logo
Unseated Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather rips into Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after scathing ‘attack'

Unseated Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather rips into Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after scathing ‘attack'

Sky News AU08-05-2025
Max Chandler-Mather has hit back at Anthony Albanese in an ongoing war of words, after the Prime Minister hit out at the unseated Greens MP's 'offensive' behaviour in parliament.
Unseated Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather has hit back at Anthony Albanese after the Prime Minister's scathing remarks about his behaviour in parliament.
Mr Chandler-Mather lost his inner-city Brisbane seat of Griffith to Labor's Renee Coffey at the federal election on Saturday, with Sky News also calling Greens leader Adam Bandt's loss in his seat of Melbourne.
In a sit-down interview with ABC's 7:30 on Wednesday, Mr Albanese commented on remarks made by Mr Chandler-Mather, who had deemed Parliament a 'sick' and 'miserable' place, declaring he was happy to not be working there anymore. — Max Chandler-Mather (@MChandlerMather) May 7, 2025
The Prime Minister said the outgoing Greens MP needed a 'mirror and a reflection on why he's no longer in parliament', stating the remarks were 'a bit rich of him' after being ousted by his electorate after just one term.
Following the Prime Minister's 'attack', Mr Chandler-Mather hit back on social media, arguing the Prime Minister's words were a reflection of a larger issue.
'I feel like the PM launching into another attack on someone who isn't even in parliament, rather than celebrating a historic win proves my point,' he posted to X.
'Which is this is how the political class treats ppl who fight for renters & real change.'
He then urged his supporters to 'compare this to (Mr Albanese's) kind words for (Peter) Dutton'.
In his original comments to Triple J's Hack after conceding, Mr Chandler-Mather had claimed the minor party was prone to getting 'attacked' because of proposed reforms for public housing and renters.
"There were times when I was sitting in parliament and you'd watch both sides of politics team up to defend the stage three tax cuts,' he said.
"Then we were getting attacked because we said we should spend a bit more on public housing and give something for renters.'
Mr Albanese told ABC host Sarah Ferguson Mr Chandler-Mather should examine the way he conducted himself in Question Time, after directing questions at him that the Prime Minister had 'found pretty offensive'.
The Prime Minister also hit out at Greens leader Adam Bandt, claiming his former seat of Melbourne was "very much under a cloud", and stated it was "very difficult to see a pathway in which he will resume his seat in Parliament".
While the Greens are on track to lose three of their four seats in this election, including the electorate of Brisbane - which was also picked up by Labor - Sky News projected on Thursday morning the minor party would keep the seat of Ryan.
Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi declared that despite projections, the party was still hopeful of Mr Bandt retaining the seat of Melbourne.
"As many as 15,000 absentee and declaration votes that have yet to be sorted and counted," she told ABC's Radio National on Thursday morning.
"And often those votes have a swing towards the Greens, so we are waiting for all those votes to be counted, to declare the result."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The aggressive courting of Tasmania's crossbench MPs is heating up with two weeks until fresh no-confidence motion
The aggressive courting of Tasmania's crossbench MPs is heating up with two weeks until fresh no-confidence motion

ABC News

timean hour ago

  • ABC News

The aggressive courting of Tasmania's crossbench MPs is heating up with two weeks until fresh no-confidence motion

