The Greens’ first ever MP Michael Organ hails party’s ‘terrific’ record election result

The Greens “really are Australia’s third party now” in the eyes of their first ever member of the House of Representatives, Michael Organ. The party’s Riverina candidate believes they have scope to grow in regional and rural Australia.

The Greens first ever member of the House of Representatives has hailed the left-wing party’s “terrific” record return in the federal election.

The Greens improved their numbers in the Senate while quadrupling their presence in the Lower House with party leader Adam Bandt set to be joined by Elizabeth Watson-Brown (seat of Ryan), Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith) and Stephen Bates (Brisbane).

Michael Organ won the Illawarra seat of Cunningham 20 years ago and said increased Greens presence will assist them in “taking part in government”.

“It’s terrific that we’ll have more people in parliament,” Mr Organ said.

“We’ve obviously had lots in the Senate, but now we’ve got more in the House of Representatives and that’s where governments are formed.

Michael Organ during his time as the Member for Cunningham.

“Having more people in the House of Representatives makes it easier to get forwarded motions seconded. When I was in parliament and I forwarded motions about same-sex marriage and climate change it was very difficult to get the motion seconded.

“We really are the third party in Australia now, we are taking part in the act of government on a broad range of issues now, not just the environment, but also things like health and cost of living.”

Mr Organ recently moved from the Illawarra’s northern suburbs to the tiny town of Murrumburrah in the electorate of Riverina – held by former Nationals leader Michael McCormack.

Former Greens MP Michael Organ believes the party’s policies can appeal to country voters. Picture: Patrick Morrow

Not content to sit still, Mr Organ contested the seat for the Greens and retained the around 6 per cent of the vote the party received three years ago.

“We’ve held steady which is good given there were only four parties who ran in 2019 and this time there was eight,” Mr Organ explained.

“We had One Nation, the Liberal Democrats, an independent and the Shooters and Fishers so it was a difficult election.

“We saw a 13 per cent swing against the Nationals so Barnaby Joyce might be saying there’s nothing wrong with the Nationals, but people are starting to look more towards the Greens or other more right wing parties.”

Mr Organ believes the Greens have potential to grow outside the capital cities and into the country, arguing many of the party’s policies support the agricultural sector.

In his maiden speech in the House of Representatives in February 2003, Cunningham MP Michael Organ condemned the Iraq War. Picture: Alan Porritt/AAP Image

“I think we need to be promoting the Greens do have agricultural policies and policies for dealing with the climate crisis,” he said.

“Farmers are becoming more aligned with things the Greens have been promoting for a long time. Issues around water use, access to river flows, foreign access to land and securing prime agricultural land from mining.

“We are also looking at how we get more sustainable agriculture – there are many people on farms looking at how to stop using chemicals.

“Then there is cost of living which is something the Greens have been very concerned about. There’s a lot of people suffering on low wages who aren’t in the cities and are in places like the Riverina.

“When people talk about rusted-on voters, that’s a fact. I came from the Illawarra where voting Labor was the traditional way and families would follow it.

“But through a process of education and more publicity, now we have more people in the Lower House and the Senate, more media focus can help change that.”