Victorian Greens refuse preferences to Labor in 15 seats, sparking dispute over Prahran ticket

The Victorian Greens announced they will direct voters to rank the Greens first and One Nation last in 15 electorates for the state election on 28 November. The decision follows Labor's choice to run an open ticket in the inner-Melbourne seat of Prahran, a seat the Greens had hoped to win with Labor preferences after the Liberals held it by a narrow margin.

Greens leader Ellen Sandell described Labor's move as "unforgivable" and warned it could benefit a Liberal-One Nation coalition. A Labor spokesperson responded, accusing the Greens of a "dodgy deal" that could help elect such a government.

The Greens' spokesperson said the party will place One Nation last in every electorate and urged voters to follow their values, adding that Labor had engaged in a "dodgy backroom deal" with the Liberals.

The 15 electorates affected are Albert Park, Ashwood, Bellarine, Bendigo East, Bendigo West, Essendon, Euroa, Gippsland East, Mildura, Mornington, Point Cook, Polwarth, South Barwon, Tarneit and Werribee. Labor officials expressed concern that the move could damage their prospects in seats such as Albert Park, Ashwood, Bellarine, South Barwon and the two Bendigo seats.

Liberal strategist and pollster Tony Barry noted that historical preference flows show about 85% of exhausted Greens votes typically go to Labor, with roughly 15% leaking to the Coalition, and that this pattern rarely changes. He suggested that in Essendon, where Labor candidate Kat Theodosis is contesting a complex race, the shift in preferences might be enough to tip the seat to the Liberals.

The conservative Family First party is directing its preferences to Labor candidates linked to the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association, placing them second on its how-to-vote cards, while also ranking Liberal leader Matthew Guy last in his safe seat of Bulleen. Family First's cards feature a baby image and claim a "pro-life voting record," prompting Labor MP Anthony Cianflone to reaffirm his support for women's reproductive rights and the Victorian Labor government's related reforms.