greens popularity surging in victoria

ABC Online...
Victorian Premier John Brumby has taken the unusual step of appealing to Liberal Party voters to preference Labor ahead of the Greens at next month's state election.

The move comes as the latest Newspoll suggests a tight result when Victorians go to the polls on November 27.

Primary support for the Brumby Government has slumped to 35 per cent, while the Coalition's primary vote is up four points to 40 per cent.

But of most significance is the rise of the Greens, with the party's primary vote at a record 19 per cent.

Labor remains ahead on a two-party preferred basis, 52-48 per cent. That is enough to see the party returned to power, but with a substantially reduced majority of five seats.

Labor currently has a majority of 13 seats.

In the preferred premier stakes, Mr Brumby remains ahead despite his personal rating dropping to 43 per cent.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu has made some ground but remains well behind Mr Brumby on 31 per cent.

With the Greens looming as kingmakers, Mr Brumby has ruled out the possibility of forming a minority government with the party.

And he is urging Coalition voters to compare Labor's policies to the Greens when they cast their second preference.

"For a Liberal Party voter to go one Liberal and two Labor, I anticipate that's not that easy," he said.

"But I would say to those Liberal Party voters that in terms of clear, decisive, straight-ahead commonsense government, I would hope that those voters would have confidence in me to deliver that."

The Greens have made a series of policy demands to the Government ahead of the election, but Mr Brumby says Labor will not be acknowledging them during talks on preference deals.

"In terms of any discussions for a minority government, I won't be countenancing those considerations and I won't be having those discussions," he said.

"And I'll tell you why I won't, because I'm standing to win as the leader of the Labor Party to lead a Labor government in my own right.

"People will have a clear choice - that's where I see the best future for this state."

Mr Brumby says today's poll result shows the election will go down to the wire.

"Often these numbers jump around a bit ... [but] most importantly I think it shows the election will be close," he said.

"I think it's important that Victorians appreciate this will be close. It'll go to the wire and there's no guarantee that our Government will be re-elected."

Dave R.