2016-03-09
Greens Federal Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt MP today said Anthony Albanese’s extraordinary statement yesterday was a desperate move by Labor to try to shore up Liberal preferences in seats around the country in order for some of their frontbench to continue their careers.
“Labor is now desperately begging the Liberals for preferences in seats around the country to allow Labor party Members of Parliament to continue their careers,” Mr Bandt said.
“I like Anthony Albanese, but he has gone from fighting Tories to begging Tories.”
“Anthony Albanese likes to say Malcolm Turnbull is Tony Abbott in a top hat, but now Albanese is Oliver going up to Malcolm Turnbull with a begging bowl and saying ‘I had your preferences last election, please sir, can I have some more?’”
“It speaks volumes about the modern Labor party that they are reliant on the Liberals to keep their seats in Parliament.”
“Let’s remember what happened in the last Federal Election. Labor and the Liberals worked together to try to keep the Greens out of the House of Representatives.”
“There was a deal between Labor and the Liberals to try and maintain Parliament as a closed shop and keep every seat around the country a two-horse race.”
“In my seat of Melbourne, we had the Liberals preferencing Labor ahead of the Greens and over the river we had Labor giving their preferences to Tony Abbott ahead of the Greens.”
“Anthony Albanese should do what I had to do at the last election and win a seat in his own right without having to rely on Liberal preferences.”
Media contact: Adam Pulford, 0429 109 054