Tasmanian Greens target Wilkie seat, back Bandt on Israel

The Tasmanian Greens have independent Andrew Wilkie’s federal seat in their sights, while backing Adam Bandt on Israel’s ‘genocidal’, ‘heinous’ war.

Tasmanian Greens deputy leader Vica Bayley. Picture: Caroline Tan

Greens in the party’s birthplace, Tasmania, are eyeing Andrew Wilkie’s federal Hobart seat, and firmly backing federal leader Adam Bandt’s stance on Israel’s “genocidal, heinous” war in Gaza.

Greens MP Vica Bayley, speaking as acting leader, said the party, riding high after winning five seats at the March state election, had Mr Wilkie’s federal seat of Clark as “top of our list”.

“Clark is going to be on our agenda, there’s no doubt,” Mr Bayley told The Australian. “Clark is a seat we’ll always challenge strongly – select our best candidate and run a good, solid campaign.

“I’m 100 per cent confident that we can get there one day. Exactly when that is, and the circumstances, time will tell but it’s one that’s top of our list.”

Andrew Wilkie. Picture: Chris Kidd

While Mr Wilkie was a “strong incumbent” who would be “very, very difficult” to dislodge, recent state results had demonstrated the seat was increasingly turning to the Greens.

Tasmania’s state seats mirror its five federal seats and each elects seven MPs to the House of Assembly, under proportional representation.

Clark elected two Greens MPs at the March election – Mr Bayley and Helen Burnett — the same number as the two major parties, and the Greens secured more than 20 per cent of primary votes.

Green Extremes

Makarrata ‘can put Australia Day row to rest’

The Greens have accused Labor of abandoning the truth and treaty process after the referendum defeat, but argue a Makarrata commission could help resolve the Australia Day debate.

Your home will be worth less with us: Greens

Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather says a plan to address the housing crisis could involve overseeing real declines in the value of the family home.

Jewish community in fear after Greens Mayor’s anti-Israel rant

One of Sydney’s biggest councils will ramp-up security at its next meeting after its Greens mayor accused Israel and its supporters of ‘murdering babies’ in an ‘inflammatory’ speech.

Bandt plan to usurp ALP on left

Adam Bandt says the Greens have replaced Labor as the authentic party of the centre-left and will win over voters by taking a ‘Robin Hood platform to the election’.

Greens’ war on our closest ally

The Greens have attacked the US alliance, claiming it increases the risk of conflict, undermines Australian sovereignty and compromises stable relations with Beijing.

Ambitious Greens must be more than a party of protest

Adam Bandt has clarified the existential challenge to Labor by revealing the Greens’ long-term political objective – to become the genuine party of Australia’s political left.

Extreme Greens call to kneecap the RBA

The Greens have demanded Labor intervene in monetary policy and overturn an August rate hike, triggering warnings the minor party would end of the era of Reserve Bank independence.

Forget Hamas, glass-jaw Green declares war on satire: ‘Cartoon will cost me votes’

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has threatened to sue The Australian for defamation and demanded an apology over a Johannes Leak cartoon.

Greens’ plan would hurt those the party is seeking to help

Nick McKim’s call for Labor to overturn a future RBA rate hike reveals the Greens as a party of grandstanders, keen to win over disaffected voters on radical policies that can never be implemented.

As well, the state upper house seat of Hobart in May elected former state Greens leader Cassy O’Connor, who received almost 37 per cent of primary votes.

If the Greens are waiting for the retirement of Mr Wilkie, who has held the seat, previously known as Denison, since 2010, they will need to be patient. The sitting independent told The Australian he planned to recontest at the coming federal election, due next year.

“I intend to seek re-election for what would be my sixth term in the federal parliament,” Mr Wilkie said. “The Greens have historically polled well in Denison/Clark, and their vote will likely improve as support for the major parties continues to decline.

“But, until now, they have been hamstrung by a poor preference flow.”

Cassy O’Connor. Picture: Linda Higginson

The 62-year-old, who received 45 per cent of first preferences in 2022, said Ms O’Connor’s success would not be replicated across the federal seat of Clark, which took in three state upper house seats.

“When I do eventually retire or am defeated at the ballot box, there probably will be a genuine three-way race between the Labor Party, a strong independent and the Greens,” he said.

“It’s anyone’s guess who will hold the seat in the mid-to-long-term.”

Despite the Greens federally copping criticism over its attacks on Israel, Mr Bayley, the state deputy leader, said the Tasmanian party was firmly behind federal leader Mr Bandt on this and other issues.

“I don’t think they are attacks on Israel – they are defence of humanity,” Mr Bayley said. “Israel is committing heinous crimes on humans: 40,000 … dead.

“And our government is missing in action. When you look at the level of sanctions and action that’s taken on Syria or Iraq or Russia … and not a single one on Israel.

“Israel is bringing a lot of this on itself by bring so barbaric. The Greens are attacking human rights violations, war crimes, genocide, forced starvation. I don’t think the Greens have been demonising Israeli or Jewish people.”