Vic greens expect to be listened to 20141218 p5sr2s.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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This was published 11 years ago

Vic Greens expect to be listened to

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The swollen ranks of Victoria's Green MPs expect to be listened to after four years watching the coalition control both houses of parliament.

The five upper house and two lower house MPs are meeting to decide the party's leadership and portfolios.

The Greens control five of the 10 crossbench seats in the upper house, meaning the Labor government will need them to pass legislation the coalition opposes.

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Incumbent leader Greg Barber said the Greens would use their numbers to get changes made.

"Sometimes we'll be looking for small but important amendments for legislation, so we'd expect that to be taken seriously and listened to," Mr Barber told reporters on Thursday.

"It didn't occur in the last four years because the government had control of both houses."

Mr Barber said the Greens would focus on public transport, climate change, and restoring transparency to Victorian politics.

Premier Daniel Andrews repeated his promise not to do deals with the Greens, but Mr Barber said he expected that would be tested.

"Last week he said he was going to be the man that was going to bring everybody together," he said.

"So I guess the proof of the pudding will be when he puts legislation on the Parliament agenda that in fact the Liberals oppose.

"First time that happens of course he's going to be looking for votes from the crossbench."

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Mr Barber catches the train to work, but two of the new Green MPs revealed they would be taking the parliamentary car offered to members.

Samantha Dunn and Nina Springle live in areas meant to be serviced by the long-promised, much-studied, never-delivered Doncaster and Rowville rail lines.

"I certainly would love to be catching a train to Doncaster, but there isn't one yet, so I will be taking the car," Ms Dunn said.

The Greens had three upper house MPs in the previous term of government, but in the November state election improved this to five upper house MPs and gained their first MPs in the lower house.

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