead to a downturn in the Greens' political influence. Richard Flanagan, co-author of The Rest of the World is Watching, was quoted in the Australian as saying, "Bob gave the Greens that important sense of momentum. When they lose it, the people will abandon them."
In launching the National Greens campaign in Sydney earlier, Brown said that the issue of jobs would be central to the campaign. Dealing with jobs in Denison, which has a high unemployment rate, will be essential to a good showing.
A good Greens vote will also hinge on the ability to reach out to layers of the community beyond the traditional conservationist base. A real test will come on March 2, when Tasmanian workers will vent their anger at the state Liberal government's anti-worker industrial relations laws. The opportunity exists to build some badly needed bridges between the conservation and trade union movements.
Teresa Dowding, the Democratic Socialist and pro-women's choice candidate for Denison, welcomed Brown's decision to stand. She told Green Left Weekly, "We see this as a positive decision. It widens the choices for the electorate at a time when more people than ever before are dismayed by both Labor and Liberal policies on key issues such as unemployment, women's rights and social justice."
Under the Hare Clark state electoral system used in Tasmania, there are no by-elections. The seat vacated by Brown is automatically filled t who was next on the ticket at the time of the last election. The new member is Peg Putt, director of the Tasmanian Conservation Trust. Christine Milne, member for Lyons, replaces Brown as parliamentary leader.