NSW Labor right fires up Greens

7 Jul 2012, 4:57 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Greens leader Christine Milne. (AAP)

Greens leader Christine Milne. (AAP)

The NSW Labor right faction has incensed the Australian Greens, pitting Greens leader Christine Milne against the party she helped form minority government in federal parliament.

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The NSW Labor right faction has incensed the Australian Greens, pitting Greens leader Christine Milne against the party she helped form minority government in federal parliament.

NSW Labor secretary Sam Dastyari, convenor of the right Centre Unity faction, has described the Greens as "extremists not unlike One Nation".

Mr Dastyari told News Ltd the ALP must stop treating the Greens "like they are part of our family" and consider preferencing them last in seats where it was "in the Labor party's interest to do so".

He is preparing to move a motion at the state party conference next weekend calling for Labor to "no longer provide the Greens party automatic preferential treatment in any future preference negotiations".

Senator Milne said the "outburst" by Mr Dastyari demonstrated an attack on Labor's base.

Already incensed by Victorian Labor's decision to preference Family First ahead of the Greens in the state by-election in the seat of Melbourne, Senator Milne vented her anger on Saturday.

"Labor party people across the country will be horrified to think that if they vote for Labor they don't know if they will be electing a coalition person or a Family First person," she told reporters in Adelaide.

"What it shows is the faceless men in the Labor party do not have any principle any more, or any idea of what Labor stands for other than winning office.

"It's not about policy; it's not about the best interests of the country."

The Greens struck a deal with Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2010 to form minority government when the federal election delivered a hung parliament.

Senator Milne was crucial in the negotiations which helped deliver the Greens a price on carbon, which Ms Gillard had rejected ahead of the poll.

The Greens leader said NSW Labor was prepared to advance the cause of the coalition and Family First, with a morphed state between Labor and coalition policies.

Mr Abbott said the move by the NSW faction was telling.

"It's clear who is really in charge of the Labor party - the faceless men, whether it's deciding their preference strategy ... whether it's deciding who the leader is," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"The faceless men are ultimately calling the shots."

Mr Dastyari leads the faction which counted former senator Mark Arbib among its numbers.

Mr Arbib was known as one of the so-called faceless men, alongside Victorian Labor MP and minister Bill Shorten, who helped depose Kevin Rudd in 2010 and replace him with Ms Gillard.

Mr Dastyari is hoping other ALP state branches will follow the NSW move.

Senator Milne said Mr Dastyari had shown the ALP wanted to get involved with extreme parties like the conservative Family First.

"That's where the extremism is in Australian politics and the Greens actually represent mainstream values and mainstream opinion," she said.

NSW Labor , The Greens

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Your Comments

mr

cog - from wa, 11 months ago

Labour really has no policies and the Greens are absolutely hopeless...they never think about supporting Australia...too busy thinking about how to give more money away to any every Tom Dick and Harry..We Badly need an Election it is Terrible the amount of money that has been needlessly wasted...while they vacillate....

We are to blame for extremist

John - from Sydney, 11 months ago

The problem with these extremist labels is that we, the public, don't vote for politicians who compromise. We seem to prefer inflexible ideologues who refuse to find a central position causing paralysis. We quite literally have gotten the politicians we deserved - be they green, labor or liberal...

Used and thrown out!

True Blue Ozzie - from Gladstone.Q, 11 months ago

There's no dought Labor is in election mode, & trying to shake off the Green's / Independence as bed buddies. They used & abused & paid a hight price for it with voters, with the looming election not to far away Labor is starting to panic. But it's all in vain & way to late, voters have had enough of deceit, back room deals, billions of taxpayers money wasted, lack of morals,ethics & the never end parade of illegal boat people! Labor and Greens will be wiped out in 2013, & Rudd seen it coming!

GM

Bill Taylor - from Macarthur, 11 months ago

I have been a LNP voter for the last 50 years, this morning after watching Sam Dastayri on TV, VERY IMPRESSED, straight to the point identifying The caterpillar Greens problem, he is 100% correct, Labor needs to put a lot of distance between, it's time to go back to what they believe, The Greens are destructive ignorant and inept party, full of hippies and tree hugers, There is no place in politics for people like them, they could't possible win a seat with out preferences. Good riddance.

Green delusions.

aussiebear - from Sydney, 11 months ago

Last I checked, 2/3rds of Australians didn't want the Carbon Tax. How exactly is that representing of mainstream? It's more like ignoring opinion and shoving crap down everybody's throat, then say its good for them. If Greens had any common sense, they'd realise environmental issues are science and engineering problems. To drive innovation, you set up competition to facilitate that. See "World Solar Challenge" as an example of this approach. ALP + Green alliance => Biggest ALP mistake ever!

right wing

Mark - from Moonta, 11 months ago

The N.S.W right wing labor party dont get it why do they think they lost the election in there own state. as a former labor voter i stoped voting for the federal labor party as soon as they lurched to the right.Now we have abbotts extreme tea party or far right party and labors right wing party and they wonder why voters are leaving the labor party.Answer there voting for the greens and independents.People see independents as being in the center and the greens as being on the left.R.I.P. A.L.P.

lost

mark - from moonta, 11 months ago

Labor lost my vote years ago thanks to the idiots in n.s.w.they lean to the right.I now vote for the greens along with other people i know who used to vote labor.N.s.w labor should change there name to the new lib party.

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