Greens say they will not direct preferences to Labor in 15 seats after party’s ‘unforgivable’ decision earlier in week
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The Greens have retaliated against Labor’s decision to run an open ticket in a key inner-city seat by refusing to direct preferences to the party in 15 electorates across the state at this month’s Victorian election.
The move has sparked a war of words between the two parties, with each accusing the other of striking a “dodgy deal” that could help the Liberals and One Nation get elected on 28 November.
On Friday, the Greens confirmed they would only be directing voters to number the Greens one and One Nation last across 15 electorates.
The decision follows Labor’s decision on Tuesday to run an open ticket in the inner Melbourne seat of Prahran, where the Greens had been counting on Labor preferences to win it back. It has been held by the Liberals on a tiny 1.3 per cent margin – after the Greens lost it at a byelection in 2025.
At the time, Greens leader Ellen Sandell told Guardian Australia Labor’s “unforgivable” decision could hand the upcoming election to a Liberal-One Nation coalition.
A Labor spokesperson turned the accusation back on the Greens on Friday, mirroring Sandell’s language.
