Penny Wong’s brutal message for struggling Greens leader Adam Bandt

By CAMERON CARPENTER FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 01:42 BST, 6 May 2025 | Updated: 01:44 BST, 6 May 2025

Penny Wong has compared Adam Bandt to Peter Dutton as his political career threatens to go up in smoke.

Mr Bandt is still very much in danger of losing his Melbourne seat, with a huge five per cent swing to Labor’s Sarah Witty saw Bandt’s primary vote drop to 41 per cent.

Ms Wong weighed in on Bandt’s and The Greens struggles on in an interview with Karl Stefanovic, arguing that the party’s ‘culture war’ messaging did not resonate with voters.

‘Unfortunately, Adam Bandt, you know, in some ways is quite like Peter Dutton,’ she said.

‘It’s the same conflict. It’s the same. Frankly, sometimes quite aggressive and the same politics of protest and grievance.

‘I think Australians have comprehensively rejected that.’ 

Much of the Greens’ election campaign messaging focused on the Israel-Hamas conflict, taxing billionaires and climate change.

‘My suggestion to Adam Bandt is perhaps he should consider what the message (that) Australians sent to all of us in parliament,’ she said.

Penny Wong accuses Adam Bandt of mirroring Peter Dutton’s approach on Karl Stefanovic’s Today show

With a sharp swing to Labor, Adam Bandt faces the real threat of losing his seat as Wong says Australians rejected his style of politics

But Mr Stefanovic then challenged Wong, highlighing that she had addressed a ‘culture wars’ issue herself – by declaring the Voice to Parliament an inevitability in Australia just days before the election. 

‘Look, you mentioned The Voice during the campaign as well, Penny. I listened to it and you clearly weren’t saying you were going to go back to it, but it was seized upon, as you know. 

Wong dodged the question, and doubled-down on the country’s rejection of the ‘culture wars’  

‘People were concerned about Medicare. People were concerned about cost of living. People were concerned about tax cuts. People were concerned about schools and hospitals and bulk billing and fee free TAFE,’ she said.

‘That’s what Australians wanted to see.

‘They weren’t interested in the Peter Dutton Liberal Party culture wars.’

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Penny Wong’s brutal message for struggling Greens leader Adam Bandt

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