Inclusiveness now! Practical ways to reach working class voters
With climate disaster on our doorstep, can we afford to keep Green politics trapped in a middle class inner city terrarium?
Presenters
Helen Said is a lone Green in Melbourne’s Outer North, a Single Mothers Action Group campaigner and a former Tramways Union activist. She has been politically active over 30 years and has a wealth of experience to share about how to activate and empower low income earners.
Barry Simpson has been politically active for over 40 years. He joined the Greens in 2002. As a State and local Returning Officer he has produced detailed analyses of election results. As co-presenter, Barry will be discussing “What we as Greens need to do to become more than an 8-10 % Party.”
Outline
Why are our politics trapped in a middle class terrarium? With climate disaster on our doorstep, there’s never been a better time to crash through the glass wall and spread our influence to staunch ALP electorates. Helen Said has been involving working class voters in political action for 30 years as a Tramways trade unionist, a grass roots suburban activist and a single mother campaigner. Together Greens can break out of the “Triangular Terrarium” and build inclusiveness now!
Aims – increase votes and membership in traditional ALP suburbs. Help Greens members identify where practices are unconsciously non-inclusive of working class members/voters and how to make changes. Make people just as conscious of anti-working class bias as they are of racist/sexist bias
Format - voting/membership analysis linking poor income to low Green votes followed by analysis, speech, discussion, brainstorming and formation of “inclusiveness networks”
Audience: greens branch members, leaders and supporters
Outcomes: ideas presented to executive bodies for future adoption and action, members to formulate proposals for their branches, inclusiveness awareness campaigns.
Some thought provoking questions for intending participants:
* What do you think are the barriers to inclusiveness and diversity within the Greens?
* What would be the future consequences to the Greens of indefinitely remaining a middle class inner city based party?
* What are the major concerns of voters in safe ALP seats and how can we appeal to these voters?
* Think about successful organisations and social gatherings in working class suburbs – what common features do they share and what can we learn from them?
* Think about the positive qualities that many older, working class and non-Anglo Saxon voters can contribute to the Greens
