Abbott toys with preferences

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has not ruled out putting the Australian
Greens last on how-to-vote cards for the next federal election.
It was a controversial preferences tactic employed by now-Victorian Premier Ted
Baillieu, which some first thought had thrown Labor a lifeline in a tight electoral
contest.
But amid calls within the party to adopt it as national policy, Mr Abbott could not
rule out doing the same.
"He made that decision about preferences 13 days before the election, and I suspect
that well before the next federal election you will know what we're doing," Mr
Abbott told ABC Television on Sunday.
"But please, we're about 800 days perhaps out from a federal election, so it's
premature to speculate."
He believes it is unlikely for an election to held soon, pointing to the
government's slowing popularity and the unlikelihood of Labor losing crossbench
support.
Mr Abbott, who this week celebrated a year as Liberal leader, used the opportunity
to attack Labor and its "orgy of navel-gazing" and also its alliance with the
Greens.
Asked to vote if it were a choice between a Labor or a Greens government, he refused.
"It's not. It's a choice between Labor and the coalition and I would prefer a
coalition government every day."
Greens deputy leader Christine Milne said the party will likely move toward open
tickets, which would allow voters to decide their own preferences.
"We should go open ticket in the elections and stop all this hassle," she told Sky
News.
"After Victoria there will be a vigorous discussion in the Greens but I think it's
highly likely that we will get to that decision."
Senator Milne is confident the Greens are capable of winning lower-house seats off
their own bat, and insisted it will prove to be the "growth party of this century".
"They can try all sorts of things in the short term, it won't work, we will grow
this century."