Anthony Albanese reveals he killed off Gillard government’s 2010 deal with Greens

The Prime Minister has revealed how he killed off the infamous 2010 Labor-Greens agreement, and insisted there would never be one again, writes Joe Hildebrand.

Anthony Albanese has warned the Greens they can make Peter Dutton PM if they want to, revealing he killed off the last Labor-Greens agreement in 2013 and there would never be one again.

Pressed on whether Labor would be forced to reach some kind of agreement with the Greens to form minority government, the Prime Minister said the Greens had no cards to play and he would never do a deal with them.

Asked about the infamous Gillard Government deal of 2010, Mr Albanese revealed that he killed it off in a late-night meeting after Kevin Rudd returned to power.

“It’s something that we did in 2013 when I became Deputy Prime Minister,” he told this masthead.

“There was a meeting at night and people were coming in and the Greens said at that time, what’s in it for us tomorrow? Why should we vote for confidence?

“And my response to them was, you’ve got a choice: Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbott. That’s your choice.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese greets former prime minister Julia Gillard while on the campaign trail in Perth earlier this month. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire

The PM also vented his fury about Greens-linked activists blockading of his electorate office — effectively preventing staff from attending and constituents from getting the help they need — as well as a doorknocking campaign in his electorate that challenged voters about their views on the Gaza conflict.

This comes amid a misinformation campaign in Inner West and South West Sydney that falsely claims Australia is sending arms to Israel.

Anthony Albanese said he will not do a deal with the Greens if Labor forms a minority government. Picture: Mark Stewart / NewsWire

The Grayndler MP said voters “don’t want conflict brought here”.

“They know we’re not participants in this conflict. And some people have tried to portray us as participants and we’re just not.

“So there’s that fake news going around about Australia providing weapons that is just absolute, absolute fabrication.

“And it’s just not true. And it is extraordinary that people have been prepared to say things that they know are not true in order to secure some political advantage.”

The Prime Minister said the Greens and other fringe groups represented overprivileged ideologues more concerned about political purity than outcomes for ordinary working people.

“For some people, for a lot of people who are in the Greens political party or some of the fringe groups, for them it’s an academic exercise who wins government. For so many people who I really care about and I want to represent. For them it’s a real difference in their life. It’s whether they get a decent wage in their job.”

Mr Albanese said the Greens’ rampant activism had hurt vulnerable people and their own supposed causes.

“The idea that you would doorknock for Palestine, that ‘Where do you stand?’ is just frankly incredibly alienating, as is the fact that constituents of mine were stopped getting assistance on social security, on Medicare, on migration issues — including refugee issues,” he said.

“The effective blockade of my office was not just inappropriate, because blocking people from getting assistance is never appropriate, but also completely alienated people from those ideas.”

Greens leader Adam Bandt. Picture: NewsWire / Valeriu Campan

Pressed on why Labor continued to do preference deals with the Greens, the former factional warrior said it was no longer his call — “I’m way past that. Thank goodness!” — but that it would rarely help Greens MPs get elected.

And where three Greens MPs were elected in Brisbane at the last election, Labor is confident of winning at least one of those seats back and possibly all three.

“The truth is that I’ve said very clearly we won’t be entering into deals post-election,” he said.

“People will have a choice if we don’t get to 76. But I believe very firmly that we can and will get to 76 seats.”

For the full interview with Anthony Albanese get The Real Story with Joe Hildebrand wherever you get your podcasts.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese reveals he killed off Gillard government’s 2010 deal with Greens