Adam Bandt has lost his seat of Melbourne. What happened to the Greens in Victoria?

In the progressive stronghold city of Melbourne, the Greens were hopeful that by now, they might finally be celebrating winning a second Victorian seat in the federal lower house.
Instead, 15-year local member and party leader Adam Bandt is out of a job
In the northern-suburbs electorate of Wills, the Greens were competitive, but the seat was also retained by Labor despite a distribution favourable to the Greens and speculation about the
The Greens are expected to maintain their presence in the senate, but in the lower house they have been decimated, losing
On Thursday afternoon,
He said he believed a number of Greens votes in Melbourne had "leaked" to Labor because the electorate was determined to keep Peter Dutton out of government.
"People saw Labor as the best option to stop Dutton ... it did make a difference." he said.
He said redistribution of the Melbourne electorate worked against him but he still led on first preference votes, with Labor's candidate Sarah Witty elected on preferences.
The latest Melbourne count shows a 4.6 per cent swing away from the Greens on first preferences too.
It's true Mr Bandt experienced an unfavourable re-distribution — losing high Green-vote areas of East Brunswick and Fitzroy North — in favour of shakier territory south of the Yarra River.
That lost Greens territory was expected to be the gain of his colleague over the boundary in Wills, which swept in those areas as part of its own redistribution.
But those changes in Wills, which also takes in Coburg and Fawkner, were not enough to get Greens candidate Samantha Ratman over the line, despite a swing in her favour.
Greens losing seats despite increase in young, progressive voters
On election night the Greens put out a press release celebrating the party's "highest-ever vote in history," and their continued expectation that Mr Bandt would retain his seat.
The vote for the Greens has not been finalised, but by Thursday morning — with about 80 per cent of the vote counted in the lower house — the party was trailing nationally on its 2022 election result.
The ABC is projecting that Greens leader and former Melbourne MP Adam Bandt will lose his seat after 15 years.
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ABC News: Kate Ashton
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While ballots are still being counted, election analyst John Black said no matter how you looked at it, it was hard to characterise the result as a victory for the Greens.
"To dress this up as a win is a flight of fantasy," said Mr Black, a former Labor senator who runs an election modelling company.
The Greens currently have a swing against them in the senate and the lower house of about half a per cent, with a slightly larger swing against them in Victoria, often viewed as the country's most-progressive state, at 0.7 per cent.
In comparison, Labor has seen a 2 per cent positive swing in the lower house.
That's despite this year's election being the first
Despite the general upwards trend in the Green vote in recent decades, their leader is toppled and the party's representation in the lower house has been slashed.
"They're in the same position as the Liberals at the moment, aren't they?" Mr Black said.
Greens losing votes from their base, analyst says
Before voters went to the polls, Mr Black, who writes for the Australian Financial Review, warned the Greens were campaigning on a strategy that was failing to win votes and losing support from their own base in the seats that mattered.
Greens leader Adam Bandt has been defeated in the seat of Melbourne.
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ABC News: Nick Haggarty
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The environmental party
"I think that they were way too negative and didn't focus on their strengths, which was to concentrate on the environment,"
Mr Black said.
Former Labor strategist turned Redbridge pollster Kos Samaras said there was a surge of support for the Greens amongst 20-something year olds, but the increased "activism" in the party's politics also cost them votes in the seats that mattered most.
Some Melbourne voters found Greens campaign divisive, too idealistic
Since election night, hundreds of Victorian voters have written into the ABC about what decided their vote as part of the ABC's Your Say project, with more than 50 voters telling the ABC why they did — or didn't — vote for the Greens.
