John Howard defends Liberal deal with United Australia

Former prime minister John Howard has called the Greens the “most extreme party in Australian politics” as he defended the Liberal Party’s preference deal with United Australia Party.

Former prime minister John Howard has defended the preference deal between Liberal and United Australia and slammed the Greens Party.

• Man stabbed in St Marys
• Penrith Anzac Day 2019

Former prime minister John Howard has called the Greens the “most extreme party in Australian politics” as he defended the Liberal Party’s preference deal with Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party.

He also said in addition to the Greens, Get Up and the Labor Party are a “trilogy” in this Federal Election campaign, and “all identified with the same fundamental negative policies”.

This was Mr Howard’s response to questions on the Coalition’s controversial preference deal with Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party when he joined Liberal candidate for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh and Mitchell federal Liberal MP Alex Hawke in Penrith today on the campaign trail.

John Howard and Liberal candidate for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh meet members of the public during a street walk in Penrith. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

They walked the streets of Penrith and Westfield Penrith Plaza talking to residents and getting photos.

It is understood the Liberal Party will exchange preferences with Palmer’s United Australia Party and put it second on its how to vote cards in an effort to gain votes in rural Australia.

Mr Howard said there is “nothing strange” about the deal and said more attention should be focused on the Labor’s preference deal with the Greens.

“I am amazed about people’s fascination with the (Coalition’s) deal, when everybody accepts that it is natural between Labor and the Greens,” Mr Howard said.

“If you want to find an extreme political party in Australia there is only one that qualifies and that is the Greens.

“There are a lot of people who have done things in politics that I don’t agree with, but it is a perfectly natural thing for parties to talk about the exchange of preferences.”

Many politicians, including former Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett, have questioned the deal due to Palmer’s questionable track record.

John Howard said there are parties with far worse policies that Clive Palmer’s.

Mr Howard said while he doesn’t agree with all of Mr Palmer’s policies, there are politicians and parties who are offering worse.

“There are a lot of people who have done things in politics that I don’t agree with and the policies that Mr Palmer is aspousing, I don’t agree with them all but they are certainly more sensible than what is proposed by the Greens,” he said.

“The Greens, Get Up and the Labor Party are a trilogy in this election campaign and they are all identified with the same fundamental negative policies.”