Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has publicly joined the chorus of criticism directed at the Greens following their poor performance in the recent House of Representatives elections. Labor candidate Sarah Witty has secured the Melbourne seat against the Greens’ leader, Adam Bandt, leaving the party without a leader just three years after a historic election in which they captured four seats and strengthened their Senate presence.
As vote counting nears completion, Witty is leading with 52.7 per cent of the votes, reflecting an 8.28 per cent swing toward Labor. While the Greens have yet to concede, Albanese has indicated that Bandt’s prospects appear bleak. He pointedly remarked that outgoing Greens housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather, who lost in Griffith, should reflect on his recent comments about Parliament being a “bloody awful” workplace, describing them as “a bit rich” given his electoral rejection.
Chandler-Mather had made controversial remarks about the parliamentary environment during an ABC radio interview. Albanese responded by suggesting that he should reconsider how he approaches questioning in Parliament, particularly in light of the allegations he previously made against Albanese.
Despite the Greens’ struggles in the House, they performed better in the Senate, where they are expected to retain their eleven seats and maintain a balance of power, though final results may take some time to ascertain. Albanese speculated that the Greens’ poor electoral outcome could be attributed to their perceived collaboration with the Coalition on various legislative issues, which he referred to as the “Noalition.”
He expressed hope that the new Senate will acknowledge these concerns and reflect on the reasons for the Greens’ disappointing results. Notably, while Adam Bandt had previously championed the party’s breakthrough in the House, his leadership is now facing significant challenges as the party navigates these electoral setbacks.
Overall, while Labor celebrates its substantial victories, the Greens are left grappling with internal strife and the implications of their electoral performance.