It included a number of former or swinging Greens voters who said they did not vote for the Greens this time because they did not like the outsized focus on the Israel-Gaza war, which was seen as divisive.
There was a frustration with the Greens' tendency to prioritise the "idealistic" over the practical, while a number said they were concerned about Mr Bandt's leadership.
Angela, who lives the electorate of Melbourne, heard an anti-Greens sentiment from some of her neighbours.
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ABC News: Kate Ashton
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Angela, a childcare worker in the Melbourne electorate said while the Greens campaign was highly visible, she knew many of her neighbours did not support Mr Bandt.
"A lot of them were not in favour of the Greens policies … [because] are they actually feasible? What's the price to pay for all of that? That was a lot of the sentiment that I've been hearing from my community," she said.
19-year-old Carlton resident Scarlett said she was "very disappointed and very surprised" with the Greens loss.
Carlton voter Scarlett was surprised Greens leader Adam Bandt was expected to lose his seat.
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ABC News: Kate Ashton
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She voted for Mr Bandt, but noticed the environment was not at the front of the Greens campaign.
"The environment's a very important issue for me, but … you know, no one was really talking about it at all this year,"
she said.
A Carlton resident and university professor said she was relieved at the result — she said she used to find Mr Bandt charming, but no longer liked the direction of the Greens, describing their campaign as "very undergraduate".
Pro-Palestinian message splits Greens voters in Wills
There was speculation that the Greens' pro-Palestinian messaging could pay dividends in seats with higher migrant populations like Wills by attracting new voters, but it appears to have cut both ways in Victoria.
Some voters told the ABC the party's staunch stance on Palestine and Gaza won their vote.
"There are tens of thousands of people this election who voted Greens for the first time, in areas where the party hasn't been able to reach … more diverse areas … suburbs with migrants and multicultural populations," said Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi.
Election fallout and analysis:
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Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on
While the Greens recorded a positive swing in Wills (after a favourable redistribution), some voters, including those who voted for the party before in areas with a typically strong Greens vote, told the ABC they felt alienated by the party's messaging on the Israel-Gaza war.
A 40-year-old lifelong Greens voter from Carlton North (formerly Melbourne, now Wills) said she found the pro-Palestinian messaging divisive and negative.
"Both my parents were migrants, so I really dislike watching the rise of hate and bigotry on all sides," she said.
She said she was a Chinese-Australian and voted Labor in the end.
At the local high school in Fitzroy North the Greens recorded 54 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in 2025, compared to 62 per cent 2022.
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ABC News: Kate Ashton
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At Edinburgh gardens in Fitzroy North, the ABC spoke to multiple people who had formerly voted Greens — including a young mother and an environmental consultant — who did not vote for them at this election, referencing the "outsized" and "divisive" pro-Palestinian messaging.
Another Wills voter —a lawyer who voted Labor — told the ABC the Greens' campaign focus on international issues did not resonate with the local community, who realised that real change would come from the political centre.
These "better-educated professionals" were the natural base of the Greens who were leaving the party, analyst Mr Black said.
The Greens had hoped its pro-Palestinan stance could help it pick up votes in Wills.
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ABC News: Darryl Torpy
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While they may have won some new votes in migrant communities, they were mostly in seats the Greens would not win, he said.
"The strategy that they were running was demonstrably not working," he said.
"As the ALP has demonstrated, clearly, it's the middle ground that is now occupied by the majority of Australian voters."

