The election

I don't know anyone who isn't shaking their head in disbelief over this election. Labor has suddenly come up with very dodgy policies. Gillard is making it up as she goes along, and failing. The prospect of a Coalition in government is too frightening to contemplate. And election based on regressive policies about climate change and boat people - hard to believe, but here we are. So, in the interest of hope, here is Bob Brown's reaction to last night's dismal, polite, scripted, restricted debate. And a reminder that The Greens (a party which does not accept political donations from big business) do have policies about a range of issues, that do not alter when it alteration finds (ie, respond to polling outside the party).

This is from the sbs website. My bold.

The national leaders' debate between Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott failed to cover a range of vital issues that Australians want the views of their political leaders on.

Boats and Kevihn Rudd far outweighed hospitals, public transport, highspeed rail and the environment in the Gillard Abbott debate.

The debate ignored national dental health care, funding for mental health, housing, Australia's forests and the fragile Murray Darling Basin.

There was no mention of local government, ending discrimination in marriage laws, saving rural farmlands from open cut coal mines, a new vote on a republic or saving the Great Barrier Reef.

The threat of an Abbott-controlled Senate versus the Greens' responsible record was also completely over-looked.

Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott's refusal to include myself as leader of the Australian Greens shows their unwillingness to be confronted on issues that require real political leadership.

Over a million people voted for the Greens last federal election and more are expected to this year.

Third parties are included in national election debates in many other nations including recently in the UK and in Canada, where the Greens were included with only one member of Parliament.

The Greens have called for three debates regulated by an independent election debate commission.