I’ll preface this by stating that I’m not a greens voter, but I think Labor voters in particular really need to stop with the idea that they are automatically owed support by the Greens.

I absolutely agree with the adage that ‘perfect is the enemy of good’, but that doesn’t mean all Labor policy which is voted against by the Greens (among others which are never criticised) was going to be the foundation for a good policy.

Labor’s solutions to housing issues, particularly this most recent housing bill were just extremely bad policy - and I’m happy to see them voted down. We need to critically evaluate the success and failures of legislation in the parliament, and rise above tribalism or delegitimising the voting of our elected representatives - because other MPs whose policy was not passed tell us that it is ‘point scoring’. Of course ‘something is better than nothing’, but this most recent bill was another form of ‘nothing’ for everybody struggling to rent or first home buyers - and would have actively benefited the same forces which are parasitically making so much unaffordable right now.

Beyond this, the role of MPs is to vote on legislation (ideally for their constituents or conscience, but generally for their party), and although the Greens are closer to Labor than they are to the Libs, there is no reason why Labor supporters should keep expecting the Greens to roll over and play ball in unison with them. The minor parties simply wouldn’t exist if this was what their voter-base was happy with.

Painting any opposition to simply strong-arming legislation through, under the pretence that it will form a foundation of a better future, and portraying any opposition to this as ‘posturing’ does a disservice to the way our parliament functions and the role of deliberative democracy - and invalidates potentially valid criticism under the balance of pure tribalism.