Since then, we’ve made our mark on Australian history and improved life for all Australians. In 1980 we secured the balance of power for the first time. This was an impressive achievement by any measure, enabling us to ‘keep the bastards honest’ just three years into our existence. Our first major achievement came in the form of the 1980/81 Budget. While Don Chipp had committed to not block the bu
dget, other voices prevailed because it was so unpopular. John Howard, the treasurer at the time, had proposed a budget which included an increase of 2.5 per cent in the sales tax. The Democrats blocked this measure, along with other proposals unpopular with the public, such as the re-introduction of high education fees and the denial of dole payments to the spouses of strikers. By 1982 we were considered the first environment party. Colin Mason prevented the destruction of World Heritage Areas, specifically the Franklin River. His World Heritage Properties Protection Bill 1982 wrote international conventions into the laws of the land. In 1986, Don Chipp retired from parliament and stepped down as our leader. He was replaced by Janine Haines, the first woman to lead a political party in Australia. Janet Powell explained the rise of women in the Democrats as a result of its democratic ethos. By 1986 almost half of our members were women. Janine Haines lead us into our second decade on the Australian political scene. Under Haines’ leadership we continued our fight for the environment and saved the Daintree Forest. We also protected the civil liberties of all Australians by blocking the introduction of the Australia card. Haines stepped down in 1990 in order to pursue a seat in the House of Representatives. We experienced frequent leadership changes over the next two decades:
Michael Macklin (1990 interim)
Janet Powell (1990-1991)
John Coulter (1991-1993)
Cheryl Kernot (1993-1997)
Meg Lees (1997-2001)
Natasha Stott Despoja (2001-2002)
Brian Grieg (2002 interim)
Andrew Bartlett (2002-2004)
Lyn Allison (2004-2008)
Throughout our second two decades we held the balance of power and made a name for ourselves in our fight for a better world. We fought relentlessly for peace, human rights, our environment, industrial relations, health, equality and women’s rights. On the peace front, we were the only party to oppose the first Gulf War. Our parliamentarians recalled the Senate, and ultimately the entire parliament, to debate Australia’s involvement in it. We were at the forefront of the movement against joint American military bases in Australia. We also called for a ‘Pacific Zone of Peace’ from which all nuclear warships and weapons should be excluded. Lyn Allison introduced a bill to prohibit the Australian Defence Force from using cluster bombs which indiscriminately kill and maim innocent civilians in war zones. Human rights have always been at the forefront of our policies. We fought for the rights of people in Tibet and East Timor and have always opposed mandatory detention of refugees. The Australian Democrats were the first party to realise the negative health impacts of smoking. We refused donations from the to***co industry and banned print to***co advertising. An industrial relations system of choice was implemented in 1996 under the Democrats’ watchful eye. John Howard’s WorkChoices would have been realised much sooner had we not stepped in and evened the scales. Howard’s highly unpopular industrial relations reforms were only possible once we no longer held balance of power. We stood up for women when no one else would. The RU486 debate that led to a landmark conscience vote on a woman’s right to reproductive choice was led by our then leader, Lyn Allison. Natasha Stott Despoja regulated pregnancy counselling services to ensure women would have access to information detailing the type of advice they would receive prior to calling. And we submitted a bill funding paid maternity leave for all working women, a bill which has been of great discussion since Rudd’s rise to power in 2007. Our fight for equality has been an energetic and ongoing battle. We strengthened the Sexual Discriminations Bill in the early 80s to prevent discrimination against women in clubs. We called for an end to discrimination on the basis of sexuality and prohibited discrimination in non-public service superannuation against same-sex couples. Now the Australian Democrats stand, once again, united and looking towards a greater future and a stronger Australia.
