Qld: Greens snub major parties

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2006
Qld: Greens snub major parties

By Evan Schwarten

BRISBANE, Aug 27 AAP - The Greens are likely to snub major parties once again by refusing
to direct preferences in many key seats in the September 9 state poll.

Juanita Wheeler, the party's leading candidate for the Queensland election, said the
major parties would have to earn their support.

She said the final decision on preferences would be decided by branches based on local
issues, and admitted she wouldn't be surprised if many opted to run open tickets and allow
voters to make up their own minds.

"It's not something where we are going to have a blanket deal, they are going to be
done electorate to electorate, based on whether the coalition or the ALP deliver the best
policy outcomes," she said.

"Where we don't think that either party has earned them (preferences) we will run an
open ticket and encourage voters to make that decision themselves."

The Greens took a similar line at the 2004 state election where the party only directed
preferences in 14 of the 72 seats it contested.

If the party mirrors or builds on its performance at that poll, where it attracted
more than six per cent of the vote, Greens preferences could decide several marginal seats.

Among those expecting a stronger performance from the Greens at this election is national
leader Bob Brown, who was in Brisbane today to launch the party's campaign.

He believed many voters were "fed up" with the major parties and were looking for a third option.

"There is still the idea that it's a two horse race between the coalition and Labor," he said.

"There is a big undecided vote out there because people don't want to vote for either
of them. That's where the Greens come in, we are the friends of people who are fed up
with the old parties."

Senator Brown said the party would focus on issues including greenhouse gas emissions
and water use.

He said rather than building new dams the government should be looking at reducing
waste and recycling water.

"You don't have to build dams and you don't have to lose your standard of living -
the problem is successive Labor and National governments have simply taken their eyes
off the future problems."

AAP ews/jmm/de

KEYWORD: POLL QLD GREENS

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