Where greens support conservatives: lessons from the Rundle minority government in Tasmania 1996-98

This paper examines the Greens’ support of the conservative Liberal Rundle minority government in Tasmania (1996-98) in the context of Tasmania’s political greening, and with an interest in the operation and experience of this government, and its policy impact in a number of key areas. Although Green support of a conservative government is a unique experience thus far in Australia’s history, it is not unknown for Greens to support or even to serve in conservative governments elsewhere at the subnational and the national level. The paper begins by examining these circumstances, before turning to account for Tasmania’s political greening, the LiberalGreen minority government experience, its breakdown, policy impacts, and lessons relevant to the broader literature. It addresses the lack of attention to minority government and support parties in political scholarship, and the experience of green parties participating in government at the subnational level.