Shane Rattenbury says the Greens have the experience and pragmatism to lead the next ACT government, in a significant messaging shift from a party seeking to shed the minor party label.
With two more seats in the Legislative Assembly, the Greens would be on a level footing with the Labor and the Liberals and would be in a vastly different negotiating position after the October 19 election. The party says it would mean "anything's possible".
The Greens will mark the formal start of the ACT election campaign period by pitching themselves as the major party of an alternative government.
Mr Rattenbury acknowledged it would be a hard-won achievement to take more seats in the 25-member Legislative Assembly, but said the shift of a few hundred votes, in some cases, would open up new possibilities for government in the territory.
"We've got more experience than the Liberal Party in government. We've got three ministers, we've got six experienced MLAs. The Liberal Party, literally none of them have ever been in government," Mr Rattenbury said.
"So when people are looking for an alternative, we sit there as experienced. I've been on [the expenditure review committee of cabinet]; we've got ministers who've been through the budget processes."
Labor and the Greens have governed together in the ACT with a formal power sharing agreement since 2008, the year Mr Rattenbury was first elected to the Assembly.
Mr Rattenbury said he was a fan of multi-party governments and that power sharing would be a likely feature of any government formed after the October election.
"People often talk about us having a significant influence. We do, but we certainly don't have complete control ... There's a good creative tension in the government. The two parties push each other around in ways that are, I think, good for democracy and good for outcomes, because we have to make the case to each other," he said.
"And I think that's provided us strength in government."
Mr Rattenbury said he was optimistic the party could grow its vote after its record result of six members elected in 2020 and pointed to the party's early election commitments that, he said, combined credibility and ambition.
"I also think we can step up further ... The community is willing to change their vote when they see something attractive to vote for or out of frustration. And both of those are major motivating factors for voters," he said.
The change in campaign positioning also marks a significant shift for the Greens, which began as a party of protest and has long grappled with internal arguments about whether it is better to be in government or keeping government accountable from the sidelines.
Caroline Le Couteur, a former two-term Greens member of the Assembly, said in 2022 supporting the Greens was no longer a protest vote while the party backed the "status quo" Labor party.
Mr Rattenbury said he thought Labor conveyed a sense of being satisfied with the state of the ACT and that was not matched by what the community felt.
"That's where that itch is coming from in the community for something different," he said.
Mr Rattenbury, who has been Greens leader since 2012, said he believed the number of Greens in the Assembly would be more stable, after "terms of rising and falling numbers".
Mr Rattenbury said if a Greens government were to be elected anywhere in Australia, it would happen first in the ACT.
"And our party membership is on board for that. They've really been coming with us on this journey over the last couple of terms. After each election, we sit down with our party, with the members, and say, 'All right, here's the result. What are we going to do?'," he said.
The membership has been clear that they have wanted Greens members in the Assembly to take on cabinet positions, Mr Rattenbury said.
