Election 2025: Greens turbocharge Queensland campaign, starting with $11bn free lunch fund

Adam Bandt will this week embark on a blitz of the Brisbane seats won by the Greens in 2022, with the party set to make a flurry of multibillion-dollar announcements.

Greens leader Adam Bandt will embark on a blitz of the Brisbane seats won by the party in 2022. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

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Adam Bandt will this week embark on a blitz of the Brisbane seats won by the Greens in 2022, with the party set to make a flurry of multibillion-dollar announcements in the three electorates it hopes to hold in an effort to gain the balance of power in the next term of government.

Despite Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-­Mather being largely absent in recent months, including at the unveiling of key housing policies at Mr Bandt’s National Press Club address, the young Queenslander is set to unveil a major funding announcement with the Greens leader on Tuesday to kick off the party’s campaign in Brisbane.

As part of the party’s campaign to improve outcomes for public schools, the Greens will announce an $11.6bn fund to provide every public school student with a ­nutritious lunch every day.

The policy borrows from Mr Chandler-Mather’s commitment to spend $50,000 of his own salary to run free meal programs in his electorate and will further elevate the Griffith MP’s profile in the seat, previously held by Labor on a margin of 2.9 per cent.

“In a wealthy country like ours, no kids should go to school hungry,” Mr Bandt said.

“The Greens will tax big corporations and billionaires so kids can get free lunch at school.

“If you’re worried about the cost of living, we can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result.

“If Brisbane voters keep Brisbane green, they can keep Peter Dutton out and get Labor to act on the cost-of-living crisis.”

Following the 2022 election, the seat is held on a margin of more than 10 per cent by the Greens.

“Since my election in 2022, we’ve built the program up into four local public schools, and hope to grow with an additional two local schools before the end of the year,” Mr Chandler-Mather said.

“This is what politics should be about: leaders putting their money where their mouth is, making a difference in ordinary people’s lives.”

The announcement follows the Opposition Leader on Monday also campaigning in Griffith and unveiling a nearly $20m funding injection to Foodbank, allowing the organisation to open a new food distribution centre.

It builds on the Coalition leader committing to giving $50m to food charities – including SecondBite, OzHarvest and Foodbank – to expand their services, including school breakfast programs.

The Greens are expected to also make announcements in the seats of Ryan and Brisbane this week, which The Australian understands will focus on helping women and the LGBTQ ­community.

Brisbane federal Greens MPs Stephen Bates (Brisbane), Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith) and Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan). Picture: Lachie Millard

While hoping to hold the three Queensland seats, the minor party is working to flip electorates including Wills and Macnamara in Victoria and Richmond in NSW.

The Queensland seat of Moreton is also a focus for the Greens, as well as for the Coalition, who see it as potentially winnable given the retirement of popular Labor member Graham Perrett.

Despite Anthony Albanese reiterating he will “not negotiate with the Greens” when asked about his plans for a hung par­liament, Mr Bandt said last week he would be “astounded” if the Prime Minister didn’t work with his party, saying Mr Albanese would need to “learn to play with others”.