Greens leader Adam Bandt concedes Melbourne, Peter Dutton breaks “graceful silence” to slam him
The loss has prompted Opposition leader Peter Dutton to break his ‘graceful silence’ and launch an attack on the Greens.
NSW
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Greens leader Adam Bandt has finally conceded he has lost his inner-city Melbourne seat, in a result which prompted ousted Opposition leader Peter Dutton to break his post-election silence as the two traded barbs.
Mr Dutton, the day after saying he would “lead a graceful silence” after his party’s catastrophic defeat, took to social media to say he was proud the Liberals helped “ensure (Mr Bandt’s) loss”.
“No spin by Adam Bandt can change the reality that he, and other Green members, lost their seats because of their appalling treatment of the Jewish community,” Mr Dutton said.
“Australians were rightly disgusted at their behaviour.
“We were proud to preference the Greens last, helping to ensure Adam Bandt’s loss.”
It came after Mr Bandt on Thursday afternoon announced he had called Labor’s Sarah Witty to congratulate her on winning the seat, with the Greens leader blaming preference flows from One Nation and the Liberals going to Labor.
The Greens had held off conceding his inner-city Melbourne electorate, but Mr Bandt eventually stood up on to announce his 15-year political career in the House of Representatives was at an end.
“The Greens got the highest vote in Melbourne but One Nation and Liberal preferences will get Labor over the line,” Mr Bandt said.
The Greens leader, who was first elected in 2010, also savaged Mr Dutton in his outgoing announcement.
“People in Melbourne hate Peter Dutton with … very good reason,” he said.
“They have seen his brand of toxic racism on display for many years, seen his time as Immigration Minister, seen him make comments about Melbourne …(and many) of them wanted him as far away from power as possible.”
Mr Bandt’s loss means despite starting the election campaign with their highest ever amount of Lower House MPs, the minor party will now be reduced to just one – Ryan MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown.
The Greens had confidently campaigned on a platform of keeping the Liberals out of power and using their anticipated balance of power to force Labor to the left.
The party will now have to choose a new leader after losing Mr Bandt and his lower house colleagues Stephen Bates and Max Chandler-Mather, with names thrown up including Deputy leader and re-elected Senator Mehreen Faruqi and South Australian Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
Earlier, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese fired back at ousted Greens Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather, after he labelled Parliament’s workplace culture “bloody awful”.
Mr Albanese said on Wednesday Mr Chandler-Mather “should have a look at the way that he conducted himself” while in Question Time.
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Originally published as Greens leader Adam Bandt concedes Melbourne, Peter Dutton breaks “graceful silence” to slam him
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