After weeks of uncertainty, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff's bid to be recommissioned for another term was endorsed by the state's governor on Wednesday morning. The decision led to bookmakers paying out on bets for the election, and plenty of big grins from Mr Rockliff. And he's been hard at work finalising a shake-up to his cabinet that could be announced as soon as Thursday morning. But things aren't as finite as they seem. In just two weeks, state parliament will be recalled. And Labor leader Dean Winter has confirmed Mr Rockliff's government will face a motion of no-confidence when that happens, barely two months after a successful no-confidence motion triggered July 19's snap state election. So how can it be the case that after an election that was supposed to resolve all the uncertainty, we're back here again? Firstly, the 2025 election no-one really wanted delivered an eerily similar parliament to the one elected a year before. In 2024, there were 14 Liberals, 10 Labor MPs, five Greens and six other crossbenchers — three Jacqui Lambie Network MPs and three independents. This time around, there were again 14 Liberals, 10 from Labor and five from the Greens, and six others on the crossbench. The only real change is that there are five independents, and one Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP. The Liberals are still in minority and the tensions that existed before the election — about a lack of transparency from the government, concerns about its handling of big projects and the budget — are still very live. Also, unlike last year's election, where Mr Rockliff's reaction to winning just 14 seats was to immediately move to secure four confidence and supply agreements in a bid to deliver stability, this time he hasn't tried. He's argued the agreements are good, but not necessary. Then there's the matter that at least 19 of the 35 lower house MPs are either Labor MPs or from the progressive side of politics — the five Greens and independents David O'Byrne, Peter George, Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland. That, plus the lack of confidence and supply agreements, has opened the door for Labor, who didn't try to govern after the last election in 2024 or two months ago following the successful no-confidence motion it moved to step up negotiations with the crossbench. That's the other huge difference to what unfolded two months ago. Labor is actively trying to form a minority government of its own, despite winning just 10 seats. To do that, it needs the support of the Greens, plus at least three other crossbenchers. So there are two parties trying to win over the six non-Green members of the crossbench, and only one of them has picked a side, with independent MP Craig Garland saying he'll vote for a no-confidence motion and support the formation of a Labor government. It means those five other crossbenchers — including three entirely new to parliament in independents Peter George and George Razay and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Carlo Di Falco — have less than two weeks to decide if they want to depose Mr Rockliff and install a government led by Mr Winter instead. They're all being aggressively courted by the Liberals and Labor, who will meet with all six on Thursday. In her decision published on the Government House website, Governor Baker said Mr Rockliff's incumbency meant he had the right to remain in office until parliament decided whether it had confidence in him. And with Tasmania's constitution requiring premiers and ministers to be commissioned within seven days of the election writs being delivered, Governor Baker says she could not afford to wait for a parliamentary vote. "I consider myself bound to make an appointment within that period, because the state must not be without a government," Governor Baker said. But the return date of August 19, much sooner than some were expecting, means that the political uncertainty won't last for too much longer. Within two weeks, Tasmanians will have an answer to the question an election couldn't solve: Who's going to be the state's next long-term premier? Both sides have mounted arguments about why it should be them. But the biggest task now sits with Mr Winter, who sat at the helm while his party suffered a 3.1 per cent statewide swing against it and failed to win a quota in his own right in the seat of Franklin. He's got to make Tasmanians understand why the parliament is again debating kicking out a premier who received more than two quotas in his seat of Braddon. And convince people that this time, a no-confidence motion is a positive move to install a Labor government, not a negative tactic to oust a popular premier when he's got no plan to lead the state himself. And he's got to convince the crossbench, including a Greens party he's at least publicly ignoring, that he's the right man to lead the state, despite his party being rejected at the election. And convince them to risk facing public backlash and support a no-confidence motion, knowing full well all the commentary that doing so will lead to. Despite the governor's decision, Tasmanian politics is still extremely turbulent. And there will be huge consequences for the party, and the leader, caught on the wrong side of the power play that's still got weeks to unfold.

Kiama MP Gareth Ward to fight expulsion attempt by Labor government in Supreme Court
Kiama MP Gareth Ward to fight expulsion attempt by Labor government in Supreme Court

West Australian

time2 hours ago

  • West Australian

Kiama MP Gareth Ward to fight expulsion attempt by Labor government in Supreme Court

