Victorian Labor’s ‘unforgivable’ preferences decision risks Liberal-One Nation government, Greens warn

Exclusive: Ellen Sandell says Labor’s decision not to back progressives in key inner-seat could hand power to right-wing coalition in close election

The Victorian Greens say Labor’s “frankly unforgivable” decision not to preference the minor party in a key inner-city seat could hand the upcoming election to a Liberal-One Nation coalition.

The party’s leader, Ellen Sandell, lambasted Labor’s decision on Tuesday to run an open ticket in Prahran, an inner Melbourne seat currently held by the Liberals’ Rachel Westaway on a tiny 1.3% margin.

It means Labor’s how-to-vote material will encourage voters to place their candidate, Meghan Hopper, first on the ballot but will not direct them how to allocate their remaining preferences. Instead, the remaining boxes on its how-to-vote material will probably remain blank.