‘ACT gain a Greens power pointer’

Adam Bandt says his party can hold the balance of power in both Queensland and federally after its historic win in ACT.

‘My aim is to turf out the Liberals and win the balance of power either solely or with other independents who care about climate action’: Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Greens leader Adam Bandt says his party can hold the balance of power in both Queensland and federally after his party’s historic win in the Australian Capital Territory election.

With the ACT Greens set to win five to six seats in the ACT and a nearly 4 per cent vote swing to them, Mr Bandt is now focusing on winning three inner-Brisbane seats in Queensland.

The ACT Greens will likely return to a coalition government with Canberra’s Labor Party – which has controlled the national capital for nearly 20 years – and possibly gain more ministries with their increased representation.

Mr Bandt has set the target of winning three seats at the October 31 Queensland state election, where Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk may be forced to deal with the Greens to form a majority if they beat her inner-city MPs and she loses electorates elsewhere.

“We are hopeful of not just keeping the Queensland seat of Mawar, but gaining South Brisbane and McConnel,” he told The Australian on Sunday. “The Greens are winning votes off of both Labor and the Liberals, not just because of our focus on climate action but because we’re pushing more public investment in government schools and infrastructure.”

Mr Bandt said he was not focused on getting Greens ministers in any future deal with Labor, but wanted to work with other independents across the country to recreate a 2010-style hung parliament.

“Federally, it’s hard for us to pick up seats in a change-of-government election,” he said.

“But my aim is to turf out the Liberals and win the balance of power either solely or with other independents who care about climate action.”

The Greens’ 2019 federal election efforts failed to capitalise on state election gains and they were unable to pick up the second House of Representatives seat they have desired since winning Melbourne under Mr Bandt in 2010. The party is predicted to pick up more senate seats at the next election due to the drop in support for independent groups such as the now-defunct national Nick Xenophon Team.

ACT Labor leader and Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Picture: Sean Davey

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr – who is set to get 11 or 12 seats in the ACT election – warned other Labor leaders that it would be hard to replicate his Labor-Greens coalition outside of Canberra. He said the ACT Greens were more moderate than their national counterparts.

Mr Bandt said the ACT election meant a Greens government was in reach in other states and nationally, and the party should be taken seriously on policy.

“We have showed in the ACT election that we’re serious when we get into positions of power and we deliver,” he said.

Canberra’s Liberals suffered a difficult loss in Saturday’s election, with the opposition losing as many as four seats and suffering a 3.6 per cent swing against them despite six terms out of office.