Victorian Labor opts for open tickets in Prahran and Caulfield as Liberals and One Nation agree mutual preferences
Labor will run open tickets in two inner-city seats, while the Liberal-National coalition and One Nation plan to preference each other ahead of Labor, a move that could affect the Greens' chances in Prahran.
Victoria's Labor Party announced it will run open tickets in the inner-city electorates of Prahran and Caulfield in the upcoming state election, allowing voters to rank candidates without the party directing preferences. The decision follows requests from local campaigns and mirrors Labor's approach in the 2025 federal contest for the overlapping seat of Macnamara.
The Liberal-National coalition confirmed it will place One Nation ahead of Labor in its preference order, though party officials said One Nation is unlikely to appear in the second position on the ballot. The coalition also indicated it will rank the Victorian Socialists and the Greens lower than other parties, a strategy that could impact Green candidates in seats such as Richmond, Pascoe Vale and Preston.
"The Coalition will be putting Labor, the Greens, the Socialists at the bottom of the ticket, and all other parties above that," said Liberal MP Jess Wilson to reporters.
Labor minister Anthony Carbines described the party's stance on preferences as a "principled stand" and said Labor will place One Nation last on its ticket.
"Jess Wilson has made it clear, because they want to form government with One Nation, they are also going to preference with One Nation. It’s all nudge-nudge wink-wink, we can all see it," Carbines said.
One Nation's James Ashby reiterated the party's intention to rank Labor last.
"We want them gone. That’s why we put them last," Ashby told Guardian Australia.
The Greens, who lost Prahran in a 2025 by-election, are fielding Angelica Di Camillo again and remain hopeful of regaining the seat, which is now held by Liberal MP Rachel Westaway with a narrow margin. Recent polling has shown an increase in the Greens' primary vote, but Labor's open-ticket approach may influence the flow of preferences.
The seat of Caulfield, held by Liberal deputy leader David Southwick, includes Victoria's largest Jewish community, a demographic that featured prominently in the recent by-election campaigns.