2026-04-30
The Victorian Greens have today warned that keeping Victoria’s undemocratic group voting system is allowing extremists to shamelessly exploit the system and deceive voters in order to elect far-right MPs to the parliament at the November election.
It comes as far-right extremist, Avi Yemini publicly declared he would register the ‘Free Palestine Party’ and then funnel these votes to far-right political parties, intentionally deceiving voters in order to get himself elected. This is currently legal under Victoria’s undemocratic ‘group voting’ system.
Avi Yemini is the second person to declare they will be running under a deceiving name, in February anti-lockdown campaigner, Monica Smit, said she would run under the name of “Save the Environment Party” in order to funnel votes to right-wing parties who have anti-environment policies.
The Victorian Electoral Matters Parliamentary committee has repeatedly recommended that the group voting system is undemocratic and should be abolished before the next election.
The Greens say Labor’s claims that abolishing group voting tickets would secure seats for One Nation are false, and in fact keeping the GVT system could see many far-right parties elected on a fraction of a percent of a vote.
The group voting system has elected micro-parties with tiny votes, like the Transport Matters party who were elected in 2018 with 0.65% of the vote, or the Daylight Saving party elected in WA with just 98 votes.
Abolishing the group voting system will mean only parties with a high enough primary vote will be able to secure a seat in Parliament, properly reflecting the will of Victorian voters.
Quotes attributable to Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell.
“Group voting tickets are seriously dodgy. The fact that Labor is refusing to get rid of them is even dodgier. How can Labor condone a voting system that allows people to be tricked into voting for a party with a fake name that is completely opposed to their values?
“If Labor doesn't abolish dodgy group voting tickets, they're letting deceitful far-right political parties buy seats in Parliament and essentially handing the Upper House over to the far-right.”
Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens integrity spokesperson, Tim Read:
“Multiple parliamentary inquiries have found that group voting tickets are undemocratic and should be abolished and it’s time that Labor listened.”
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