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Australia urges de-escalation as US strikes Iran

Australia has called for a de-escalation as the situation in the Middle East continues to devolve following Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran. The US military struck three Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday morning AEST in a move the American president declared a "spectacular military success". But the conflict could continue to worsen as Mr Trump warned "there will be peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days". The Australian government has consistently pushed for dialogue and diplomacy since Israel first launched strikes on Iran in mid June, and has continued to do so in the aftermath of Mr Trump's announcement. "We note the US president's statement that now is the time for peace," a government spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. "The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy. 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Staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs have evacuated the Tehran embassy and are helping Australians leave through the border in Azerbaijan. Some Australians have already left through land crossings but the government is also poised to help citizens leave once the airspace over both nations re-opens. Australia has called for a de-escalation as the situation in the Middle East continues to devolve following Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran. The US military struck three Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday morning AEST in a move the American president declared a "spectacular military success". But the conflict could continue to worsen as Mr Trump warned "there will be peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days". The Australian government has consistently pushed for dialogue and diplomacy since Israel first launched strikes on Iran in mid June, and has continued to do so in the aftermath of Mr Trump's announcement. "We note the US president's statement that now is the time for peace," a government spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. "The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy. "We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security." Questions have been raised over whether Australia - as a US ally - should bolster American efforts in the Middle East. The federal government has insisted Australia is not a central player in the conflict, and only deployed defence assets to the region to assist in evacuation efforts, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong repeatedly emphasising they are not there to engage in combat. Meanwhile, the opposition has supported America's actions in Iran, noting they were taken to prevent the nation from acquiring nuclear weapons. "The world can never accept a nuclear-armed Iranian regime and today the United States military has taken proactive action to ensure that we never need to," Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and acting opposition spokesman for foreign affairs Andrew Hastie wrote in a joint statement. "While Australians will never seek conflict in the world, we can never forget that the Iranian regime is a militantly theocratic autocracy. "It is the Iranian people who are the victims of this brutal regime and we stand in solidarity with them." At least 430 people have been killed and another 3500 injured in Iran according to Iranian media outlet Nour News, while local Israeli authorities have reported 24 civilian deaths and almost 1300 injuries. The casualty toll from US strikes is yet unclear but Greens leader Larissa Waters called the event a "terrifying and catastrophic escalation". "You cannot bomb your way to peace," she said in a statement. "Australia must always work for peace and de-escalation. Australia is not powerless, and we cannot be involved in another brutal war in the Middle East." About 2600 Australians in Iran are seeking assisted departures from the region, alongside about 1200 in Israel as the government urges travellers not to venture to either nation. Staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs have evacuated the Tehran embassy and are helping Australians leave through the border in Azerbaijan. Some Australians have already left through land crossings but the government is also poised to help citizens leave once the airspace over both nations re-opens. Australia has called for a de-escalation as the situation in the Middle East continues to devolve following Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran. The US military struck three Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday morning AEST in a move the American president declared a "spectacular military success". But the conflict could continue to worsen as Mr Trump warned "there will be peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days". The Australian government has consistently pushed for dialogue and diplomacy since Israel first launched strikes on Iran in mid June, and has continued to do so in the aftermath of Mr Trump's announcement. "We note the US president's statement that now is the time for peace," a government spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. "The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy. "We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security." Questions have been raised over whether Australia - as a US ally - should bolster American efforts in the Middle East. The federal government has insisted Australia is not a central player in the conflict, and only deployed defence assets to the region to assist in evacuation efforts, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong repeatedly emphasising they are not there to engage in combat. Meanwhile, the opposition has supported America's actions in Iran, noting they were taken to prevent the nation from acquiring nuclear weapons. "The world can never accept a nuclear-armed Iranian regime and today the United States military has taken proactive action to ensure that we never need to," Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and acting opposition spokesman for foreign affairs Andrew Hastie wrote in a joint statement. "While Australians will never seek conflict in the world, we can never forget that the Iranian regime is a militantly theocratic autocracy. "It is the Iranian people who are the victims of this brutal regime and we stand in solidarity with them." At least 430 people have been killed and another 3500 injured in Iran according to Iranian media outlet Nour News, while local Israeli authorities have reported 24 civilian deaths and almost 1300 injuries. The casualty toll from US strikes is yet unclear but Greens leader Larissa Waters called the event a "terrifying and catastrophic escalation". "You cannot bomb your way to peace," she said in a statement. "Australia must always work for peace and de-escalation. Australia is not powerless, and we cannot be involved in another brutal war in the Middle East." About 2600 Australians in Iran are seeking assisted departures from the region, alongside about 1200 in Israel as the government urges travellers not to venture to either nation. Staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs have evacuated the Tehran embassy and are helping Australians leave through the border in Azerbaijan. Some Australians have already left through land crossings but the government is also poised to help citizens leave once the airspace over both nations re-opens. Australia has called for a de-escalation as the situation in the Middle East continues to devolve following Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran. The US military struck three Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday morning AEST in a move the American president declared a "spectacular military success". But the conflict could continue to worsen as Mr Trump warned "there will be peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days". The Australian government has consistently pushed for dialogue and diplomacy since Israel first launched strikes on Iran in mid June, and has continued to do so in the aftermath of Mr Trump's announcement. "We note the US president's statement that now is the time for peace," a government spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. "The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy. "We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security." Questions have been raised over whether Australia - as a US ally - should bolster American efforts in the Middle East. The federal government has insisted Australia is not a central player in the conflict, and only deployed defence assets to the region to assist in evacuation efforts, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong repeatedly emphasising they are not there to engage in combat. Meanwhile, the opposition has supported America's actions in Iran, noting they were taken to prevent the nation from acquiring nuclear weapons. "The world can never accept a nuclear-armed Iranian regime and today the United States military has taken proactive action to ensure that we never need to," Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and acting opposition spokesman for foreign affairs Andrew Hastie wrote in a joint statement. "While Australians will never seek conflict in the world, we can never forget that the Iranian regime is a militantly theocratic autocracy. "It is the Iranian people who are the victims of this brutal regime and we stand in solidarity with them." At least 430 people have been killed and another 3500 injured in Iran according to Iranian media outlet Nour News, while local Israeli authorities have reported 24 civilian deaths and almost 1300 injuries. The casualty toll from US strikes is yet unclear but Greens leader Larissa Waters called the event a "terrifying and catastrophic escalation". "You cannot bomb your way to peace," she said in a statement. "Australia must always work for peace and de-escalation. Australia is not powerless, and we cannot be involved in another brutal war in the Middle East." About 2600 Australians in Iran are seeking assisted departures from the region, alongside about 1200 in Israel as the government urges travellers not to venture to either nation. Staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs have evacuated the Tehran embassy and are helping Australians leave through the border in Azerbaijan. Some Australians have already left through land crossings but the government is also poised to help citizens leave once the airspace over both nations re-opens.

