{"id":510537,"date":"2026-02-28T22:13:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T22:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/510537\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T22:13:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T22:13:28","slug":"greens-unfazed-by-polling-and-sticking-to-their-guns-on-aukus-ahead-of-sa-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/510537\/","title":{"rendered":"Greens unfazed by polling and sticking to their guns on AUKUS ahead of SA election"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minor parties are having a moment in South Australia.<\/p>\n

And, with the state election now just three weeks away, a dramatic shift in polling is about to be put to the test.<\/p>\n

Your Say: Tell us what matters to you this SA election<\/a><\/p>\n

We want to know what issues matter most to you and what you want us to find out ahead of the March 21, SA election.<\/p>\n

More than 75 per cent of voters put Labor or the Liberals as their first preference at the 2022 election.<\/p>\n

That figure is forecast to drop to about 60 per cent this time around.<\/p>\n

But not all minor parties look set to benefit equally.<\/p>\n

While One Nation’s primary vote has soared<\/a> from 2.6 per cent in 2022 to higher than 20 per cent in recent polling, the Greens’ increase has been modest.<\/p>\n

After winning 9 per cent of first preferences at the last election, the party has been hovering around 12 per cent in the polls.<\/p>\n

Polling not the full story<\/p>\n

Greens SA leader Robert Simms is not disappointed by the result \u2014 instead declaring he found the polling to be encouraging.<\/p>\n

2026 South Australia electorate guide <\/a><\/p>\n

He compared the rise of One Nation to the groundswell of support for SA-Best in the lead-up to the 2018 election.<\/p>\n

“On election day, it was a fizzer for the Xenophon team,” he told ABC News Stateline.<\/p>\n

“I think, when people turn their minds towards the choice that they’ve got to make at this election, they will start to examine the calibre of the candidates and the policy offerings of all the political parties.<\/p>\n

“And I think once people start to turn their attention to those policies \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 we might start to see a bit of a shift.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Robert Simms says he is concerned about a possible Labor landslide in both houses. (ABC News: Tony Hill)<\/p>\n

One Nation has previously announced some policies ahead of the state election, including a plan to amalgamate councils and crack down on the influence of lobbyists.<\/p>\n

Mr Simms said he was concerned at the prospect of Labor, which is predicted to secure a decisive victory, winning control of both houses of parliament.<\/p>\n

“That means that they would be able to rush through legislation without due process,” he said.<\/p>\n

The Greens are eyeing the lower house seat of Heysen, as well as running an upper house ticket.<\/p>\n

AUKUS opposition<\/p>\n

The Greens have come under fire from political opponents for their plan to scrap the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement.<\/p>\n

They have also vowed to discontinue all South Australian government defence spending.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The Greens want AUKUS funds redirected to bolster other industries. (ABC)<\/p>\n

Mr Simms defended the position from an economic perspective, claiming AUKUS funding could be redirected and stimulate employment in other industries.<\/p>\n

“Why aren’t we making trams here? Why aren’t we making trains here in South Australia?” he said.<\/p>\n

He said his party also believed the AUKUS pact meant Australia would become too reliant on the US.<\/p>\n

“The Greens have advocated at a national level for us to have our own defence capability, independent of the United States,” he said.<\/p>\n

Confidence in the team<\/p>\n

Mr Simms said his party has pushed for action on the cost of living, the environment and a range of other issues that people care about.<\/p>\n

But the last four years were not without their challenges.<\/p>\n

Last year, long-term Greens MLC Tammy Franks quit the party to sit as an independent \u2014 claiming she was denied procedural fairness<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the time, Mr Simms said he had “no idea” his former co-leader was going to resign, though he had been aware she had been feeling frustrated.<\/p>\n

\"Tammy<\/p>\n

Tammy Franks quit the party last year. (ABC News: Marco Catalano)<\/p>\n

On Friday, he said while “it’s never a good look when a member of parliament leaves a political party”, her departure was not indicative of a wider problem.<\/p>\n

Asked whether there were cultural issues that needed to be addressed, Mr Simms said the party had done a review into its misconduct processes.<\/p>\n

“That review was robust and I think our internal processes are good and robust and, I think, people can have absolute confidence in the Greens’ team,” he said.<\/p>\n

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