Greens leader Adam Bandt denies Adani convoy hurt Labor

Adam Bandt has defended Bob Brown’s anti-Adani convoy during the 2019 election campaign and denied it bolstered anti-Labor support in Queensland.

Greens leader Adam Bandt in Melbourne’s Fitzroy. Picture: Jay Town

Greens leader Adam Bandt has defended Bob Brown’s anti-Adani convoy during the 2019 election campaign and denied it bolstered support in Queensland for the Coalition, One Nation and Clive Palmer.

Mr Bandt, who is aiming to ­secure a “power sharing agreement” with Anthony Albanese at the next election, said Mr Palmer’s massive campaign spending and Bill Shorten’s confusing message on climate change were the reasons for Labor’s defeat, and he rejected ALP concerns that the convoy turned people ­toward conservative parties in Queensland.

“The ALP’s own internal ­review said the biggest problems were Clive Palmer being able to buy the election and it not being clear where Labor stood on ­climate,” Mr Bandt said.

“Their internal review did not say the Adani convoy was the reason. The way I think Labor is trying to resolve it this time is by coming down firmly on the side of coal and gas. That is something that we are going to have a strong disagreement with them on.”

However, Labor’s campaign review did note that Labor’s ­ambiguity on Adani hurt the party in Queensland and the NSW Hunter Valley and made resources workers feel that “Labor did not value them or the work they do”. “This problem was magnified by the Stop Adani Convoy,” the review said.

Opposition spokesman for Queensland resources Murray Watt, who spent time campaigning in the state’s mining seats, said the convoy was the “biggest free kick anyone handed to the LNP in the election”.

“It was a selfish act by Bob Brown and the Greens party that was designed purely to boost their Senate vote in Queensland even if that delivered another term of LNP government,” Senator Watt said. “The Greens might have got what they wanted, which is a ­Senate seat in Queensland, but it pushed back action on climate change by another three years.

“It was just another stunt by the Greens party that made themselves feel good but cost any real on the issues they say they care about.”

Dr Brown said last year he was “very proud” of the anti-Adani convoy because it helped elect Greens senator Larissa Waters.

“It got Larissa Waters back into the Senate. She was in very great difficulty and bringing that issue to a head brought voters,” Dr Brown said.

Labor went to the 2019 election with a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030, as well as a 50 per cent ­renewables target. The ­Coalition has a 2030 target to reduce emissions by 26 per cent from 2005 levels.