Election 2025: Macnamara preference call by Josh Burns puts pressure on ALP

The Albanese government is facing pressure to deny Greens preferences with open tickets throughout the country.

Labor Macnamara MP Josh Burns. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

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The Albanese government is facing pressure to deny Greens preferences with open tickets throughout the country, after Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns ­revealed he would not direct voters in the Melbourne seat of Macnamara to give any preferences to the minor party.

Some Labor members have told The Australian there were internal rumblings about replicating Mr Burns’ move nationwide.

“Decisions on preference deals are being considered at a high level,” one source said.

“Obviously we won’t preference the Greens in some seats, but that doesn’t mean a deal could be made with the Liberal Party either.”

Labor incumbent MP Josh Burns and Liberal hopeful Benson Saulo for Macnamara speak with Jewish constituents. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

The decision to hold an open ticket means Mr Burns’ how-to-vote card will not encourage voters to preference any other party, a departure from any state and national preferencing arrangements.

“The decision on where your vote goes, and what order you number the other boxes, is yours and yours alone,” Mr Burns told The Australian. “I’m proud to represent our diverse and beautiful community, and I’m seeking your support to continue delivering inside a Labor government.”

Greens leader Adam Bandt launched an attack on Labor after the announcement, saying it risked handing the seat to the Coalition and bringing Peter Dutton “one step closer to The Lodge”.

Mr Bandt accused Labor of capitulating to the Coalition and betraying progressive voters.

“Labor voters will be furious that they are helping Peter Dutton with preferences,” he said.

Adam Bandt addresses the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

He said the agreement was a move aimed at shutting out the Greens, but insisted it would fail.

“Anthony Albanese has done what Peter Dutton wants, a dirty preference deal to try and keep the Greens from winning more seats at the election, but it won’t work because voters aren’t stupid,” he said. “The Greens can still win this seat when Labor voters reject this dirty preference deal with the Liberals.”

With Labor expected to place third in Macnamara at the election, its preferences could be decisive in determining whether the seat falls to the Greens or remains with Labor, or potentially swings to the Liberals.

The Opposition Leader ramped up pressure on Mr Albanese to formally distance Labor from the Greens following the announcement.

Speaking in Perth on Friday, Mr Dutton said the move showed that Mr Burns had recognised the threat posed by the Greens and challenged the Prime Minister to take a similar stance nationally.

“If it’s good enough for Josh Burns to call him out, then where is the Prime Minister in relation to doing deals with the Greens and in WA here? The Prime Minister should be very clear,” Mr Dutton said.

“Why can’t the Prime Minister call out the Greens? Why can’t the Prime Minister do what Josh Burns has done and ­announce that they’re going to put the Greens last.”

But Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said Mr Burns understood the impact the Greens’ rhetoric had on Jewish Australians. “This is a principled and commendable decision. Mr Burns knows as well as anyone how the anti-Semitism and veiled support for terrorism of the Greens has impacted on the lives of Jewish Australians,” Mr Aghion told The Australian.