Vegetarian buffet and a ‘free dental’ raffle prize: Greens launch bullish bid to ‘take our country back’ in Victoria

Federal Greens leader David Shoebridge, Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell, state MP for Richmond Gabrielle de Vietri and deputy federal leader Steph Hodgins-May at Thursday’s campaign launch in Melbourne Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP

“Well, this wasn’t in my diary a week ago,” the Greens’ newly elected federal leader, David Shoebridge, said from the altar of an inclusive church in Melbourne’s inner north.

The New South Wales senator was a late addition to the launch of the Victorian Greens election campaign on Thursday, but delivered a rousing political sermon to the converted.