Labor Shoots Down Greens’ Proposal for Power-Sharing Negotiations

Polls suggest Labor may not win a majority at the next election.

Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt and Housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather speak to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Nov. 25, 2024. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Federal Labor has dismissed a Greens’ proposal to begin negotiating priorities in case it loses its majority at the next federal election.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt argued that agreeing to policies in the event of a hung parliament could bring significant benefits.

The last minority government was in 2010 between the Gillard-led Labor Party and four crossbenchers: independents Andrew Wilkie, Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor, and the Green’s Bandt.

“I think the priority for us in that situation if that is what the Australian people choose—and many commentators say it is very likely—is that it should be a stable, effective, and progressive parliament,” Bandt told ABC TV.

When asked if Labor would consider a formal power-sharing arrangement with the Greens, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher was slow to accept such a proposition.

“I think, again, we’ve seen Adam Bandt get ahead of himself a number of times in the last year,” she told ABC TV on Dec. 4.

“We are campaigning for a majority government. We think that’s what brings stability and certainty to the parliament.”

Bandt acknowledged that a formal coalition governance was unlikely but maintained that “the onus would be on all of us to make sure it is stable, effective, and progressive.”

Bandt Says More Could be Done on Climate, Health

In 2010, the Greens were able to influence Medicare’s inclusion of dental care for children.

Bandt said the party could also galvanise further action on climate, housing, and health.

“Our position will be to keep [Opposition Leader] Peter Dutton out and push the next government to act on health, housing, climate, and the environment,” Bandt said.

He dismissed speculation about tying support to current Labor leader Anthony Albanese, noting, “The Labor Party gets to choose their leader, and we deal with whoever they choose.”

The Greens Policy Aboutface

Last week, Labor passed 30 laws in Parliament, clearing a legislative backlog that had stalled for nearly a year.

It was collaboration with the Greens, who hold the balance of power in the Senate, that allowed these bills to sail through as the Liberal-National Coalition refused to accept several policy proposals on ideological and practical grounds.

In recent weeks, the minor party has decided to adopt a more conciliatory approach—rather than act as a “protest party”—following several underwhelming election results this year in Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.

Part of their pitch has also been to work with Labor so that it keeps the Dutton-led Coalition out of power.

“We are now just months away from an election, and we want to focus on keeping Peter Dutton and his fear-mongering politics of division out of the lodge,” said Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi.

AAP has contributed to this article.