Bob Brown: Bill Shorten would have won if Labor killed Adani

Greens founder Bob Brown has sensationally proclaimed Bill Shorten would have won the 2019 federal election if he had made one key promise, even if it meant losing more Queensland seats.

Greens founder Bob Brown has sensationally proclaimed Bill Shorten would have won the 2019 federal election if he promised to kill off the Adani coal mine.

Mr Brown also says the party should push for “just” climate targets and further big business taxes in the event it holds the balance of a hung parliament.

He said Mr Shorten would have led Labor to victory had he taken the anti-coal stance, by winning more seats in southern cities than he would have lost in crucial Queensland seats.

His comments come as the Greens indicate they will push a Labor government for a six month ban on new coal and gas projects.

Then Prime Minister Julia Gillard shakes hands with Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown as after signing of an agreement between the Labor Party and the Greens at Parliament House in Canberra in 2010. Picture: Ray Strange

They will also start negotiations for a tax on billionaires and big business, a $20bn free childcare plan, adding dental and mental health to Medicare and a social housing scheme.

Mr Brown, who led the party during the Gillard minority government and headed the anti-Adani convoy into central Queensland in 2019, gave his own advice that the party would have to take a strong stance on negotiations and that Labor would need to be pushed along on climate, education and big business taxes.

“What you get from a government after negotiating government is all you will get,” Mr Brown said.

“Independents might let Labor off the hook with weaker conditions.

“More than a decade down the line it will be up to the Greens to negotiate just targets, and their targets are not what Labor or Liberal want, but I would argue it’s what the public want.”

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has repeatedly ruled out striking a deal with the Greens, declaring he would not negotiate with “fringe groups”.

He has also indicated he will seek to implement a tax on multinationals.

Mr Brown said he did not have regrets regarding the anti-Adani convoy, which saw swings to the Coalition in central and northern Queensland seats, delivering Scott Morrison government.

“I’m very glad we had that convoy to Clermont,” Mr Brown said. “If Bill Shorten had stuck to his guns and said the mine was not going ahead, they would have won more seats in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide than they lost up there.”

Locals and pro-Adani supporters gather outside the Commercial Hotel to protest against anti-Adani environment activists in Clermont, in April 2019. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Asked if minority government would lead to more chaos and instability, echoing the Gillard-Rudd years, Mr Brown said it would perform better for voters.

“The major parties have made an art form of chaos and instability,” he said. “It’s time for them to have a hand on their shoulder and time in minority government. It will do them good and the public will be better for it.”

Mr Brown said the move to shoot down the CPRS in 2009 was the right move because the carbon tax put up by the Gillard government in 2011 was a better policy, even though it was “destroyed” by the Abbot government.

“Not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good is a very Labor statement. That’s because they are Liberal-lite,” he said.