Greens defend link to failed egg hit on PM

Greens leader Richard Di Natale has condemned the attempted egging of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, but dismissed the protester's links to his party.

Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale

Richard Di Natale says the decision to preference an anti-vax campaigner in Richmond was made by the local branch. Source: AAP

Greens leader Richard Di Natale has downplayed links between his party and the woman who tried to egg the prime minister.

The Australian reports the young woman charged over the alleged attack on Scott Morrison shared Greens material on social media.

"This is a disgraceful attempt by News Limited (sic) because an individual shared a post," he told ABC Radio National on Wednesday.

"There are millions of people who vote for the Greens."

He branded the attack on Mr Morrison "disgraceful", distancing himself from the protester's actions.

"We've made it very clear that the way to defeat a rotten government - and this has been one of the most rotten governments in this country's history - is in 10 days' time at the ballot box," Senator Di Natale said.

The Greens leader also brushed off claims the party has been hypocritical over its decision to preference an anti-vaccination campaigner above the coalition's candidate in the northern NSW seat of Richmond.

"It was a decision made by a local group. Those preferences won't be distributed to that individual," he said.

Instead, Senator Di Natale took aim at the LNP's decision to put Pauline Hanson's One Nation and Clive Palmer's United Australia Party above the Greens and Labor in Queensland.

"Clive Palmer - a man who is basically a coal tycoon who is buying a seat in parliament - and the Liberal Party are going to help him get there," he said.

The Greens are under pressure after candidate for the NT seat of Lingiari George Hanna shared a meme which called his Liberal opponent Jacinta Price a "coconut".

The Greens candidate for the Melbourne seat of Lalor Jay Dessi has also come under fire for racist and distasteful social media posts.

"I'm getting a briefing on that. They have given a full apology, in particular the gentleman in the Northern Territory himself an aboriginal man," Senator Di Natale said.

But he took another swipe at News Corp, saying he wouldn't take a lecture from the media organisation about standards.

"This is a mob who plastered on their front page Labor ministers wearing Nazi uniforms because they said they believed standards in the media needed to improve."


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Source: AAP


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