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The Greens face a devastating demise in Queensland’s 2024 election as dire warning signs emerge at the federal level and it becomes clear why deposed premier Steven Miles is to blame for the disastrous result
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The Greens face a devastating demise in Queensland’s 2024 election as dire warning signs emerge at the federal level and it becomes clear why deposed premier Steven Miles is to blame for the disastrous result

The Greens are in danger of losing both their seats in Queensland in a state election that could prove disastrous for the minor party.

The two Green seats in Brisbane could swing to Labor and the LNP respectively due to a recount on Sunday following Saturday night’s election; That could spell trouble for the three federal seats the party holds among overlapping urban electorates.

When counting ended, Labor was well placed to retake the South Brisbane seat from Greens MP Amy MacMahon, while the LNP, which will form the new state government, was trailing Michael Berkman in Maiwar.

Ms MacMahon, who won South Brisbane from former ALP deputy premier Jackie Trad in 2020, was well behind Labour’s Barbara O’Shea by 57 to 41 points on a two-party preference basis, with 63 per cent of votes counted.

The deciding factor appeared to be that the LNP did not favor its votes over the Greens as in 2020, instead placing them below Labor and pushing Ms O’Shea into the leadership despite Ms MacMahon narrowly winning the primary vote.

In Maiwar, Mr Berkman held a 51-48 lead over the LNP’s Natasha Winters, with more than 72 per cent of the vote counted.

The close race has largely wiped out the healthy 6.3 per cent margin Mr Berkman had previously held in the seat, and the Green MP did not hold back from accusing Labor of targeting his party.

“The other big takeaway for me was that the Labor government was more interested in fighting to keep the Greens out than in fighting the LNP to keep the government,” he told Sky News.

The Greens face a devastating demise in Queensland’s 2024 election as dire warning signs emerge at the federal level and it becomes clear why deposed premier Steven Miles is to blame for the disastrous result

Greens Queensland MP Michael Berkman is in danger of losing his Brisbane seat of Maiwar to the LNP

The close race has largely wiped out the healthy 6.3 per cent margin Mr Berkman had previously held in the seat, and the Green MP did not hold back from accusing Labor of targeting his party.

The close race has largely wiped out the healthy 6.3 per cent margin Mr Berkman had previously held in the seat, and the Green MP did not hold back from accusing Labor of targeting his party.

‘If Labor and the LNP want to work together to fight us, the entire political establishment here is against us.’

Policies included free school meals, much cheaper public transport with the introduction of 50-cent bus tickets, free GP clinics and higher taxes on mining companies, Berkman accused Labor leader Steven Miles of stealing from the Greens.

But Queensland Labor MP Grace Grace said: Australian The Greens had ‘thrown everything at it’, including their own seat, on inner Brisbane seats and ‘it just didn’t happen for them’.

‘In my opinion they were going backwards and I think we see that in the results,’ he said.

‘The Greens promise the world but they don’t deliver. ‘People have seen the Greens get elected in federal and state seats but fail to do so.’

Although the Greens are at risk of not being represented in the next Queensland parliament and fall well short of the predicted possible tally of four seats, let alone state a target of six, Mr Berkman highlighted the positives.

‘We’re on track to get the highest number of votes we’ve ever had, at least statewide,’ he said.

‘You can tell from this that the party is still growing.

He did not accept that Saturday’s lackluster comeback boded badly for the Greens’ federal hopes in Queensland.

The two Green seats in Brisbane could flip to Labor and the LNP respectively due to a recount on Sunday following Saturday night's election; which could spell trouble for the three federal seats the party holds in overlapping constituencies in the city (pictured, Greens leader Adam Bandt and MP Max Chandler-Mather)

The two Green seats in Brisbane could flip to Labor and the LNP respectively due to a recount on Sunday following Saturday night’s election; which could spell trouble for the three federal seats the party holds in overlapping city constituencies (pictured, Greens leader Adam Bandt and MP Max Chandler-Mather)

Queensland voters seen at the voting booth at Kallangur Public School in Brisbane on Saturday

Queensland voters seen at the voting booth at Kallangur Public School in Brisbane on Saturday

‘When you look at seats like Griffith in the new target seat of Moreton and Greenslopes in Miller, we’ve seen really big swings towards the Greens in those areas,’ he said.

‘I don’t think it’s as simple as saying we’re in trouble federally because of anything we saw today.

‘What we have seen is that Labor has managed to take back a huge area by stealing our policies.’

The Greens have not given up hope of preserving South Brisbane but, paradoxically, that comeback depends on the LNP overtaking Labor.

If this were to happen, Labor’s preferences would likely tip towards the Greens, handing them a near-miraculous come-from-behind victory.

The possible loss of two seats in Queensland could spell trouble for the Greens at the federal level.

The Greens had hoped that a positive result in Queensland would lead to them winning a fifth seat in the House of Representatives at next year’s federal election.

The disastrous result in Queensland will almost dash all their hopes.

Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather drew up a political plan in 2018 for the small party to form a federal government by 2040.