‘Pushing isn’t always pretty’: Adam Bandt on why the Greens blocked Labor’s agenda until last sitting day of the year

‘I hope … people can see we’ve actually got something that makes a difference,’ Greens leader Adam Bandt has said of the Greens’ decision to hold out on passing dozens of Labor’s bills in parliament until Thursday. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Adam Bandt is defending the Greens’ persistent refusal to pass key parts of the government’s agenda until Thursday’s legislative landslide, urging voters to understand they were “doing it for a reason”.

As parliament cleared the last of dozens of bills before rising until next year, Bandt acknowledged that holding out against core Labor measures had drawn accusations of obstructionism.