Greens anticipating disgruntled Liberals’ support: Greg Boland, Alison Xamon, Joanna Durak and Dan Grosso.
Camera IconGreens anticipating disgruntled Liberals’ support: Greg Boland, Alison Xamon, Joanna Durak and Dan Grosso. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

State Election: Western suburbs Greens believe they will get votes from Liberals’ preference deal with One Nation

Jon BassettWestern Suburbs Weekly

WESTERN suburbs Greens candidates claim they will get votes from the conservative heartland’s disgruntlement with the Liberal Party’s preference deal with far-right One Nation for the State Election on March 11.

“We are already getting unequivocal feedback from our doorknocks with Liberal voters disgusted with the One Nation preference deal that they’ll vote Greens,” North Metropolitan MLC Alison Xamon said.

Ms Xamon said a Greens-commissioned Essential Media survey before Christmas of 2200 Perth residents found 33 per cent of Liberal voters would switch to her party after a deal.

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In the deal revealed last Sunday, One Nation gets preferenced before the Liberal’s coalition National Party in country Legislative Council seats, and One Nation preferences go to the Liberals ahead of Labor in Legislative Assembly seats contested by One Nation in Perth.

However, voters with a history of generations of Liberal support can say one thing in a survey and do another at the ballot box.

Ms Xamon said disgruntled Liberals should consider Green policies including renewable power, political donation reform, suicide prevention and a cross-party platform for tackling the drug ice, including tough penalties and addicts treated in the health system.

At the 2008 State Election, the Greens got 10.4 per cent of the Cottesloe vote, 13 per cent in Nedlands and 7.7 per cent in Churchlands, and will preference Cottesloe MLA Colin Barnett and Nedlands MLA Bill Marmion last, and Churchlands MLA Sean L’Estrange second-last next month.

Cottesloe candidate Greg Boland said the Perth Freight Link’s impact on Curtin Avenue was the largest issue because the PFL allowed the proposed privatised Fremantle Port to treble container volumes to 2.1 million, with a corresponding increase through Cottesloe, by 2038.

Churchlands candidate Joanna Durak said governments had failed to plan for schools after closing Hollywood, Swanbourne and City Beach high schools in 2002.

“We need to look at sustainable infrastructure for our schools, and not just putting in more demountables,” Ms Durak said.

Nedlands candidate Dan Grosso said more cycling and better public transport were voters’ issues during door-knocking of about 350 homes last weekend.