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9 hours ago

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Australian government calls for de-escalation of war in Iran as Coalition endorses US strikes

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News.com.au

10 hours ago

• News.com.au

Scott Morrison says Albanese government not showing enough 'clarity' on Israel-Iran conflict

Former prime minister Scott Morrison has accused the Albanese Labor government of not showing enough 'clarity' on the Israel-Iran conflict. Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Mr Morrison urged Labor to back the United States' attack on Iran's nuclear sites, after Donald Trump deployed a series of strikes on the country's three nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. 'I think there's been far too much ambiguity about this from Australia, far too much ambiguity, and it's time for clarity,' Mr Morrison said. 'And the clarity is we were dealing with a theocratic authoritarian state that had sponsored an attack on close friends in Israel back on the seventh of October, and they have shown their true colours, and Iran is not a friend of Australia. It's not a friend of Australia's interests. 'We should be expressing no ambiguity when it comes to Iran.' Following Mr Trump's confirmation of the strikes, a government spokesperson said Labor has noted Mr Trump's statements, and reiterated the President's comments that 'now is the time for peace'. 'We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,' they said. 'The security situation in the region is highly volatile. 'We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.' They also urged the 2600 Australians in Iran and 1200 in Israel to monitor public safety information by local authorities and 'shelter in place when required'. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be communicating directly with registered Australians about preparations for assisted departures,' they said. Mr Morrison gave his firm backing of Mr Trump's decision to strike the three Iranian nuclear bases, saying the US were the 'only ones who could do it'. He said the move was done not to 'oppose some sort of regime change', but to end the threat of Iran's nuclear programs, and were 'totally justified given the threat that was faced'. 'This has been the most decisive and the most comprehensive action to terminate that threat,' Mr Morrison told Sky. 'This is not the place that President Trump would rather be. He has not rushed towards this and further, this is not about the US trying to oppose some sort of regime change, they have a very specific job here that they have undertaken.' In the wake of the strikes, Mr Trump urged the Iranian regime to 'make peace' or risk 'greater' and 'easier' attacks. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,' he said. 'Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal. 'But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. 'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.' Earlier on Sunday, Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government remained concerned about the prospect of escalation and continued calls for dialogue, denying claims the government was trying to distance itself from the US. However he acknowledged Israel's 'right to defend itself', and the 'risk that the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile program represents to both the region and the stability of the world'. He said the Department of Foreign Affairs remained alert in trying to evacuate the thousands of Australians caught in Iran and Israel. 'We do have civilian aircraft chartered ready to go in the event that airspace opens up over Iran and Israel, and right now that is the biggest constraint here, that both airspace over both countries is closed,' he said. 'We have a C-17 and a KC-30 which both can take hundreds of passengers placed in Al Minhad (in the United Arab Emirates), which is just outside of Dubai.' Mr Marles said the staff at Al Minhad had been increased from 'about 40, to 'about 300'. Greens Leader Larissa Waters said the US strikes on Iran were a 'terrifying and catastrophic escalation by the USA,' and called on Mr Albanese to condemn the actions. 'From Iraq to Afghanistan, we have seen Australia follow the US into devastating and brutal wars that have done untold damage to the people of the Middle East. We know that you cannot bomb your way to peace,' she said. Greens defence and foreign affairs spokesman David Shoebridge said Australia should distance itself from the US' actions, including withdrawing from the AUKUS defence pact. 'That means ending the AUKUS agreement, prohibiting the use of US military bases in Australia, including Pine Gap, from being used in this conflict, and clearly opposing military action by the US and Israel against Iran,' he said. 'Like every war, the cost will not be carried by governments, but by people, families and communities who face destruction. 'The impact of war is always inflicted on ordinary people. The Iranian people, who currently face oppression under the Iranian regime, are only put at further risk of violence and persecution by these US and Israeli attacks.'