The Greens NSW have labeled as desperate and unprincipled the plea by the NSW Labor Party president Michael Lee yesterday for the Liberals to preference Labor ahead of the Greens in the inner city seats of Balmain and Marrickville (‘ALP chief urges Libs to put Greens last’, page 5, Financial Review today).
Greens candidate for Balmain and Leichhardt Mayor Jamie Parker said:
“Labor knows they can’t win these seats based on their record and their policies so they are trying to scrape in on Liberal preferences,” Mr Parker said.
“Having falsely accused the Greens in the past of making secret deals with the Liberals, Labor is now reduced to openly pleading with the Liberals to save them from defeat.
“It’s unprincipled because having trashed the good name of progressive politics, Labor is now trying to trash the progressive vote to save its own hide.
Greens candidate for Marrickville and local Mayor Fiona Byrne said:
“The Greens are not relying on Liberal preferences for our campaign for Marrickville. We are campaigning to win the seats based on our positive policies and our strong local vote,” Ms Byrne said.
“The Greens did not get Liberal preferences in the Leichhardt and Marrickville local government elections yet we now hold the mayoralty in both Councils.
Greens MP and lead Upper House candidate David Shoebridge said,
“The policies and political culture of both NSW Labor and the Coalition are so similar it is no wonder they are joining together to oppose the Greens,” Mr Shoebridge said.
“As the election draws closer we’re likely to see more of this kind of response to the electoral challenge posed by the Greens".
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