NSW: Greens vote boosted by Labor disillusionment

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NSW: Greens vote boosted by Labor disillusionment

By Simon King and Krystyna Pollard

SYDNEY, Feb 10 AAP - Growing disillusionment with the current Labor government willboost the Green vote at next month's NSW election, the Greens said today.

Greens NSW MLC Ian Cohen said the party would prioritise a number of seats in the election,in both the city and country areas, to take advantage of the "backlash" against Labor.

"It's quite clear that we are putting the Labor government on notice," Mr Cohen told reporters.

" ... it's quite clear that they've been ignoring their community for a very long periodof time."

Mr Cohen said the Sydney seats of Marrickville, Port Jackson and Rockdale, with Keirain the Illawarra and Ballina on the North Coast, would receive a priority campaign focusby the Greens.

"There is significant backlash away from the Carr government, people are not impressedwith the mirrors and smoke screens that have been going on in recent times," Mr Cohensaid.

"In particular, there is a small but significant opportunity" for the Greens to takethe Port Jackson seat.

"Nowhere in the state is the Labor Party so on the nose as Port Jackson," he said,adding there also was dissatisfaction with Deputy Premier Andrew Refshauge who holds theseat of Marrickville.

Mr Cohen said campaigning would focus on the "expanding Green heartland" where theparty had been campaigning with very strong candidates over a period of years.

"We believe we will get two elected in the Upper House and (have) a very fair chanceindeed to get one or a number of members up in the Lower House," he said.

The Greens also gained the support of key NSW environment groups who have snubbed thetwo major parties in a how-to-vote campaign.

The Total Environment Centre (TEC) and Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) willdistribute more than 200,000 leaflets to key Sydney and coastal electorates, urging peopleto vote 1 and 2 above the line for the Greens and Australian Democrats in the NSW UpperHouse.

"We need at least four Green and Australian Democrat Upper House MPs to make sure MLCsworking with the community can put the brakes on when the government and opposition fallasleep at the wheel," TEC director Jeff Angel said.

NCC chair Rob Pallin said the record of the major parties indicated they could notbe relied on in terms of the environment.

AAP sek/nf/cjh/br

KEYWORD: GREENS NSW