Election 2025: Greens MPs make teal-tinged ‘strong independent’ pitch

The three Greens MPs trying to fend off major party attacks to hold on to Brisbane electorates are pitching themselves as a ‘strong independent voice in parliament’.

Brisbane federal Greens MPs Stephen Bates (Brisbane), Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith) and Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan) are pitching themselves to voters as a “strong independent voice in parliament”. Picture: Lachie Millard

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles.

The three Greens MPs trying to fend off major party attacks to hold on to their Brisbane electorates are pitching themselves to voters as a “strong independent voice in parliament” in an apparent nod to the rising popularity of the Climate 200-backed teals.

Letterbox-dropped flyers, website branding and in-house social media profiles are all spruiking the “strong independent” credentials of Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather, Brisbane’s Stephen Bates, and Elizabeth Watson-Brown in Ryan – all seats where teal candidates are not running.

The trio of Greens MPs unseated Labor’s Terri Butler in Griffith, and the LNP’s Trevor Evans and Julian Simmonds in Brisbane and Ryan, at the 2022 election, results the major parties are trying to reverse on May 3.

Major party strategists believe the LNP’s best chance is in Ryan, where barrister Maggie Forrest is running, and Labor’s most likely win is in Brisbane, with ALP candidate Madonna Jarrett up against the LNP’s returning Trevor Evans.

In a recent brochure circulated in Brisbane – which Mr Bates holds on a margin of 3.7 per cent versus the LNP – the 32-year-old London-born MP says that he was prompted to join the Greens when he was on university holidays in Florida, and was working in a theme park.

“I earned $7 an hour while the company I worked for made billions,” his pitch says. “One morning, I walked into the stockroom and saw a co-worker crying over a decision she had to make: insulin or rent … I made the decision there and then to do everything I could to prevent that happening at home in Australia.”

“Now I’m proud to be your strong, independent voice in parliament.”

Asked whether the slogan was a nod to the teals, a Greens spokesman said the slogan or a variation had been used by the Greens since 2012, including in now-leader Adam Bandt’s 2013 re-election campaign, and Queensland state MP Michael Berkman’s 2017 victory.

“The slogan predates the teal independents movement by a decade,” he said.

Mr Bates said he was “proud to be independent from billionaires and big corporate donors”.

“Unlike Labor and the LNP, the Greens don’t take donations from big corporations … and the major parties are up in arms about this because how dare a local MP stand up for their communities instead of just whatever their big corporate donors want?” Mr Bates said.

An LNP spokesman said the Greens “used to be about the environment but now they were just extreme”.