Abbott challenges Labor over Greens
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is challenging Labor to follow his lead and preference the Greens last, to give the best chance of delivering a majority government.
As the election campaign enters its 10th day, Abbott announced the Liberals would put the Greens last on all of its how-to-vote cards at the September 7 election.
He said minority government was an “experiment that failed” and called on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to follow his move.
“Show some leadership. Stand up for yourself,” Abbott told reporters in Brisbane.
“I’m going to put the Greens last. Mr Rudd, what are you going to do?”
Abbott has already pledged not to go into minority government should the election result in deadlock, as it did in 2010.
You might like
“This election is about producing a strong government, a majority government,” Abbott said.
Labor says it is arrogant to prejudge the election result.
The Liberals’ move make it highly unlikely the Greens’ deputy leader Adam Bandt will retain his seat of Melbourne, having benefited from coalition preferences at the 2010 election.
Greens leader Christine Milne said the decision only made the party’s resolve stronger.
“It’s just really the signal we need to go even harder to get this seat for Adam,” she said.
“If the Greens aren’t there, who is going to stand up and talk about caring for people and compassion and decency when both of the old parties just want to engage in a race to the bottom?”
Stay informed, daily
The opposition leader said he intended to get all of the coalition’s policies, including abolishing the carbon tax, through both houses of parliament.
“If we are thwarted by a recalcitrant parliament, well there are options under the constitution that we won’t hesitate to take,” he said, pointing to a possible double dissolution election.
Bandt said on Twitter that Labor and the coalition were determined to oust him.
“Must be doing something right!” he wrote.
“Greens on track to win Melb(ourne) in own right.”
Labor frontbencher Richard Marles said no one would expect a conservative party to preference the Greens.
“This is business as usual,” he said.
Nominations for the election close at noon on Thursday and the ballot paper draws will be held on Friday.
Senate preference flow information, known as group voting tickets, will be released over the weekend.
Rudd is in Cairns on Wednesday to unveil a new National Centre for Extreme Weather, to help Australia respond better to natural disasters.
