Adam Bandt MPfor Melbourne

Thank you, Melbourne

I’m so proud to have been your strong independent voice in Parliament for the past fifteen years.

Thank you to all the people who voted for us. More people in Melbourne voted Greens than anyone else — we got the highest vote — but Liberal and One Nation preferences got Labor over the line.

To win here, we’ve always had to overcome both major parties working together on preferences — it’s like climbing Everest. We’ve done it before, but this time we fell just short.

I want to thank the Melbourne community for the last 15 years of working together.

We’ve achieved a lot:

  • We made marriage equality law after Melbourne delivered the highest Yes vote in the country
  • We got dental into Medicare for 3.4 million kids
  • We secured $3.5 billion in extra funding for public and community housing
  • We helped win the right to disconnect for workers
  • We led the Yes vote in the Voice referendum, and sent a message of hope that justice for First Nations people still matters
  • We passed climate laws that actually cut pollution — the only policy in this country that ever has
  • We secured $13 billion for clean energy

Fighting the climate crisis is the reason I got into politics, and I want to thank you for helping us make a difference.

Together we’ve been powerful. As a community, we’ve been a progressive beacon for the nation. We’ve stood for justice, for compassion and we’ve led the way on the national stage.

I’m proud of what we’ve built — in Parliament and on the ground — and proud of what our movement has stood for. We’ve done something few others have: won without relying on preferences from either major party. That only happened because tens of thousands of people have poured their hearts into this campaign.

To my colleagues and staff, to the Greens volunteers and organisers, to the communities who welcomed me so warmly — thank you. It has been a joy to represent you.

To the tens of thousands of people who have poured their hearts into our movement – I cannot thank you enough.

This movement is bold, visionary and growing. The challenges we face are huge — but the path forward is clear.

We can win. And we won’t stop fighting.

Thank you for everything.