Australian Greens: Greens launch Upper House ticket in bid for balance of power

The Victorian Greens have launched their powerful, majority women Upper House ticket for the state election in a bid for a more progressive Parliament next year.

Their candidates will run in every Upper House seat on a campaign for stronger climate action, affordable housing and integrity in politics, and build on the momentum of the ‘Greenslide’ we saw in the recent Federal Election. 

The Greens say they hope to increase their representation in the Upper House come November and hold the balance of power in the Upper House in the next term of Parliament.

Their candidates include:

• Samantha Ratnam. Northern Metropolitan.
• Katherine Copsey. Southern Metropolitan.
• Sarah Mansfield. Western Victoria.
• Bernadette Thomas. Western Metropolitan.
• Dr Cate Sinclair. Northern Victoria.
• Mat Morgan. Eastern Victoria.
• Aiv Puglielli. North-Eastern Metropolitan.
• Alex Breskin. South-Eastern Metropolitan.

In the recent Federal Election more Victorians voted [1] Greens than ever before.

They voted away from the two-party system in favour of parties like the Greens and independents that could hold the Government to account and push them to go further and faster on climate change, housing and integrity.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam, said the party hoped to build on that momentum and increase their representation in Victoria’s Upper House where the Government will not hold a majority and the Greens could hold the balance of power.

In the 2018 state election, the Greens received more than ten per cent of the primary vote in the Upper House, which should have led to them electing four or five MPs.

However, due to the broken Upper House voting system in Victoria, which sees micro-parties elected on a sliver of the vote through dodgy preference whispering, the Greens only saw one MP elected to the Upper House.

Yet this November the Greens hope to build on the success of their vote in the Federal Election to at least double or triple their numbers in the Upper House.

And much of it will lie with where the current Labor Government directs its preferences. Will Labor preference to ensure a progressive Upper House, or will it preference more conservative and in some cases right-wing micro-parties and distort the will of voters?

The Greens are ready to run a strong people-powered campaign across the state.

Quotes attributable to Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam MLC: 

“I’m proud to launch our diverse and progressive candidates for the Upper House today.

“Each of them would be powerful additions to our Parliament and help hold the next Government to account on the issues that matter most to Victorians, like climate change, housing and integrity.

“If the will of voters had been reflected in 2018, the Greens would have at least four Upper House MPs right now. Yet sadly our broken voting system sees the will of voters distorted through dodgy preference whispering.

“This year we’re hoping to build on the momentum of the Federal Election, where Victorians voted for the Greens in record numbers, and increase our representation in the Upper House so we can hold the balance of power.”

Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens Southern Metropolitan candidate, Katherine Copsey: 

“Voters in the Federal Election made clear they wanted action on climate change and integrity, and that parties like the Greens were the ones who could deliver it.

“If we elect more Greens in Victoria, we will tackle the climate crisis by demanding no new coal and gas, create more affordable housing, and hold the government to account.

“As a long-time local and Port Phillip Councillor since 2016, I am passionate about the inner-South’s diverse, caring and connected communities and beautiful but fragile natural environment.

“If elected I’ll provide a strong voice to Parliament for my communities who want to see the next Government go further and faster on climate change, and to see integrity restored in our politics.