FED:Greens likley to take Melbourne: Roxon

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2010
FED:Greens likley to take Melbourne: Roxon

EDS: Updates, amending reference to Melbourne being the Greens first seat.



MELBOURNE, Aug 21 AAP - Senior government minister Nicola Roxon has all but conceded
the Greens will win a seat in the lower house by taking the electorate of Melbourne from
Labor.

Although the Greens' Adam Bandt is trailing the ALP's Cath Bowtell on a two candidate
preferred basis, Liberal preferences are expected to give him an historic win.

Early counting gives Mr Bandt 4121 votes, with Ms Bowtell gaining 4631, but preferences
are expected to give the Greens a swing of over 12 per cent in a seat Labor holds by 4.7.

"It's a sad result for Labor," Ms Roxon said on the Nine Network.

"I can't see Cath turning that around."

Greens spokesman Dan Cass also said the small amount of votes indicated a swing to the party.

Mr Cass cautiously said the Greens were getting about 80 per cent of preferences from
the Liberals.

"It won't necessarily hold," he told reporters at the Greens's function at the Victoria
Hotel in central Melbourne.

"Also this election has a record number of postal and so on votes so there is still
a lot to know, but it's looking pretty strong."

Ms Bowtell is standing for the Labor Party after the retirement of sitting member Lindsay Tanner.

If Mr Bandt win, it will be the second time the Greens have held a seat in the lower house.

Michael Organ was the Green's first federal lower house MP after winning the Wollongong
seat of Cunningham in a 2002 by-election.

AAP pmu/jlw

KEYWORD: POLL10 MELBOURNE 2ND UPDATE

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