To hear Bandt tell it, he lost because voters had been blinded by their hatred for Peter Dutton

It was typical of Adam Bandt to not show any grace or humility in his concession speech and instead whine about preferences. You’d never have thought that back in 2010 he was only elected on Liberal preferences.

Let’s be honest – if Adam Bandt had gone out gracefully it would have spoiled the fun.

A contrite humbled Greens leader apologising for taking his party over a cliff might have invited sympathy; an acknowledgment from those of us who have dreamt of this day, that beneath that proud smug exterior there lurked a tormented self-doubting soul, capable of reflecting upon what he has wrought.

Adam Bandt has not gone out gracefully. Picture: David Crosling

Fat chance.

To hear Bandt tell it, the reason the Leftoids of the inner city deserted him for Labor was not because of his bloody-minded obstruction in the Senate or the Weimar Republic-style street theatre his crew brought to Melbourne, or his tolerance of anti-Semitism, or his refusal to do anything about the alleged bullying by one of his senators.

No, it was none of those things.

It was because of these voters had been blinded by their hatred for Peter Dutton.

“Despite us making it very clear that we shared their position …. my initial take is some votes leaked away from us to Labor as people saw Labor the best option to stop Dutton,” he explained on Thursday afternoon.

In other words, the poor dears were confused.

The rest of Bandt’s performance could be best described as attempt to undermine his successor’s legitimacy in the eyes of her lefty electors.

“The Greens have received the highest vote in Melbourne, but One Nation and Liberal preferences will elect the Labor candidate,” he whined in his concession statement which explained she would be one of “a large number of ‘purple MPs’ across the country” in “seats where the Labor MP is only elected on Liberal preferences and the Greens are the opposition”.

From that, you’d never have thought that back in 2010 it was Labor’s Cath Bowtell who got the highest primary vote and Bandt was only elected on … Liberal preferences!

It was typical Bandt: slick, disingenuous and hypocritical. 

Originally published as To hear Bandt tell it, he lost because voters had been blinded by their hatred for Peter Dutton