Victoria election preference dispute escalates as Labor and Greens trade accusations over key seats
Labor and the Greens in Victoria have escalated their dispute over election preferences, with both sides accusing the other of making a deal that could shape the outcome of the state poll on 28 November. The row centres on how-to-vote cards and preference flows in a contest where a small number of seats could prove decisive. The latest clash follows Labor's decision to run an open ticket in Prahran, an inner Melbourne seat the Greens had been targeting.
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The Greens said on Friday that they would not direct preferences to Labor in 15 electorates across the state. Instead, they said they would direct voters to number the Greens first and One Nation last in those seats. The move was described by the Greens as a response to Labor's earlier decision in Prahran, where the party had been counting on Labor preferences to help it regain the seat.
Prahran has been held by the Liberals on a margin of 1.3 per cent after the Greens lost it at a by-election in 2025. Greens leader Ellen Sandell said Labor's decision was unforgivable and warned it could help deliver a Liberal-One Nation government. Labor then turned the accusation back on the Greens, saying the party had made a dodgy deal that could help elect a Liberal One Nation government.
The dispute matters because preference recommendations can influence close contests in Australia's preferential voting system. In seats where no candidate wins an outright majority on first preferences, how-to-vote cards can affect where votes flow next and which party ultimately prevails. Both Labor and the Greens are trying to frame the other as responsible for any outcome that could benefit the Liberals or One Nation.
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The Greens said they would put One Nation last in every electorate across Victoria, while also encouraging voters to follow their own values. Labor accused the Greens of lying to Victorian voters and said the party's decision could have consequences for hospitals, schools, women's rights and Treaty if the election produces a different governing arrangement. The 15 electorates named by the Greens include Albert Park, Ashwood, Bellarine, Bendigo East, Bendigo West, Essendon, Euroa, Gippsland East, Mildura, Mornington, Point Cook and Polwarth.
What remains unclear is whether the dispute will alter vote flows enough to affect any marginal seats on election day. The immediate focus is on Prahran and the 15 electorates where the Greens have changed their preference advice. The broader test will be whether the row changes campaigning in the final stretch before 28 November and whether either party can contain the political damage from the exchange.
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