Payback time as Albanese, Dutton set out to annihilate the Greens

It is the great Green dream — Labor and the Liberals want to annihilate the Greens in three seats they hold. It’s payback time, argues Joe Hildebrand. See the video.

The election campaign has kicked off in earnest with the first full day on the hustings in — as the old tourism jingle once trilled — where else but Queensland.

The capital of the Sunshine State was pouring with rain and a hard rain also fell on Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton as they were both yelled at by hecklers in two separate incidents.

But why have both leaders decided to hit Brisbane on Day 1 when all the hype has been about Victoria and NSW as the key battleground states?

It is the great Green dream — that is the dream of annihilating the Greens in the three surprise seats they won at the last election.

These are Brisbane and Ryan, which Labor expected to pick up from the Libs, and Kevin Rudd’s old seat of Griffith which the Greens actually stole from the ALP’s Terri Butler.

How very dare they!

Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Murrumba Downs Medical and Dental Centre in Brisbane. Picture: Jason Edwards/NewsWire

So now, like in all good blockbuster sequels, it’s payback time. Both Albo and Dutton reckon they can wreak some sweet revenge, with the LNP heavily targeting Ryan and Labor bombarding Brisbane and Griffith.

This is what the PM was talking about when he told donors that Labor could actually increase its majority at this election — which it is fair to say is a level of optimism that is not on most navigational charts.

Greens leader Adam Bandt during a rally campaigning to keep Peter Dutton out and preventing a Liberal minority government. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

While the ALP will struggle to win any seats from the Coalition, it could nab a couple from the watermelons in Bris Vegas and also win back the former safe South West Sydney seat of Fowler from independent Dai Le.

And even aside form Albo’s heroic assumptions, winning any of these seats would be incredibly handy in offsetting projected losses in Melbourne and Sydney.

But back to the hecklers, which is all anyone really cares about.

Greens members show their support during a rally campaigning to keep Peter Dutton out and preventing a Liberal minority government. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

The PM’s press conference was interrupted by a member of the public shouting about migration, saying: “I can’t get rentals, I can’t get housing anymore.”

In a cruel irony he was escorted from the premises.

Meanwhile Peter Dutton was verbally accosted by a protester who snuck into his visit to the XXXX brewery by nicking a hi-vis vest.

She attacked his nuclear and gas policy before also being removed, no doubt muttering some XXXX words of her own.

Whether any of them are right or wrong, it’s now all on like Donkey Kong.

Originally published as Payback time as Albanese, Dutton set out to annihilate the Greens