Greens warn Labor preference strategy in Prahran could aid Liberal-One Nation coalition

The Victorian Greens have accused Labor of making a strategic error that could inadvertently deliver government to a Liberal and One Nation coalition. The party's leader, Ellen Sandell, described Labor's decision not to preference the minor party in a critical inner-city electorate as frankly unforgivable. This dispute centers on the upcoming state election, where the outcome may hinge on a single marginal seat.

Labor announced on Tuesday that it would run an open ticket in Prahran, an inner Melbourne seat currently held by Liberal member Rachel Westaway. Westaway holds the position by a narrow margin of 1.3 percent. Under an open ticket arrangement, Labor's how-to-vote cards will instruct supporters to place their candidate, Meghan Hopper, first on the ballot. However, the party will not direct voters on how to allocate their remaining preferences, leaving the subsequent boxes blank on the material.

The Greens view these preferences as essential for reclaiming the seat, which they lost during a 2025 by-election. That by-election saw a 13.4 percent swing for the Greens, a result influenced by several factors. These included Labor's decision not to field a candidate, low voter turnout, and a well-resourced campaign urging voters to rank the Greens last. Unfavorable preference flows from other candidates, such as former Labor MP Tony Lupton who ran as an independent, also played a role.

Sandell told Guardian Australia that Labor was showing its true colors by adopting this approach. She argued that the move could help the Liberals and One Nation not only secure the seat but also form government. She stated that after months of warning about a potential right-wing alliance, Labor was now using its preferences to help elect one. She emphasized that this could be one of the most consequential elections in the state's history, with One Nation potentially holding the balance of power.

The Greens leader expressed frustration at what she called a dodgy back-room deal. She noted that Victorian voters would likely not easily forget this decision. Sandell also suggested that Labor voters would be shocked to see the party refuse to preference Angelica Di Camillo, a local progressive Greens candidate who also ran in the previous by-election.

Labor is also running an open ticket in the neighboring seat of Caulfield, which is held by Liberal David Southwick with a 2.1 percent margin. However, analysts expect Southwick to receive a swing in his favor and retain the seat comfortably. It is understood that local campaigns in both Prahran and Caulfield requested this open ticket arrangement. This approach mirrors the position Labor took during the 2025 federal election in the overlapping seat of Macnamara, held by Josh Burns.

A Labor spokesperson defended the strategy by stating that the party's message is simple: put a 1 next to Labor candidates everywhere. The spokesperson added that Labor is fighting for a majority government. Caulfield is home to Victoria's largest Jewish community, which also extends into St Kilda East within the Prahran electorate.

On the same day, the Liberals and Nationals confirmed they would exchange preferences with One Nation. Opposition leader Jess Wilson told reporters that Coalition how-to-vote cards would instruct voters to place Labor, the Greens, and the Victorian Socialists at the bottom of the ticket, with all other parties ranked above them.

Shortly after Wilson confirmed this position, One Nation moved to disendorse its Preston candidate, Franco Guardiani. This decision followed a series of tweets, including one that described Hitler as the GOAT, an acronym for greatest of all time. Victorian Liberal Senator Jane Hume told ABC's Afternoon Briefing that Guardiani's tweets were vile. She confirmed that he would be ranked last on the party's how-to-vote material in that electorate.