JENI O’DOWD: It’s up to voters to do what Anthony Albanese doesn’t have the courage to do and put Greens last

I never thought I’d live in a country where Jewish Australians are afraid to go to the hospital.

Where they consider removing their Stars of David before walking down the street.

Where security guards stand outside synagogues and Jewish schools because authorities cannot guarantee their safety.

And yet, here we are.

The explosion of anti-Semitism in Australia over the past few months has been unlike anything we’ve seen before.

And while the usual excuses — just a few harmful incidents, it’s not widespread — might have worked six months ago, no one can pretend anymore.

This is happening everywhere — on our streets, in our schools, at universities, in workplaces, and even in our hospitals.

That’s why it’s not enough to shake our heads and hope someone else fixes it. Ordinary Australians must step up — and the easiest way to do that is at the ballot box.

Because while our leaders talk about standing against hate, too many of them are still happy to do deals with the people who enable it.

When I first saw the news about the two NSW nurses caught bragging online about harming Jewish patients, I was shocked — and so were my friends.

It wasn’t just offensive; it was horrifying to think that people entrusted with saving lives could openly boast about harming Jewish patients.

The idea that hospitals might not be a safe place for Jewish Australians is something I never thought I’d have to consider.

But after the past few months, it’s clear that anti-Semitism in this country has reached a level we can no longer ignore.

And that brings me to Labor and the Greens.

Anthony Albanese has said he “stands against anti-Semitism and racism.” But if that’s true, why won’t he commit to preferencing the Greens last?

The answer is simple: he can’t afford to.

The next election could result in a hung parliament, forcing Labor into a minority government — where the Greens hold the balance of power and are in a position to influence policy.

And no matter how extreme the Greens become, no matter how much anti-Semitism they tolerate in their ranks, no matter how much division they stoke, Labor will never put them last — because they need their votes to stay in power.

So when Albanese says he stands against racism, what he really means is that he stands against racism — unless his Government depends on it.

In Federal Parliament, Liberal MP Julian Leeser called on Albanese to join the Coalition in preferencing the Greens last, describing them as a “racist, anti-Semitic party”.

Albanese did not push back against the accusation. Instead, he tried to distance himself, saying: “I stand against anti-Semitism, and I stand against racism.”

But words mean nothing without action. If Albanese truly believed what he said, he would have ruled out dealing with the Greens. But he hasn’t. Because he can’t.

The Greens are a party that refused to condemn violent pro-Palestine protests that turned into hate rallies.

NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong actually used the word “tentacles” to describe Jewish influence — echoing classic anti-Semitic tropes.

And yet, if Labor finds itself in a minority government, these are the type of people they will be forced to negotiate with on policy.

Labor will never put the Greens last. And that means a vote for Labor is a vote for a government influenced by the Greens.

And if the recent Prahan by-election in Victoria didn’t scare the PM, nothing will.

The result sent a clear message: voters are turning away from the Greens.

After almost 11 years of Greens control, the seat flipped to Liberal candidate Rachel Westaway, marking a significant shift.

Former Labor MP Tony Lupton, who ran as an independent, actively campaigned against the Greens. His how-to-vote cards helped drive their preference share down from 80 per cent in 2022 to just 44 per cent.

Why does this matter? Because Prahran was supposed to be safe Greens territory. But voters — many former Labor supporters —woke up to what the Greens have become.

Concerns over their anti-Israel stance and divisive rhetoric played a significant role in the result.

If this trend continues into the Federal election, Greens leader Adam Bandt could even be in trouble in his seat of Melbourne.

The takeaway is simple: voters can and should put the Greens last — and in Prahran, they already did.

For too long, politicians have been too afraid to call out extremists in their own ranks, worried about losing inner-city votes. But after the past few months, that luxury is gone.

Jewish Australians should never have to question their safety in a hospital. They should never have to remove their Star of David for fear of retaliation. They should never have to station security guards outside their places of worship.

Yet Labor won’t stop dealing with the Greens, no matter how extreme they become, because they need them to govern.

But we don’t.

We don’t have to play along with Labor’s political survival strategy. We don’t have to accept the Greens as a permanent fixture in Australian politics.

Because no matter how the party machines do their deals — our ballot is our own.

Put the Greens last.

Send a message that Australians reject division, extremism, and anti-Semitism in our politics.