Greens win Fremantle by-election

[This brief news article was written quickly for publication in the coming Green Left Weekly.]

Greens candidate Adele Carles is set to win a historic victory at the May 16 by-election – the first time the Greens have won a lower house seat in Western Australia. Carles polled 44% of primary votes and 54% of two-party preferred votes at the close of counting on election night.

This is the first time that the Greens have outpolled Labor on the primary votes at a state or federal election, according to ABC election analyst Antony Green.

Green also commented that ``this is a much more impressive victory [than the one previous lower house Green win at the Cunningham by-election of 2002]’’ because Labor’s vote did not increase even though the Liberals didn’t run.

``Unlike Organ, Adele Carles has a real chance of winning re-election in Fremantle,’’ Green commented on his ABC blog site.

Greens Senator Bob Brown told ABC online that ``Adele Carles' win for the Greens is a real breakthrough for West Australian politics.’’

Socialist Alliance candidate Sam Wainwright welcomed the Greens’ victory as a win for progressive politics. ``We look forward to deepening the collaboration between Socialist Alliance and Greens that was displayed in this election campaign.’’

Wainwright, who polled 2.3%, also hailed the step forward in practical unity on the left manifested during the election campaign when members of the Socialist Party and the Communisty Party supported Socialist Alliance on polling booths.

Published version at:
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2009/795/40962