MACKILLOP’S political aspirants have lambasted environmental party Greens SA for directing their preferences to Labor, which has a perceived pro-fracking stance in the South East, with independent anti-mining candidate Jon Ey slamming them as “idiots”.
Liberal candidate Nick McBride and Australian Conservatives candidate Richard Bateman joined Mr Ey’s strong criticism of the Greens at the Limestone Coast Protection Alliance’s “meet the candidates” night after the party’s how-to-vote cards recommended voting Labor in the number two position.
After labelling the Greens as “an absolute disgrace”, Mr Ey told the crowd he was surprised with the preference flow following the Greens’ opposition to fracking in the South East.
Mr Ey’s how-to-vote card directs preferences to Greens candidate Donella Peters, followed the Australian Conservatives, Labor, Liberal and SA-Best.
“I rang the Greens and I talked through my policies with them and I am standing for a gas free South East, exactly the same as they are,” he said.
“I said if you can preference me that would be appreciated and they said no worries, we’ll do that.
“They put Labor second.
“They’re idiots.”
The Greens ticket directs preferences to Labor’s Hilary Wigg, followed by SA-Best, Jon Ey and Nick McBride at number five.
Mr McBride said he did not understand the Greens’ motive for preferencing the Labor Party in the number two spot considering their extreme opposition on unconventional gas exploration.
“If they really do believe in renewables and anti-mining, it really defies all logic why they have gone this way,” he
said.
“It defies what they actually should stand for.”
“If you talk about that same voting slip and you went up to Adelaide and shouted it from the ceilings that we really want Labor in so they can come and drill in the South East because their renewable policy is not working as well as they’d like, it just defies all logic.”
Mr Bateman, whose party is calling on a legislative ban on fracking in the South East, has been placed last on the Greens ticket in MacKillop.
“I actually think it’s quite amusing, the Australian Conservatives are the ones who want to introduce a anti-fracking legislation and Australian Conservatives are the ones that want to stop mining in 5pc of arable parts of South Australia, and I’m last,” he said.
“I’m not really sure how they work things out that we are the ones that want to stop things and we’re last.”
SA-Best candidate for MacKillop Tracy Hill did not comment on the Greens preference structure, but said “as you put number one on SA-Best, you can put your preferences however you like.”
MacKillop is one of 12 of the 47 Lower House seats in which the Greens will direct their second preference to Labor and one of three currently held by the Liberal Party.
Greens preferences will also flow to Tourism Minister and Member for Mawson Leon Bignell, which is now notionally Liberal following a boundary redistribution and the inclusion of Kangaroo Island.
Neighbouring electorate Mount Gambier is one of six House of Assembly seats where the Greens are running an open ticket.
