Anthony Albanese rules out minority government with Greens, ducks preferences questions

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out forming a minority Government with the Greens, stressing “no deals will be done”, but says preferences are a matter for the party organisation after Jewish groups called for him to put the party last.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the Zionist Federation of Australia wrote to Mr Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, asking both major parties to preference the other ahead of the Greens at the next election - due by May.

The groups have also sought commitments from both leaders that they will not negotiate, or form a minority government with, the minor party. They also wrote to Teal independents Allegra Spender, Kate Chaney, Monique Ryan, Sophie Scamps and Zoe Daniel.

Mr Albanese said preferences were a matter for the party, but ruled out working with the Greens.

“There’ll be no deals with the Greens,” he told Sky News.

“I want a majority Labor Government, and the best way that that can be achieved is by people voting Labor in the election when it’s held.”

He added that there were “no deals done” in 2013 when there was a minority Labor government.

The groups accused the Greens of “publicly spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric” and failing to address anti-Semitism within the party, spreading disinformation about the war, refusing to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and refusing to condemn Hamas and Hezbollah.

They said it was “critical” the Government, the Opposition and the teals all “deny the Greens the rewards they seek to reap” at the upcoming election - due by May next year.

“For the sake of our social cohesion, we urge the Government, the Opposition, and the Teals to take a decisive stand and deny the greens any role in a minority government. It’s critical they do not make any concessions to the Greens in return for a guarantee of confidence and supply,” ZFA president Jeremy Leibler said.

ECAJ president Daniel Aghion said the major parties had an opportunity to “send a clear message that hatred, extremism, antisemitism, and the politics of division will not be tolerated or rewarded”.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said his party had made it “crystal clear” that anti-Semitism should be condemned.

“From the beginning, the Greens have made it crystal clear that there is no place for anti-Semitism in Australia, and we condemn it,” he said.

“And there’s no place for Islamophobia, but we think those two things and sit side by side with opposing the invasion as well.”