Labor-Liberal preference deal could deliver a Turnbull government

Greens NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon and Greens Grayndler candidate Jim Casey have called on Labor and Liberal leaders to confirm or deny their parties have done a deal to deliver preferences to each others candidates who are currently under threat from the Greens or the Nick Xenophon team.

Senator Rhiannon said, "Reports of a dirty deal that would see Labor preference Liberal candidates ahead of the Xenophon Team in South Australia's seats of Sturt and Mayo, in return for the Liberals directing its preferences to Labor candidates in inner city seats like Grayndler and Batman where the Greens could win, surfaced earlier this week. They have not been denied by either major party."

"A deal under which Anthony Albanese received Liberal party preferences to help defeat the Greens in his seat and Christopher Pyne received Labor party preferences to boost his chances of beating the Xenophon Team's candidate, is a dangerous game for Labor to play," concluded Senator Rhiannon.

"Labor need to put the Liberal party last if they want a change of government," said Jim Casey, Green candidate for the seat of Grayndler. "The Labor candidate for Grayndler cannot continue to argue he represents the progressive vote while he delivers government to the Tories.

"This is why the community is so cynical about politics and the political system," said Casey. "To restore trust in our democracy these deals have got to stop so the electorate know the integrity of their vote will be respected," concluded Casey.

For further information contact
Jim Casey (Julie Macken) 0400 925 217
Senator Lee Rhiannon (Freya Newman) 0411 669 022

NOTE EDITOR
Preference deals by Labor with right wing parties have backfired before. Labor preferenced Family First's Steve Fielding ahead of the Greens in 2004 that effectively delivered control of the Senate to the Coalition which passed the anti-worker WorkChoices legislation.