Green Amy MacMahon is ready to take on Trad for South Brisbane seat

ROOKIE Greens candidate Amy MacMahon yesterday launched her “grassroots” campaign against the state’s second most powerful politician, Jackie Trad.

Greens candidate for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon. Picture: Ric Frearson

ROOKIE Greens candidate Amy MacMahon has launched her “grassroots” campaign against the state’s second most powerful politician, Jackie Trad.

Handed the keys to drive the campaign for South Brisbane, which The Greens describe as their “most winnable” seat at the upcoming state election, Ms MacMahon insists she is comfortable carrying the lofty hopes of the party on her shoulders.

Party heavyweights were yesterday in Brisbane to officially launch their campaign for the state election despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk remaining coy on a possible polling date.

Ms MacMahon indicated her Green preferences were set to flow to Labor when the election does come, saying One Nation and the LNP will be preferenced last.

Following Ms Trad’s support of the Adani mine in Central Queensland, Ms MacMahon said the Deputy Premier had deserted her voter base in South Brisbane.

Greens candidate for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon, with Greens leader Richard Di Natale. Picture: Ric Frearson

“I think people see the two major parties as not being very different – people are really fed up, they’re really unhappy with corporate donations and people can see the Deputy Premier right in the middle of all of this,” she said.

“The Labor Party have really let people down, they have failed to tackle corruption, they have failed people with the housing crisis and this ongoing support of Adani has left people feeling really betrayed.”

Greens insiders believe they are within 450 votes of ousting Ms Trad, following the landmark victory of Jonathan Sri in the Gabba ward for the Brisbane City Council election last year.

Unpopular with other minor parties, Ms MacMahon said the Greens would support the Government’s plan to forge ahead with Cross River Rail.

Despite calling for a ban on all corporate donations, the Greens would support the continuation of union donations, Ms MacMahon said.

“What we are currently talking about at the moment is banning corporate donations, we know when corporations have an interest in the decisions that Governments are making, you get very mercy decision making here in Queensland,” she said.

“I think it’s important to make a distinction between unions who serve to meet the needs of their members and workers and corporations whose sole interest is the bottom line of their businesses.”