Convicted rapist and sitting MP Gareth Ward will return before the Supreme Court in Sydney's CBD today as he fights attempts by the Labor-controlled state government to have him expelled from parliament. The Kiama MP was taken into custody on remand last week while awaiting sentencing after he was found guilty by a jury of three counts of indecent assault and a fourth count of intercourse without consent. The charges relate to acts against two young men – an 18-year-old at Meroo Meadow in 2013 and a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015 – and sparked calls for the south coast MP to resign from parliament. A motion was expected to be introduced by Labor to the Legislative Assembly to expel Ward, with support from the Coalition earlier this week. If successful, it would mark the first expulsion from the NSW lower house since 1917. Instead, the matter was set down for a full-day hearing at the Supreme Court after an 11th hour injunction was applied for by Ward's lawyers, who argue the state parliament does not have the power to expel him. The last-minute legal move makes it almost impossible to expel Ward, who is still being paid by parliament and is the current member for Kiama, before the Legislative Assembly adjourns until next month. Leader of the House Ron Hoenig earlier in the week said the court did not have the authority to stop matters being but before legislators, but that the state government would abide by the injunction out of respect. The matter sets the stage for a peculiar legal challenge. Premier Chris Minns told 2GB on Tuesday morning most people would 'appreciate it's an unconscionable situation to have someone who's currently sitting in jail in Silverwater convicted of serious sexual offences who is demanding to remain a member of parliament and continue to be paid'. Asked why Ward had not resigned, Mr Minns said 'clearly, he's got no shame'. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said that, if the government was prepared, they could resume 'in the interim with a small quorum of MPs'. 'We would be willing to do that. It would be possible, for example, to have just 20 MPs, the quorum deal with the matter,' he said. Mr Speakman said 'As a general principle, we are supporting the government's efforts in court. 'That includes as a general principle the arguments that it's putting in court and the outcome that it seeks, which is that the injunction is lifted and the parliament can proceed to expel Mr Ward.' The injunctive orders issued by the court, 'pending further order', restrain the defendant, Mr Hoenig, from 'from taking any steps to expel or otherwise resolve to expel' Ward between July 30 and 10am on Friday.

Judgement Day for rapist MP's expulsion
Judgement Day for rapist MP's expulsion

Perth Now

time2 hours ago

  • Perth Now

Judgement Day for rapist MP's expulsion

Convicted rapist and sitting MP Gareth Ward will return before the Supreme Court in Sydney's CBD today as he fights attempts by the Labor-controlled state government to have him expelled from parliament. The Kiama MP was taken into custody on remand last week while awaiting sentencing after he was found guilty by a jury of three counts of indecent assault and a fourth count of intercourse without consent. The charges relate to acts against two young men – an 18-year-old at Meroo Meadow in 2013 and a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015 – and sparked calls for the south coast MP to resign from parliament. A motion was expected to be introduced by Labor to the Legislative Assembly to expel Ward, with support from the Coalition earlier this week. If successful, it would mark the first expulsion from the NSW lower house since 1917. Kiama MP Gareth Ward was taken into custody on remand last week while awaiting sentencing. NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers Credit: News Corp Australia Instead, the matter was set down for a full-day hearing at the Supreme Court after an 11th hour injunction was applied for by Ward's lawyers, who argue the state parliament does not have the power to expel him. The last-minute legal move makes it almost impossible to expel Ward, who is still being paid by parliament and is the current member for Kiama, before the Legislative Assembly adjourns until next month. Leader of the House Ron Hoenig earlier in the week said the court did not have the authority to stop matters being but before legislators, but that the state government would abide by the injunction out of respect. The matter sets the stage for a peculiar legal challenge. Premier Chris Minns told 2GB on Tuesday morning most people would 'appreciate it's an unconscionable situation to have someone who's currently sitting in jail in Silverwater convicted of serious sexual offences who is demanding to remain a member of parliament and continue to be paid'. NSW Premier Chris Minns and the Coalition have called on Ward to resign. Photo: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia Asked why Ward had not resigned, Mr Minns said 'clearly, he's got no shame'. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said that, if the government was prepared, they could resume 'in the interim with a small quorum of MPs'. 'We would be willing to do that. It would be possible, for example, to have just 20 MPs, the quorum deal with the matter,' he said. Mr Speakman said 'As a general principle, we are supporting the government's efforts in court. 'That includes as a general principle the arguments that it's putting in court and the outcome that it seeks, which is that the injunction is lifted and the parliament can proceed to expel Mr Ward.' The injunctive orders issued by the court, 'pending further order', restrain the defendant, Mr Hoenig, from 'from taking any steps to expel or otherwise resolve to expel' Ward between July 30 and 10am on Friday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store