Greens could win seven seats at Queensland election: Michael Berkman

The Greens’ only state MP has revealed an internal analysis shows the party could win as many as seven seats at the looming state poll after a strong showing at the Brisbane council election. But a political expert has dismissed the prediction as “nonsense”.

GREENS MP Michael Berkman says the October state poll is looming as a historically important election for the party with their analysis revealing it could win up to seven seats.

Following the recent Brisbane City Council election, the party has mapped votes and swings across seven seats and when combined with compulsory preferential voting, found it could win McConnel, South Brisbane and Maiwar if the local government election swings were replicated.

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But political expert Dr Paul Williams told The Courier-Mail it was extremely hazardous to compare council election results to a state poll.

“No serious campaigner would rely on it,” he said.

“Yes the Greens have had their best local government performance ever and they should be proud of that but to say that that's going to translate into seven seats is just nonsense for a whole range of reasons.”

The Greens claim they’ve moved within five per cent of winning Cooper, Greenslopes, Miller and close to overtaking Labor in Clayfield.

According to the analysis, the swings required to win or retain all seven seats are all less than the swings the party achieved in Maiwar, McConnel and South Brisbane at the 2017 State election.

Mr Berkman said the Greens were aiming to build on the “remarkable success” of the recent council polls, where it retained their local councillor Jonathan Sri with a 12 per cent swing.

“People are fed up with Labor and the LNP and we’re proud to run massive volunteer-led campaigns while remaining the only party who refuses corporate donations,” he said.

“By October Queensland will be grappling with the long-term impacts of the coronavirus, and it’s crucial we rebuild our public health system and the working lives of ordinary Queenslanders, rather than protecting the interests of a few big corporations.”

Greens MP Michael Berkman says the party can build on the success of the recent council elections. Picture: Liam Kidston

Dr Williams said he was expecting Labor’s vote to hold up in many seats especially in greater Brisbane, largely because of the coronavirus crisis.

“It's not necessarily an endorsement of Annastacia Palaszczuk's handling, but the LNP has been marginalised,” he said.

But a senior Greens source said the party was used to being told by electoral experts they can’t win.

“It happened before we won The Gabba ward in 2016 and before we won Maiwar in 2017,” they said.

“And up until election night this October we expect to be told the same thing.”

The Greens will be announce their candidates for South Brisbane, McConnel, Cooper, Greenslopes, Cooper and Miller before the end of April.

Originally published as Greens could win seven seats at Queensland election: Michael Berkman