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Greens senator Lee Rhiannon has hit out at her leader Richard Di Natale's leadership style, deepening a bitter split within the party.
Key points:
- Senator Rhiannon was accused of undermining Greens Gonski 2.0 negotiations, banned from party room
- She said said she "didn't do anything wrong" and is disappointed with Richard Di Natale's leadership
- Greens senator Nick McKim, the party's acting whip, said internal fight would not be easily resolved
The New South Wales senator also said she has done nothing wrong and does not deserve a temporary ban from the party room.
Several Greens senators have publicly rebuked her comments, saying they support Senator Di Natale as party leader.
Senator Rhiannon was excluded from discussions about contentious legislation last week after a bitter internal fight, which saw her accused of undermining her party's negotiations over Gonski 2.0.
Greens senators have accused her of breaching their faith and acting dishonestly.
Senator Rhiannon has denied this and said she felt bullied and harassed.
The temporary ban was an attempt to bring the NSW branch of the Greens into line with the federal party on key policy decisions.
But Senator Rhiannon told the ABC 's Insiders program that she is proud of how her NSW members campaigned on school funding.
She has defended their right to participate in party decisions, even when they contradict the federal party's position.
"I didn't do anything wrong and I'm proud of how our members engage on this issue," she said.
Senator Rhiannon said the internal dispute went "to the heart" of who the Greens are as a political party.
Unlike other political parties, the NSW branch can instruct Senator Rhiannon on how to vote, even if it contradicts the federal party's position.
Senator Rhiannon defended that distinct style of participatory democracy again today, while also taking a shot at moderate leader Senator Di Natale's vision of the party.
"I have been disappointed in Richard's leadership," she said.
"You need to lead for everybody.
"At the moment it's not just me who has been locked out of the party room, the Greens NSW members no longer have a voice in the party room."
Greens senator Nick McKim, the party's acting whip, rejected those statements and said Senator Di Natale was "showing great leadership".
"Remember, all our party room bar one acknowledged a problem," he said on Twitter.
Greens senators Larissa Waters, Rachel Siewert, and Peter Whish-Wilson have also tweeted their support for Senator Di Natale.
No easy solution in sight
Senator McKim told Sky News the internal fight would not be easily resolved.
He said the temporarily ban was not personal, but the result of a longstanding structural problem that needed to be addressed.
"I wouldn't expect that this is a matter that will be resolved overnight or anything like that," he said.
"It's our hope in the party room and that it can be moved forward at a reasonable pace."
Senator Rhiannon said the issue would not be resolved without a fight.
"Changing the rules isn't going to happen overnight and what is being raised by many members to me … is that it's time to make the party more democratic," she said.
"The [federal] party room can't change the rules — we do have democracy in our party still."
She said the structural issue might not be resolved at all.
"Just to rob [NSW] members of their rights, I just can't see that happening," she said.
Temporary ban reveals party factions
The political fight over Senator Rhiannon has also exposed differences between the more moderate and pragmatic Greens members, and the more hardline activists.
Senator Rhiannon said she would always work with social and environmental activist groups to create change.
"We need to ensure that we are a party that is based on its members," she said.
"I don't think there is anything wrong with young members who join the party who want to talk about socialism, who have a different vision for the world, who want to have a say for their own life."
In a statement, Senator Di Natale said the Greens were a party with "proud activist traditions", but were also a party that wants to "make a difference".
Topics: government-and-politics, political-parties, greens, australia, nsw
First posted