Abbott’s Senate boss will be Abetz

Polls now show an Abbott Coalition government is likely after August 21. That will make Eric Abetz government leader in the Senate, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown warned in Hobart today.

"A vote for the Greens in the Senate is the essential safeguard against an Abetz dominated Senate. Australians have to know that if the conservatives pick up one more Senate seat Eric Abetz will control the Senate," Senator Brown said.

At the launch of Greens Deputy Leader, Christine Milne's campaign for her Tasmanian Senate team in Hobart today, Senator Brown said that Abetz, as Minister, was responsible for robbing young people of their right to vote until his unconstitutional bill was overturned by the High Court on Friday.

"He will ‘tweak' more than workplace laws. Given an extra Senate seat, Abetz would abolish Labor's schools building program, put through harsh laws on asylum seekers, and block action on a carbon price to tackle climate change."

"Only a strong Greens vote in the Senate can prevent the Senate falling to Coalition control," Senator Brown said.

Media contact: Peter Stahel 0459 133 597