EDITORIAL: A vote for the teals is playing election roulette with the nation’s future

Politics in Australia has long revolved around two main parties. It was either Labor or Liberal.

But every now and then a new face or faces pops up claiming to offer something fresh and different.

The latest group to fall into this category are the so-called teals, who are big on climate action, integrity in politics, and gender equality.

Historically, these outliers have mostly pursued a narrow agenda backed by horse-trading in the Senate.

But the teals are different, their main theatre is the House of Representatives, and that means they may end up in a position to influence the very make up of government.

If the Federal election polls are to be believed it is looking increasingly likely that neither Labor nor the Coalition will win a majority government, placing the teals — who have enjoyed some of the cash splashed about by activist organisation Climate 200 — in a position to wield an influence far beyond their actual status.

But be warned. Sending the teals into the Parliament is dicing with a radical green agenda which would undermine the very industries which drive Australian jobs and inject billions into the economy and Government coffers.

Indicative of this voting roulette is Western Australia’s Kate Chaney, teal independent for Curtin, whose dance around her position on a resources project vital for the nation’s continued economic growth has raised serious industry concerns.

After the WA Government approved Woodside’s North West Shelf extension, Ms Chaney said the decision was “terrible news for our climate” and that Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek should “consider our long-term future and knock it back”.

Perhaps feeling the heat applied by the Liberals’ bid to win back their formally blue-ribbon money-belt seat, she later walked back her stance.

Last month Ms Chaney said the process should consider the long-term implications for the environment and Australia’s international commitments to cut emissions and decarbonise.

“I think it should only go through if we’re fully costing carbon and we have a robust offset system, and the economics still stack up under those conditions. And I haven’t seen the evidence of that,” Ms Chaney said.

She also said she would not use approval of the project as a bargaining chip should there be a hung Parliament after the election.

Where she ends up on this issue is anybody’s guess.

Victorian Liberal Senator James Paterson came out swinging yesterday when the husband of teal independent Monique Ryan apologised for removing a poster of Liberal challenger Amelia Hamer in Melbourne.

“The teal politicians are the first and the loudest to preach integrity … (and) honesty. But when they think no-one is looking, they behave very differently indeed,” Senator Paterson said.

Putting aside the feel-good vibes, the teals, or shades of blues, or greens, play politics as hard as any.

Voters would be well advised to remember that.