Labor is in crisis, declares Milne

10 Jul 2012, 3:32 pm   -   Source: AAP
Greens Leader Christine Milne says Labor is attacking her party because they are in crisis. (AAP)

Greens Leader Christine Milne says Labor is attacking her party because they are in crisis. (AAP)

Greens Leader Christine Milne says a crisis inside the Labor Party is responsible for attacks on her party.

Labor's left faction is angry about the party's asylum-seeker policy and taking it out on the Greens, Greens Leader Christine Milne says.

Senator Milne says the ALP is falling apart over asylum seekers and that has led powerbrokers from the left such as Doug Cameron to label the Greens "intransigent and immature".

"I think this is a crisis in the Labor Party, and it certainly undermines confidence in the prime minister," she told reporters on Tuesday.

"And those people on the left who now are coming out in such a vicious way, I think that's just reflecting the guilt and anger they feel that they have been forced in the Labor Party to roll over to what is an inhumane proposition in relation to asylum seekers.

"It's one that they have railed against for years under the Howard government.

"It was the left who were pleased when we got back to onshore processing, and now they've had to roll over to the right and they're angry about that, and their anger is being directed in the wrong way."

Senator Milne says Labor is attacking its own voters and would rather see a coalition government, and the reintroduction of policies such as Work Choices, than co-operate with the Greens.

"What that says to the Labor voter is that Labor doesn't actually stand for anything any more and is prepared to elect anyone from the extreme right, from Family First or the coalition," she said.

"And that means that would defeat things that Labor supposedly stand for.

"I think this actually will see an increase in the Green primary vote and it will erode the Labor voting base."

Ms Milne, though, said there was no question of the party pulling its support for Labor in the House of Representatives through lone Greens MP Adam Bandt.

"Everywhere Greens have held balance of power we have stuck to the commitments we have made," she said.

"I signed a document to give confidence and supply to the Gillard government, and I intend to make sure we do that to get good outcomes.

" ... We'll continue to drive that. If Labor wants to fight among itself and further disintegrate, then that's its proposition."

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