Many are disillusioned by the uncaring policies and actions of the two old parties, Labor and the LNP, to the real needs of the Australian public today. Greens believe everyone should be given ‘a fair go’, not just fussing over a pandered elite and multinational corporation lobbies. Read exclusive AMUST interview with Max Chandler-Mather opening up on strong potential for Greens to change the face of Australian politics back to a caring institution.
Daud Batchelor: Max, do you recall a pivotal moment in your early life that influenced you to imagine a life in politics?
Max Chandler-Mather: My earliest political memory was attending with my parents the 2003 anti-Iraq war marches. I would have been 11 and remember walking in these massive crowds. That was a pivotal moment for me. From there, I paid more attention to politics when I got to University (UQ), studying history and English. The more I studied history the more I got interested in politics. I briefly joined the Labor Party because I was inspired by people like Gough Whitlam but quickly learned that Labor couldn’t be changed from within. I left Labor when they reopened Nauru offshore detention refugee camps and cut the single parent’s pension. I realised Labor had drifted too far from its original principles. The pivotal moment in getting me involved in The Greens was when I helped Johnathan Sriranganathan get elected as he asked me to manage his campaign. It was the first time the Greens won a Brisbane Council seat.
Senator Fatima Payman resigned over the issue of Palestinian recognition. Is concern for a continuing Hamas role sufficient to deny immediate Palestinian recognition by the Labor Government?
The Greens think that recognising Palestine is the bare minimum the Government could do in the face of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. 146 countries around the world already recognised Palestine and we believe Australia should follow, along with pressure on Israel to stop its genocide. Further, we want the Australian government to 1) Sanction the Israeli government 2) Expel the Israeli ambassador 3) End all arms trade with Israel 4) Cancel the Elbit System’s contract with the Government since Elbit Systems is blacklisted. Regarding parts manufactured in Australia that go into F35 jets used by Israel, the Dutch court banned export of the same F35 parts because they risk being used by Israel in its genocide.
Given that China has not invaded overseas countries and never targeted Australia, is Australia justified spending up to $368 billion to build 8 nuclear-powered submarines by 2050?
The Greens are completely opposed to the AUKUS deal for a few reasons: 1) It’s a colossal waste of public money. It’ll end up costing much more than $368 billion that otherwise could be invested in more public services 2) It makes for a less safe region and contributes to a dangerous arms race and represents overly slavish loyalty to US foreign policy interests. The Greens believe we should pursue our own independent foreign policy as a proud middle power in the region, fostering peace, not functioning as an arm of the US military. Thirdly, It endangers our sovereignty. Former PM Paul Keating highlighted that AUKUS ties ourselves at the hip to the US military in the Asia-Pacific, which makes conflict more likely, whereas we should be playing a mediating role attempting to de-escalate tensions. They are nuclear-powered attack submarines, not about defending Australia because their strategic utility is that they can operate at huge distances, so they’re about projecting US power into the South China Sea and beyond, not defending Australia.
Could you comment about Labor and LNP ignoring the Israeli genocide of Palestinians?
The Australian government is complicit in genocide as it knows what’s happening in Gaza. Potentially they fall foul of international law because as signatory to the Genocide Convention, they’re obligated where they believe genocide is occurring, to pressure that State for conducting genocide. There’s a growing public disgust with what Israel is doing in Palestine but also a deep, growing frustration with Labor which refuses to stand up for basic human values. We know over 40,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel. 70% are women and children. It’s devastating! Not only has the Labor Government not acted on that, but they took more actions against people standing up for Palestinians, such as when Fatimah Payman bravely crossed the floor to vote with The Greens to recognise Palestine. Now she left the party. That means Labor took more actions to punish Senator Payman than they have against Israel, which is disgraceful. Secondly, at the start of 2024, the government paused UNWRA aid funding. That means again they took more sanctions against Palestinians than they have against Israel. It proves Labor chose their alliance with the US over humanity.
Australian electors are turning away from the two major parties, Labor and the LNP. Does the Greens aspire to become a major party winning government itself?
I believe there will be a Green’s government in the future and you’re seeing signs of that shift already. On the latest polling for 18- to 34-year-olds, Greens drew level with the Coalition, so if only 18 to 34-year-olds voted today, Labor would get 30% and Greens and the Coalition would get 27%, which is remarkable. There’s a growing wave, not just young people, who are deeply frustrated and feel disconnected from both Labor and Liberals because 1) They don’t do a very good job anymore of representing people’s basic interests. 2) People don’t feel there’s much difference between them. The Greens proved we can organise on the ground, door knocking and offering broad popular policies, whether that be bringing dental Medicare, increasing Multinational corporations’ share of tax to restore free University education, and giving everyone opportunities by building more affordable housing. Over future election cycles, Green’s representation will continue to grow to become a major party. We showed how we get there when we won three Queensland lower house seats. The winning strategy is organising thousands to knock on doors, helping people in their day-to-day lives, showing there’s an alternative to the two old disconnected parties. We all believe we’re on the trajectory eventually to form government.
What are three things the Greens are promoting to alleviate the cost of living of average Australians?
Firstly, we want to bring dental and mental health under Medicare. Secondly, we want to introduce rent controls on the amount rents can increase, and build much more affordable housing. The Greens want to set up a public developer to build good quality homes and then rent and sell them at affordable prices much like Singapore does. Finally we believe that the Government should make supermarket price gouging illegal, so change the law that if Coles and Woolworths are caught charging excessively, they should face hefty fines and the government given power to break up these companies, increase competition and drive down prices.
What are other Greens policies you wish to highlight in the lead up to the next Federal elections?
We want to increase taxes on large MNCs, particularly coal and gas corporations. Currently there’s several large gas corporations that often don’t pay any tax despite that they’re selling our resources. We could raise hundreds of billions of dollars from taxing companies like Chevron and Exxon Mobil; and use that to fund cost of living relief. We want to make University free again, funded by those larger taxes on MNCs. For education we want to forgive all outstanding HECS. These policies were costed so they’re perfectly feasible. We also want a long-term plan to phase out coal and gas as main drivers of climate change.
Since October 7, the IDF in Gaza destroyed 34 hospitals, all 12 universities, and 113 schools, killing over 5,480 students and 261 teachers. PM Albanese just condemned Russia for targeting a school in Ukraine killing 20 people, but on the same day Israel targeted a UN school in Gaza killing 29 people. And yet Albanese did not condemn Israel’s actions. What is your comment?
You absolutely demonstrate the hypocrisy of the Australian government that they use these words to condemn Russia for the bombing of that school but they never have the same sort of harsh words for Israel when it has bombed hundreds of schools. The Government has taken 1000 autonomous sanctions against Russia. They have taken zero sanctions against Israel. I ask the Government to explain to the Public why are you valuing Palestinian lives so much less than Ukrainians?
Republished from AMUST, July 26, 2024
Dr Daud Batchelor is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia. He holds an MA in Islamic Civilisation and Diploma in Islamic Studies from the International Islamic University of Malaya, and MEngSc in environmental management from Griffith University. Daud is an AMUST Columnist based in Brisbane, and co-founder of the Islamic College of Brisbane.