As tempers fray across parliament, Anthony Albanese is seeking a united front ahead of the next election; one where Labor will go it alone.
After a parliamentary sitting week marred by divisions over stances on the conflict in the Middle East, where the Greens were condemned by both major parties for supporting protesters, the prime minister ruled out a minority government with the minor party in a future second term.
"I am reminded of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and what the meaning of life is. In this case, the meaning of life is 78, which is how many members we have ... we seek a majority government," he told question time on Thursday.
"The Australian Labor Party proudly does not govern in a coalition with any political party, nor will we in the future."
The next election is due to be held by May 2025 at the latest, but the government would not be able to lose any more than two seats if it wants to govern in its own right.
The last minority government was formed in 2010 under former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard, where the party sought the support of the Greens as well as three independents.
Mr Albanese made a similar point about not needing the support of the Greens in government earlier on Thursday in Adelaide, as he unveiled Labor's candidate for the marginal seat of Sturt.
Labor have pre-selected local councillor and lawyer Claire Clutterham to run in the seat in Adelaide's eastern suburbs.
The seat is held by the coalition's James Stevens on a wafer-thin margin of 0.45 per cent.
"One of the great differences is that Claire can be a voice as part of a Labor government, not someone who will wait for decisions to be made and then decide whether they'll protest or not, which is what the Green political party really can do, nothing more," Mr Albanese told Adelaide radio station 5AA.
"The last election we were successful in (wining the SA seat of) Boothby and I'm very, very hopeful of winning Sturt and I think in Claire we have an absolutely outstanding candidate."
The prime minister promised Labor candidates in other marginal seats would be unveiled in coming weeks.
The government is set to start the election race with one fewer member, with the Australian Electoral Commission looking set to abolish the seat of Higgins in Victoria, currently held by Labor backbencher Michelle Ananda-Rajah, as part of a redistribution.
Despite speculation the prime minister would look to go to an early election at the end of 2024, Mr Albanese has indicated he would seek a full three years in the top job.
