Q: How will Labor be preferencing the Greens at this election? Can we expect you to preference them second?

Albanese:

That’s the matter for the organisational wing but I make this point as I have made it again – because there was some reporting of something in spite of the 385 times that I have said we will not govern in Coalition with anyone, including the Greens, that I rule out – I rule out – just to be really clear again – if you ask me, “Do you rule out governing in Coalition with the Greens?”, the answer to that is no. I don’t negotiate with the Greens. I’m about campaigning against the Greens and I’m confident we’ll be successful given…we saw a Labor majority, an absolute majority on the inner west council.

Now, if in the inner west of Sydney for those of you familiar with the demographics of Sydney, if the inner west of Sydney can deliver a majority of the Labor Party to govern the inner west council, then I’m pretty confident that I can deliver a majority of Labor members to the House of Representatives to govern the nation.

And for those up the back – preferences are YOUR choice. You can preference any which way you choose, it has nothing to do with the political parties, other than them setting out the way they wish you would preference.

As for ‘will not negotiate with the Greens’ – well Labor does. And so do the Coalition. In the little thing called the SENATE political parties negotiate with whomever will give them the numbers they want when they need the numbers.

If it comes down to having power or not having power – well, you know which way they’ll go. No matter what they say during the campaign.