The Green Party has its roots in various environmental groups that formed in the 1970s to prevent the construction of new motorways. It won its first seats to the House of Representatives in 1983 and gradually increased its share of the vote to nearly ten per cent in the 2007 elections.

In 1991 it won 6.1 per cent of the vote and 14 seats in the House of Representatives. However, the party could not hold onto the seats as support by voters subsequently dropped.

The party was back on a winning streak in the past two parliamentary elections. In the 2007 polls the Greens took 9.6 per cent of the vote and now have a record 22 seats in parliament, including two in the Senate. It is the largest of the opposition parties.

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