‘Don’t count’: no retreat from Anthony Albanese on vote-swapping deal with radical Green

The Prime Minister has dismissed suggestions Labor should have put the Greens’ last on how-to-vote cards because of the party’s involvement in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic protests.

Hannah Thomas, the Greens candidate for Grayndler. Picture: Tim Hunter.

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Anthony Albanese has steadfastly refused to retreat or apologise over a decision to put a Greens candidate number two on his how-to-vote card, declaring “my preferences don’t count”.

The Prime Minister has dismissed suggestions Labor should have put the Greens’ last on how-to-vote cards because of the party’s involvement in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic protest, and his criticism of them in parliament.

Anthony Albanese on the campaign trail in Western Australia. Picture: Mark Stewart / NewsWire

Mr Albanese’s inner-Sydney electorate office was blockaded by pro-Palestinian protesters, including by the Greens’ candidate in Grayndler, Hannah Thomas, for six months last year as MPs’ offices were attacked and firebombed.

The Labor leader’s office was closed and electorate staff moved after concerns for their safety.

Although several Labor MPs have put the Greens low on their how-to-vote cards or are running open tickets – including Jewish Labor MP, Josh Burns in the inner Melbourne seat of Macnamara – Mr Albanese put the Greens at number two on his ticket.

When asked in an exclusive interview with The Australian this week if he had a “personal view” of giving preferences to the Greens given the concerns about the safety of his staff Mr Albanese said: “No, because my preferences don’t count, and I want people to vote number one for the Labor Party”.

“I see these issues, frankly, as an attempt at distraction by the Coalition to hide from their lack of an agenda,” Mr Albanese said.

Mr Albanese said he would not take lectures from the Liberal Party which had done deals with One Nation on preferences and in Queensland the LNP had assisted Green MPs into the state parliament.

“They don’t want to talk about this as a contest between me and the LNP,” he said.

Mr Albanese said One Nation had views “that are anathema to social cohesion in Australia”.

“I want a vote number one for the Labor Party, and then fill in all the squares. That’s what I want,” he said.

Mr Albanese has repeatedly said the decision on preferences was a matter for the organisational wing of the ALP and that he didn’t even know the name of the Greens candidate in his electorate.

“I won the last election on primaries, I have consistently called out the Greens political party,” he said.

He said Labor was not just targeting Coalition-held seats but also seeking to defeat sitting Greens candidates in the federal parliament.

“We are targeting in particular Brisbane, Ryan and Griffith. I had my last major rally in the seat of Griffith,” he said.

“I won’t take lectures from the Queensland LNP that put the greens into state parliament by targeting the Labor Party giving preferences to the Greens,” he said.

“I have consistently argued the case for Labor, not for minority parties. I’ve done that in Grayndler too,” he said.

The Greens hopeful, Ms Thomas said on Wednesday the Prime Minister was “arrogant” for claiming he “wouldn’t be able to tell you” who she was.

Ms Thomas took part in what became a long-running protest outside ­Mr Albanese’s electorate office in mid-2024, which forced him to temporarily avoid the workplace on safety grounds.

At the time, Mr Albanese said the blockade was “appalling” and had “no place in a democracy”.