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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Queensland Greens founder considers legal action after being expelled from party
The founder of the Queensland Greens is considering both his legal and political options after being officially expelled from the party over what it considers his pursuit of debate harmful to trans people but that he frames as an issue of free speech. The decision to terminate Drew Hutton's life membership of the Greens was upheld by delegates of the state branches on Sunday, who voted to back the findings of the party's Constitution and Arbitration Committee (CAC) and reject Hutton's appeal. 'This decision reflects the Greens' position as endorsed by its membership – that trans rights are non-negotiable human rights, a position publicly reaffirmed in 2022,' Queensland Greens convener Gemmia Burden said in a statement. 'No one should be subjected to violence or hate speech on the basis of their gender, nor their race, sexual identity, ethnicity or religion. 'It is disheartening to see that Mr Hutton has prioritised his perceived right to free speech over the safety of others.' Hutton issued his own statement declaring that the party he founded had 'lost its way'. 'They have abandoned the historic mission I believed they had when I founded the party, a mission to help bring about an ecologically sustainable world,' he said. Hutton told the Guardian he was seeking legal opinion and also considering 'political options'. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The official story of the termination of Hutton's membership began in June 2022 when Hutton took to Facebook with a series of posts and comments weighing into moves to annul the election of the state convener in Victoria and expel a member from the New South Wales party over what the Greens deemed to be their transphobic comments and writings. Hutton labelled these moves 'authoritarian and antidemocratic' and his post generated heated discussion, some of which he himself deemed 'hurtful and disrespectful'. After a complaint against him, the CAC found that while Hutton himself had not demeaned trans women, he had provided a platform for others to do so and it suspended his membership until such time as he deleted a post criticising the Greens and removed the offending comments made by others. A near two-year standoff ensued in which Hutton abided by the CAC's directive he remain silent but refused to delete the comments on the grounds of free speech, during which time he had no recourse to an appeal. The deadlock broke open in March 2025 when Hutton spoke to the Saturday Paper and later to the Guardian in July. In the interim, Hutton began increasingly sharing articles and opinions on Facebook that criticised what he called 'trans extremists'. These actions saw his membership terminated, enabling Hutton Sunday's avenue of internal appeal. Burden said Hutton's conduct had breached the Queensland Greens code of ethics. 'Throughout this process the former member has refused to engage fairly with the party, sought and expected special treatment and used the media to prosecute his case,' she said. 'The party maintained confidentiality in accordance with its rules.' The Queensland Greens convener said the weekend's decision confirmed 'that party rules apply to everyone' and that 'whether you're a new member or have been one for a long time', the Greens party was a place where everyone would be 'free from discrimination'. 'No member is above the need to treat others with respect, and seeking to weaponise internal processes to pursue personal grievances does not advance the Queensland Greens' work on environmental, climate, economic and social justice,' she said. Hutton said he believed his expulsion signaled 'a crisis point' for the Greens, who have seen their political gains erode in Queensland in recent state and federal elections. 'People are starting to see the Greens as weird and unlikable,' Hutton said.
Epoch Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Greens Co-Founder Says Party Must Return to Environmental Roots After Election Setback
After losing most of its lower house seats at the recent election, the co-founder of the Australian Greens says the party needs to return to its environmental roots and adopt a more pragmatic approach. Drew Hutton founded the Queensland Greens, and co-founded the Australian Greens alongside retired Senator Bob Brown in the early 1990s. Hutton now is on the party outer and his membership suspended after opposing the participation of male-to-female trans people in women's activities and sports. The environmental activist, who once chained himself to a tree in the Brisbane's Queen Street Mall, said that if the Greens wanted to expand their base, they needed to promote proper green causes. 'It wasn't a disaster for the Greens. But the Greens have plateaued in their support,' Hutton told The Epoch Times, adding that preferences contributed to the end result. 'My concern is that they are not pursuing strategies which allow them to talk to ordinary Australians,' he said. Related Stories 4/9/2025 9/6/2022 Activist Drew Hutton in his heyday chained to a tree in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall. The co-founder of the Australian Greens and founder of the Queensland Greens, is now at odds with the party he founded over his support of women's rights. He remains active. Courtesy of Drew Hutton 'They locked into the youth vote, but the older people get, the less they vote the Greens.' While the party's overall vote only declined by 0.2 percent, the swing of preferences saw the party lose three of its four lower house seats, including party leader Adam Bandt's seat of Melbourne, which he has held since 2010. Bandt recorded a 4.8 percent primary swing away from him. 'I think what puts people off is they talk down to people too much and they're not pragmatic enough, they've been too combative,' Hutton said. 'I'm not convinced the Albanese government is going to be receptive to good environmental reforms ... the Greens need to take it right up to the Labor government. 'I've got no problem being aggressive on those things, but they have to be important (things).' A new Greens leader is yet to emerge and Hutton says the decision will be critical because it could either drive the party back to its origins, or see it drift further away. Greens for Gaza Last year, the Greens leadership had hoped to expand its share of seats across several elections, but this did not eventuate. One of the main factors blamed has been the party's focus on backing Palestine in the Israel-Hamas War. Greens MPs was often present at pro-Palestinian rallies and university encampments. In response, one Melbourne Jewish man even lodged Following the election, defeated Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the Gaza issue was their downfall. 'No spin by Adam Bandt can change the reality that he, and other Green members, lost their seats because of their appalling treatment of the Jewish community,' he said. 'Australians were rightly disgusted at their behaviour.' Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said Bandt's approach to the conflict, which levelled all blame on Israel for Oct. 7, 2023, was not supportive of Palestinians. 'It shows that he is not a supporter of Palestinians at all,' he told the Australian Jewish News. 'He is an exploiter of them. They only interest him as a gimmick through which he can express his hatred for Israel. 'The Greens claim to be counter-establishment and progressive. But they are rooted in the old, failed ideology of communism and the socialism of fools—anti-Semitism.' Labor's Foreign Minister Penny Wong criticised Bandt for his 'aggressive' approach. 'I think Australians rejected the politics of conflict and the politics of grievance,' she said. While Labor Minister Tanya Plibersek said the Greens were no longer a party of environmentalists. 'I don't think the Greens is the party of (founder) Bob Brown anymore,' she said.
