[Pil-pc-oceania] Permaculture People's Party

[permaculture at apollobay.org.au]

Good that there's more political parties springing up... the more diversity
the better!

I also don't have any objection to the Greens, but I know quite a few
people (including myself) who would hesitate to become a member of the
Greens, but would join the PPP.

I see the difference between the Greens and the PPP, like the difference
between Landcare/ Greening Australia and a Permaculture Organisation.

I don't see how PPP is an oxymoron.

I don't think the PPP would splinter the Greens vote.  Rather, I think it
would add to it.  There are some people who wouldn't vote for the Greens,
but would vote for PPP.  If the option of the PPP became available, some
people would change their vote from a mainstream party, some people would
not donkey vote anymore, and some people may even enrol to vote.
   
There would also be another party who would preference the Greens.

In my seat of Western Victoria (for the State Government upper house), we
had the situation of a candidate (from the DLP) being elected in on
preference votes, even though they only had less than 2% of the primary
vote.  The Greens had the most primary votes, but because the majority of
other parties gave their preferences to the DLP, the DLP candidate got in. 
If the Greens and the PPP preferenced each other, then we would be
supporting each other, and adding more strength to the Greens & PPP's final
outcome.

Declan Kennedy at the end of his IPC8 speech, urged permaculturalists to
get involved in politics "To get things done, get the taxes changed and get
the priorities changed" 

But I agree with Dave's sentiment that "we all have to find our own way
with that"

cheers
Fern  

Original Message:
-----------------
From: David Arnold arnold.vt at gmail.com
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 11:21:52 +1000
To: pil-pc-oceania at lists.permacultureinternational.org
Subject: Re: [Pil-pc-oceania] Permaculture People's Party


As Deb said, "So many new political parties, so few elections!!!"   I agree.


I don't really have any objection to the Greens.  For what you can set out
to do from the top down end, the kinds of things the Greens say and do seems
fine to me.

PPP seems like an oxymoron.

And I am reluctant to contribute to splintering the [small g] green vote
even further.

If the Greens do what they can through the political process, that flies the
flag there, and leaves us permies free to do what we can at the edge.  I
feel that, yes, the action is at the edge.

I know it is difficult to balance edge and mainstream.....  I personally
struggle with wanting to engage the local council more and more, as the next
step on from our village 'council' which is already fairly actively green.
[yes, even considering suggestions to run for council, but absolutely not
wanting to].....  not wanting to get sucked in to their institutional
inertia and mainstream paradigm.  All power to others who are able to
achieve good things by doing that.

This tension between applying our energies at the edge or into the
mainstream is absolutely part and parcel of our challenge as permies, and we
all have to find our own way with that.

dave




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